Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Peekaboo Slot Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon National Park and The Hoover Dam
Introduction
I am typing this while suitcases full of clothes that still hold bits of red dirt in their crevasses lay open on my living room floor. Maybe that means I should be doing laundry rather than typing this but it felt pertinent to write now… while my memory still holds the scent of the fresh canyon air and can feel the thumping of my heart as I considered its vastness. So here I am with a story of our adventure that I hope you will take as a guide for yours. While I write in the form of a short story I will also interject tips, tricks, and ways for you to get the most out your exploration if you so choose to follow in our footsteps. And if you are incapable of taking such a trip I hope I am able to bring it to life for you in a way that feels like part of you was with us too.
Planning
(you can skip this part if you want, it’s kind of like the life story part of the recipe that is interesting but if you just came for the recipe you may be annoyed with me by the time you read through the next four or five paragraphs – Skip to adventure begins if you came for the story and skip to “Now Let’s Recap” if you came simply for the recipe and not my incredibly witty, sometimes funny, and mom rated 10-star writing ability)
Lilli and I have been on a lot of adventures, visiting Mickey at his place in Orlando, kissing Dolphins in Mexico, chillin with Sting Rays in the Caribbean Sea, enjoying the sunshine at 11pm on a beach in Alaska, hanging out with the fire breathing dragon on Diagon Alley… ya know, all the things a typical child experiences before they are 8. (I’m kidding, if you didn’t catch the sarcasm in my writing there, I promise you myself and Lilli actually do understand and respect how incredibly lucky we are to have experienced these things at all, especially her at such a young age.)
So when it came to planning our next adventure I was a little stumped on what to do next. Was it time for a true international trip, one that didn’t involve a cruise ship? Or another road trip that tested our patience and my ability to not go crazy while listening to the same song for the 4,000th time? I knew I wanted this next experience to be one that wasn’t about relaxing on white sandy beaches or waiting in hour long lines for a 2.5 minute ride, but truly an adventure that involved learning about a new culture, history of the land, seeing things that could change anyone’s perspective on life… in other words, it was a tall order.
So as anyone with a question that could probably be answered by a simple Google search does, I took to Facebook. I asked my question in a Facebook group centered around travel that I have been a part of for a few years and they did not disappoint, I actually think they gave me a plan for the next 48 trips that we will take… when someone mentioned National Parks though, my ears perked up… and my research began. Once again, I took this idea and a question that could have been answered by Google, and made a tik tok. That is where someone and then a few other someones told me about their trip where they rented a motorhome in Las Vegas and explored around that general area because there are quite a few National Parks and other beautiful historic landmarks within driving distance of there.
So that was it, that was the next adventure. I immediately texted my mom, very non-chalant like, and asked her if she had ever been to the Grand Canyon, she replied no but it was on the top of her bucket list. PERFECT Grammy and Papa were coming along too, they just didn’t know it yet.
Once I began searching, using Google this time, I discovered there were so many places within driving distance of Las Vegas to explore: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Valley of Fire, Red Rocks, so many more truthfully so my brain was spinning… How do I choooose which ones to do?? I needed something that was accessible enough because although my parents and daughter are in good shape they are not in hike-up-a-mountain shape, they know this, I promise this is not offensive to them. So once again, I made a Tik Tok, asking for help to narrow down which to go to, what had accessible hikes, what was the most “must-see” of them all, what did each truly have to offer? I knew we were doing the Grand Canyon but I just wanted to add a few more stops but also allow for enough time at each to get as much as we could from them, so we couldn’t do them all. After my friends on the clock app gave me some grand ole advice, I narrowed it down to Zion, Valley of Fire, Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam. Boom – trip of a lifetime.
After the plan was made, the motorhome was booked, we used Road Bear RV because they had a great deal going on and we were able to get a Class C 26ft with a slide out for 7 days for $960 including the kits that included everything we needed and the competition wanted something around $2,000 with nothing included…. Also, the guy that checked us in and out was really cute so that was a bonus, and he was beyond helpful. (I debated putting his name in here so he could get some recognition but I don’t know if that’s weird or not so if you happen to work at the Road Bear/ El Monte in Las Vegas and you’d like to know which of your employees did a fantastic job and deserves a raise, send me an email, no really.. do it.)
Oh I forgot to tell you, I was planning all of this as a Christmas present for my daughter and parents and I tell you WHAT I wanted to tell them SO many times gosh I am proud of myself for keeping that secret. This is why, though, I had to wait to book flights because my parents are picky with the type of seats they have and when they fly etc. This also meant I couldn’t book hotels and campgrounds yet either due to not knowing the exact days we’d be there. However I did all of the research to know which campgrounds we would be staying at.
Once the motorhome was booked I put together a rough itinerary for when we would go and how long we’d be in each place, made it all cute on Canva and printed off three copies. I then went to Mountain Warehouse and Bass Pro shops for some hiking gear, got Lilli some boots, mom and dad backpacks, and all three of them water bottles, whistles, and flashlights. I wrapped these as their Christmas presents with the itinerary in the bottom. Watching them open it and try to figure out what the heck was going on was great. I have a video on my tik tok, I’ll link it here. My mom realizing she would be able to cross some things off her Bucket List was amazing too. Watch the video, promise it’s cute.
After they knew, we were able to get flights, campsites and hotels booked and knowing we’d be there 8 days I was able to get the itinerary put together for our exact plan. I will elaborate on all that as we go through the trip, I will also let you know if I would change anything. Here is the itinerary we started with, it didn’t stay exactly like this but I will elaborate further later on.
Itinerary
March 20th: Fly to Las Vegas, flight leaves Detroit at 9:55pm and arrives in Vegas at 11:56pm (thank you time change)
March 20th-22nd: Stay at Flamingo hotel on the strip
22nd: Leave hotel and pick up Motorhome – Drive to Valley of Fire then continue on to Zion National Park
22nd-24th: Zion Canyon Campground
23rd: 11:00am Lil and I horse riding guided tour (lol this is a story and a half but it was worth it in the end)
24th: Slot Canyon tour 9am, continue on to Mather Campground at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
24th-27th: Mather Campground at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
26th: Sunset Hummer Tour
27th: Drive back to Las Vegas – Stop at Hoover Dam – Stay at Las Vegas KOA (no bueno)
28th: Return Camper (didn’t consider we wouldn’t have anywhere to keep our stuff or what to do until 10:00pm when our flight left but we fix this later stay tuned)
28th: Fly out at 10:58pm and arrive in Detroit at 5am (no thank you time change)
Adventure Begins
Finally, in what felt like eternity and a blink of an eye at the same time, it was Thursday March 20th, and we would be flying out to Las Vegas that evening. Lilli was not thrilled in the slightest that she still had to go to school, not considering she was in-fact skipping Friday though. The vacation jitters had us though, we were too excited to sleep and getting up and having to do regular day things felt grueling for me as an adult so I can’t blame the eight year old for feeling it too. While she was at school I finished packing our bags and got the house cleaned up because let’s face it, coming home from vacation to a messy home is the worrrsstttt. Also, I love travelling, obviously, I do it all the time but I don’t know if I will ever not hate packing. I always feel like I’m overpacking but when trying to decide what to take away it feels like everything is essential so with a 50lb weight limit I’m ususally at 49.5 and have a backpack that is busting at the seams. Maybe one day I’ll get a little better at that, doubt it though.
I picked Lilli up from school and we waited an excrutiatingly long hour and a half for Grammy and Papa to show up so we could blow this popsicle stand. When they got here, my mother needed me to completely walk her through what to take in her carry on and what to check so essentially we had to completely unpack and repack her bags. My dad and I will never stop giving her crap for having months to prepare and still waiting until just before we leave to actually pack. We all have our quirks, mine is overpacking, moms is packing in her head fifteen weeks before leaving and not physically packing until 2 minutes before we are meant to walk out the door.
At last, we were dragging our 49.5lb suitcases down my apartment stairs and making the 40 minute drive to the airport! Woohoo! The feeling of driving to the airport knowing your adventure has begun is a feeling that is truly unmatched in my opinion. Suddenly feels like nothing else matters but right now, this trip, and the excitement thats ensuing.
Thankfully we made our way to the airport with more than enough time because the bagage line was huge, that is why I will always be the person that shows up two hours before my flight. I’d rather have time to kill at the airport than risk the anxiety that is running through the airport praying the doors aren’t closed yet. Plus, Detroit is a superior airport in my opinion and it’s not a bad place to kill time.
I love everything about the airport when you’re leaving for a trip, even the grumpy bag check people and the security guards yelling at me to put my bag in a bin when last time I was there they told me not to put my bag in a bin, and my clean socks on what I can only assume is a nasty floor. I love it all. Then of course, once through security, we have to find our gate, ensure it is there, and then we can go find overpriced snacks and drinks because even though I packed snacks, those aren’t the snacks I want now so I have to spend $49.95 on a bag of combos but it doesn’t matter because it’s officially vacation.
My parents paid extra for some fancy seats, their excuse being they are old and need comfort, while Lilli and I sat with all the regular folk in the paper thin seats without enough leg room for my 4’9 child much less my ass that is a whole foot taller BUT ITS VACATION SO ITS OKAY WE ARE HAPPY AND WE ARE HAVING FUN.
Viva Las Vegas
We arrived in Las Vegas at about 11:30pm and Ubered to the Flamingo. My parents were instantly overwhelmed by the lights, the people, and the constant ding of slot machines, it didn’t help that they were incredibly exhausted but their first impression of Vegas was complete and utter overwhelm which is totally valid. Truthfully, Vegas was such a hard juxtapostion from the rest of the trip it was an interesting place to start. We got some incredibly overpriced burgers and soft pretzels, then crashed out for the night.
The next morning we woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed at the wee hour of 11am… it was a long night and the time change was messing with everybody don’t judge, it was VACATION. We got ourselves dressed and ready for the day and headed to breakfast at the Havana 1957 – a delicious $150 breakfast was a perfect start to our day. Okay listen, I had been to Vegas prior to 2020 and I could not believe the way prices had seemed to double since I had been their previously and we constantly had sticker shock on the strip so I will probably continue to mention the outrageous prices…. Just keep in mind if you plan to include this in part of your own trip – Vegas is no longer the decently budget friendly place I remember it being.
We headed out to explore the strip and I wanted to show my parents the expansiveness of Caesars Palace, the last time I had been there I literally got lost and couldn’t find my way out and had to resort to asking a security guard where the hell the exit was. Anyway, it’s a really cool place to experience just for its sheer vastness but also because they have an area with cobblestone floors and blue skies thats fun to experience. Just don’t pull a Michael (my dad) and get roped into one of the vendors selling phone cases and headphones that despite their “amazing deals” you really don’t need.
Once we found our way back to the street we went to the Bellagio to check out the conservatory and botanical gradens which are insane any time I see them, always different but forever stunning. We followed that up by some chillaxing by the bathtub, I mean pool, at the Flamingo. (The water was like bath water it was so warm which served its purpose during this 70, warmish day but I sure hope its cooler on the 90 and up days). Buffets used to be such a huge thing in Vegas and they were chep for the kind of food you would get and drinks were often included…. Now we STRUGGLED to find a buffet but finally went for the one inside Caesars that was terribly overpriced and over-crowded butttt boasted well rounded and decent options – Lil, mom and I’s favorite was the dessert. Lilli was especially stoked when I told her she could take one of everything if she wanted, I was trying to eat our money’s worth here okay. I think I managed to do that seeing as my parents almost had to roll me back to our hotel. We stuck around the strip to view the Bellagio Fountain show and then we split up, Lilli and I headed to the Eiffel Tower and Mom and Dad went to the Highroller. We all wanted to see the strip from above but Lilli was not feeling the Highroller. Surprisingly my dad went, that man is more afraid of heights than a horse is of a mouse I tell ya what, more on that from the Grand Canyon. After our separate Birds Eye View adventures it was time for bed.
The next morning I headed out early to bring Starbucks back for everybody and then we got dressed and had breakfast at Carlos ‘N Charlie’s Restaurant for more overpriced pancakes but this time a very fairly priced Mimosa, wooh small wins. We got our bags packed up, leaving out a change of clothes and our bathing suits. Took our bags to the bellhop and had about an hour for my little fish to spend a little more time in the pool before heading off to pick up the motorhome.
Vegas is the part of the trip that sure was fun, but now that my parents have experienced it, I would not include it in the future but it was something they wanted to experience however if you asked them if they wanted to go back it would be a resounding no and I no longer have any desire to return myself.
What I wish we had time for on this trip to Vegas: Fremont Street. This is one of my favorite places and I think my parents and Lilli would have thought it was cool unfortunately we never made it over there.
Zion Here We Come
After our swim we grabbed our bags, the bell hop took us through this secret back way under the hotel to the Uber area, was a little creepy and we may have been a little overly trusting to just follow him but we survived. Anyway, we ubered to the location that Road Bear RV had on Apple Maps, when we showed up it was like a ghost town, the only sign of life being a travel trailer and two construction workers, immediately I thought we had been scammed. Thankfully, one of the workers spoke enough English to let us know that we hadn’t been scammed they had just moved locations. Our Uber driver was then kind enough to take us to the right location.
Like I mentioned above, the guy that checked us in for our camper at Road Bear was not only super helpful but also super cute, so overall it was a great experience. Unfortunately though, a pipe had been secured wrong in the shower so water was leaking from the pump and that had to be fixed before we could take off obviously. The wrong address, the check in, and this repair cost us quite a bit of time which ultimately made it so we had to skip Valley of Fire. We were all pretty disappointed by this but when it comes to travel you have to expect hiccups and not let them totally derail your excitement and overall view of the trip because it will only diminish your attitude for the entirety of the trip rather than just being a small hiccup. Travel always involves a hiccup or two, you have to just accept that.
Driving through the mountains at night in a motorhome you have never driven before is not for the faint of heart. Please keep in mind if you do take this trip that some of the drives are through some crazy switchbacks up and down some steep areas, if you have never driven a motorhome before please consider a camper van instead or something on the small end. My dad and I are both experienced motorhome drivers and these drives were intense for even us.
Before nightfall though, the drive was gorgeous. We arrived at camp at Zion Canyon Campground set up and passed out. This time though, it was an early morning for all of us… well I guess I shouldn’t say all of us. Somewhere along the line my dad caught a mysterious bug and he was not feeling so hot that morning. Unfortunately this meant he had to stay in bed rather than spend our day at Zion with us.
We had an 11am Horseback Riding Tour scheduled, (remember I told you this was quite the story) I had planned way ahead, and headed to our bus stop about an hour in advanced. The bus was taking forever, I wish I had known sooner that the visitor center was only a ¼ mile away… so we started walking. Only to make it to the visitor and have to stop and purchase a park pass that I had forgotten to do previously, don’t be like me, purchase your park passes in advance but not too far in advance. Anyway, by the time we made it to the bus inside the park that could take us where we needed to go, there was such a long line there was no way we would make it by 11. I called and thankfully, they were able to reschedule me for 2pm. I called my mom and had her meet us at the visitor center, and we decided to hike to the location of the horse tour meet up point… unfortunately after our 1.7 mile hike… we realized we had been given the wrong directions…. So we hiked back down to the bus stop (Lilli was crying at this point that her legs were going to fall off) that could take us up further into the park, the one we were at would only take us down… by the time we made it back to the visitor center, got in line for the bus, and waited as two full busses loaded ahead of us… we weren’t going to make it for 2pm either. I called them again, thankfully they could get us in on the 3:30pm ride. So we took the bus to Zion Lodge, the RIGHT location for the tour meeting point, and got signed in more than an hour early. Per the suggestion of the tour operator, we went over to Zion Lodge to have some real food, at this point we had been living on protein bars and almonds from my hiking pack. Unfortunately, the lodge was severely understaffed and had hour long wait times with 20+ empty tables. Instead, I ordered us some ice cream and fruit to go, enough to sustain us for a while anyway. We sat in the sun as it peaked over the ridges of the canyon enjoying our incredibly healthy and very sustaining linner (thats lunch and dinner per Lil) of fruit and ice cream. The service was spotty at best but I was able to snag the Lodges wifi and text my mom to take the bus to Zion Lodge because it was stunning and she had to see it, and made sure to let her know if I didn’t respond I was not dead I simply had no service.
It was FINALLY time to ride some darn horses through the darn canyon. Truth be told, I had always been afraid of horses but Lilli wanted to do this so badly that I decided to suck it up for her. As soon as I mounted the horse, the fear disappeared. I felt safe and secure with this animal. Lilli got to ride a horse called Black Magic right behind the guide and I was right behind her on Jessie, both beautiful horses. About five minutes into the ride Lilli was telling me she wished I had scheduled the three hour ride rather than just the one hour. A couple hours prior she was telling me that she thought an hour was going to be too long… weird how mom just knows things. The ride was breathtaking, not only the amazing views but the horse itself climbing steep slopes and trudging through a river with me on it’s back. It was a magical feeling, and I am already longing to feel it again. I had my phone strapped on a body mounted tripod situation and filmed more than half of the trip, I will be posting the full thing on Youtube and if I’ve already done that it will be linked here. However, I have posted some highlights on Tik Tok that you can also see by clicking here.
Horseback Riding at Zion National Park
The horse ride was truly done way too quickly but was a wonderful experience that I highly recommend, keep in mind there are height and weight restrictions so make sure to take those into account before you book – you can find the information by simply googling horseback riding Zion National Park and then follow the link that is on the actual National Parks website.
We then met back up with my mom and took the bus to the very last stop on the bus route in order to do the Riverside Walk which is a paved path through the canyon and very accessible with stunning views. Everywhere you look it’s stunning and so huge but then you try to capture it in a photo and it looks half the size and the coloring doesn’t do it justice. I tried though!
It was time for us to head back, have some real dinner, and rest our already exhausted bodies. We had purchased some groceries after picking up the motorhome so we had a lovely dinner of rotisserie chicken and macaroni salad followed by smores for dessert. Unfortunately, my dad was still not feeling well at this point.
Smores with a view at Zion Canyon Campground
Onward to Peekaboo Slot Canyon
Thankfully I double checked the meeting point for the UTV Slot Canyon Tour I had scheduled for 9am the next morning because it was an hour away in Kanab Utah and I had thought it was just right around the corner. Thankfully, it was an hour in the right direction toward the Grand Canyon and I had scheduled it for the day we were leaving Zion and heading there so it really was going to work out just fine.
Until… we woke up at the booty crack of dawn, 6:30am, that’s the booty crack of dawn for me okay? Got the motorhome packed up, purchased some pepto for my dad at the camp store, and headed off… only to find out there was a tunnel that required one way traffic for oversized vehicles, which a motorhome is, and it did not open for said oversized vehicles until 8am… and we were exactly an hour away from the meeting point. I sent a text letting them know we would be right on time and not a minute early, thankfully it was no big deal, and we were okay to wait the half hour for the tunnel to open. Phewww.
Let me tell you, the drive out of Zion National Park this way was INTENSE. It was a 15 mile an hour drive for a while, I wasn’t driving any faster on these switchbacks with no railings in a 26ft long motorhome that I was driving right then for the very first time. My mother pretended to be okay but I could tell she was scared shitless and I was thankful as all heck that my dad was asleep.
We pulled into the parking lot for the tour at 8:58am, by the time we got our shoes on and out the door we were RIGHT on time. Unfortunately my dad was unable to do this tour due to still being sick. We got Lilli strapped into a helmet and we all buckled into the UTV and off we were. I will have a full Youtube video of this tour as well and will link it here when it is up, be aware it will be bumpy lol but the ride was bumpy so it is what it is.
We took the UTV over large Sand Dunes up to the top of one where he pulled out sandboards for us to try. I thought it would be similar to sledding but it was not quite that easy, mom and I both ate sand (yes, that is in the video) while lil showed us it was not that hard… Mom and I opted for one trip down because the climb back up was brutal, and two was enough for Lil. I think I am still finding red sand in my hair… and I definitely ate it along with my sandwich at lunch.
After eating sand and laughing our butts off
While this was fun, I had no idea the rest of the tour would be so remarkable. When we first arrived at Peekabo Canyon it really didn’t look like more than just a crack between some huge boulders but when you stepped inside it felt like you stepped onto another planet.
Is this photo not giving Mars???
Our tour guide explained to us how when it rains the water can get over 6-7ft high and it just carves through these canyons creating these crazy curves and divots. It truly is that color too.. honestly even more vibrant in person. I kept saying “I feel like I stepped through a portal to Mars” – Truly otherworldly.
Our guide was super kind and beyond knowledgeable about the canyon and the whole area surrounding. We went with Razor’s Edge Tours and I would recommend them to anyone. Our guide asked us which way we planned to take to the Grand Canyon and told us about Horseshoe Bend, which was right along the way, and I am SO grateful he did.
The tour lasted about 2 hours total with the trip to the slot canyon, sand boarding, hiking through the canyon and back, and the trip back to the parking lot. It was the perfect amount of time really.
From there, I was back behind the wheel to drive us the rest of the three hours to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, now with an added stop along the way.
Horseshoe Bend
Just south of Page, Arizona there is a parking area off of U.S. Route 89, you pay a small fee to get in, for a motorhome I believe it was $10, park and there is a .75 mile path down to a beautiful view point of Horseshoe Bend. Horseshoe Bend is a curve in the Colorado River that made for some stunning scenery.
Thankfully, my dad was able to get up and make this short walk with us to see the view, but he never got more than 50ft from the edge… that height thing again. There were areas that were fenced off and open spaces, of course people being people, were often getting way too close to the edge and that gave all of us a bit of anxiety… just a pre-warning. I almost had a heart attack when what I assume was a mom and dad was putting there maybe 2 year old son within a foot (I am not exaggerating here and even getting sweaty writing about it) from the edge and leaving him there for a photo… one misstep and he would have been gone. PLEASE if you go do NOT do this. The photo would still look great from 5-10ft away.
Horseshoe Bend
I was not as close as it looks in this photo to clarify I never got within 5 feet of the edge and that even felt risky to me.
Overall this was a beautiful stop to take and it was along the way anyway, would highly recommend!
To the Grand Canyon We Go!
A few hours of easy driving later we arrived at the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. After paying our dues we stopped at the very first look out point we passed because we just could not wait to see it. This happened to be Desert view and was a stunning first look. Unfortunately we hadn’t planned ahead so we were unable to wait long enough to go up the Desert View watchtower which is totally free to do and I would put it on your to do’s if you plan to go just know it could be a bit of a wait once you get there.
Just 25 miles from there was our campground, Mather Campground which is considered a rustic campground meaning it does not have any electricity or hookups but does have public showers and bathrooms. They also allow generators to run from 7am to 9am and from 6pm to 8pm. You may want to double check those hours but I am pretty certain that is correct.
We got checked in and found our spot which was currently being inhabited by many Rocky Mountain Elk! It was an awesome sight to see. While beautiful creatures, it is important to keep your distance as they can be territorial and protective of any young they may have and these are 300 to 500 lb animals we are talkin about, they would win in a fight I promise.
We had to take our time emerging from the camper and just be cautious while we walked around but it was amazing seeing wildlife we hadn’t seen before. they often could be found at the water fill up stations… you had to wait your turn.
That night was an earlier one for us as we were pretty whipped from waking up early having the UTV tour and driving all day. The next morning we woke up to the birds chirping in the forest and my dad snoring in the back of the motorhome. Oh the beautiful sounds of nature.
Dad unfortunately wasn’t feeling up to a full day of exploration again… or any exploration at all. We were all just praying he’d be better soon and could begin enjoying all this vacation had to offer.
Mom, Lil and I however took off to explore, backpacks loaded down with the essentials like water, protein bars, first aid kits and of course, poptarts. We took a shuttle bus to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center – seemed like the best place to start. We had a full free day with no concrete plan so we could spend it however we liked. This proved to be a great place to start as a short walk from the visitor center was Mather Point which is a stunning look out and ended up being my favorite of all of them on the South Rim.
Views near Mather point South Rim of the Grand Canyon
From there we took the Rim Trail which is a mostly paved path around the rim of the canyon. Unfortunately we never hiked down into the canyon because my family couldn’t physically do it and I did not want to go alone. It is on my bucket list to go back and hike down and camp in the canyon if I am ever lucky enough to do that. Just be sure if you do any of the more difficult hikes that you do proper research ahead of time and come prepared. Anyway… we continued along the Rim trail for a while stopping now and then to take in the Canyon – it truly looks different every angle you look at it and when the sun is in different spots in the sky.
When the protein bars and poptarts were no longer cutting it, we took a shuttle over to Yavapai Lodge, right across the street from our campground. Here we had a meal at the tavern, they also have a dining hall that has buffet style meals. There is also a general store right there where we were able to grab a few more snacks for the camper – they also have a ton of souvenirs and camping supplies there.
It was probably around 2pm at this point so we took the short path back to the campground and decided to take a couple hours to rest. We purchased a card game at the general store called Smores and after our nap we played that for a bit at the picnic table, mom and I quickly got frustrated as Lil had some crazy luck with that game and the two of us were getting our butts kicked by an 8 year old. It was a hoot though.
We decided to take the shuttle to Grand Canyon Village for the evening. The views from here were stunning as well but the coolest thing for me was the history of all the buildings in the village. There is so much to learn about the history of the area and it truly feels like stepping back in time. Very cool if you are interested in that sort of thing. This is a great place to watch the sunset over Bright Angel Trail as well.
We were whooped once again from a long, but wonderful, day exploring so we headed back and went to bed fairly early again. All of us really dragging our feet by the time we were 100 yards from the camper.
The next morning, my dad was FINALLY alive and well enough to head out with us, so we retraced our steps a little to allow him to get the full experience as well. This time, going to the Arizona Steakhouse in Grand Canyon Village for lunch. Do yourself a favor and get the Apple Crumble with Ice Cream… I could have eaten 40 of these I swear.
Other than that, it was a bit of a repeat of the previous day, this day with my dad alongside us, well unless we were within 50 feet of the canyon edge. Ha. However, we had a sunset Hummer Tour at 4:30 this day so after resting for a bit again, we headed to the meeting point for this.
Our tour was in an open air hummer but it could have added walls for the colder months. We went through Buck Wild Hummer Tours. Our guide was super friendly, provided blankets and water, and was very knowledgeable. We went to three different look out points before ending at our sunset destination. I feel like I learned so much during this tour – I would recommend doing some sort of guided tour while you are there if for nothing more than all of the knowledge they give you about the history of the Canyon. Like for instance, did you know that the Grand Canyon from Rim to the bottom and one end to the other, has five different climate zones? Could be snowing on the rim and 90 degrees and sunny with white sand and beaches at some points in the Canyon. Crazzzyyy. Lilli also truly enjoyed this experience and took in a lot of the information! I would recommend for sure. Seeing as my dad didn’t have much time to explore this was a great way for him to get a view of quite a bit of it in just 2.5 hours.
Sunset at the Grand Canyon – near Grand Canyon Village
After the tour we were all pretty much ready for bed, we had smores in the microwave because I promised Lilli smores but was too beat to try and make a fire. We had “real” smores at Zion so it was fine haha.
The next morning it was time to get packed up once again and start the trek back to Las Vegas, planning to stop at the Hoover Dam along the way.
Winding Down
We woke up early, packed up and got headed back to Las Vegas pretty early but could not leave the park without stopping at the Gift shop to stock up on Cactus Candy Prickly Pear Cotton Candy… I’m addicted and as I type this I am down to one tiny bag…
This day pretty much consisted of driving driving and more driving. We did stop briefly at the Hoover dam however it was very very windy so I was the only one to get out and walk across the bridge to get the whole view. Thankfully, my dad was feeling better and I could do more sleeping than driving this go around. We were staying at the Las Vegas KOA (woof do not recommend this) – we planned to enjoy a little time by the pool before heading to the magic show back at the Flamingo that we had booked for 7pm. However, upon arrival to the campground we found out that on this beautiful 80 degree and sunny day, their pool was having maintenance done on it. Pretty devastated 8 year old loading…. Thankfully on the long drive from the Grand Canyon my dad had suggested and offered to get us a hotel for the day after returning the camper so we had somewhere to keep our bags and a pool to chill beside so we were able to promise Lilli a day by the pool the next day. Wooh, crisis averted.
This evening we had gotten tickets for Piff the Magic Dragon, a magician that performed at the Flamingo hotel but happened to not be performing while we were staying there, however we had seen him on Queer Eye and really wanted to make it to a show while in Vegas. Thankfully he was performing on this Thursday the day before we left so we decided to take an uber to the show. HIGHLY recommend putting this on your to do list for Vegas, it was hilarious but also freaking amazing. I had googled ahead of time if it was an appropriate show for kids and google said yes it was, however he does swear and there are some innuendos in his show. It was not excessive and the innuendos I’m almost certain went right over Lilli’s head, but wanted to give you that fair warning. Regardless, she LOVED the magic in the show and begged for a magic book which we were able to get signed by Piff at the end of the show and she was awestruck.
We’d Ubered back to the KOA which was next to Sam’s Town Casino, grabbed some late night dinner here, walked our tired butts back to the camper and crashed out. Sam’s town casino and hotel is a pretty cool off strip place it seemed as well, we didn’t stay here but just from being in there it was a cool environment.
The next morning it was time to get the motorhome cleaned up and our bags organized for the plane ride home. We headed to return the motorhome, the same guy checked us out, just as helpful and kind as the first time. It took about an hour in total, so keep that in mind. We then Ubered to the Grandview Hotel, after dropping our bags off in our room, while still smelling of cigarettes from years past, overall was a super spacious room with a kitchen, king size bed, full living room/dining room space and large bathroom with soaker jet tub.
We went to the resort across the street and had a super yummy lunch. Then, although it was only 67 degrees when the weather man had promised high 80s (rude sir), headed to the pool so my fish could have her much deserved and patiently waited for swim for as long as her little heart desired.
Grandview Las Vegas Pool
After a few hours at the pool, it was time to go get dry and dressed for the plane. It was time to say goodbye to our trip of a lifetime with all of our memories, photos, inside jokes, amazing experiences, and probably too many souvenirs stowed away in our hearts (and suitcases).
We had a red eye flight, leaving Vegas at 10:58pm and returning to Detroit at 5:00am. Even though I couldn’t move my legs and it felt like I was sitting on cardboard (yes we flew Spirit, the prices of anything else were outrageous, but my parents sprung for the Big Comfy seats, I clearly did not.) I still managed to pass out and sleep most of the flight and miraculously so did Lilli (she rarely sleeps during travel whether it be plane or car).
If you made it this far, thank you for reading! I hope you get something from this whether it be an aid for your own trip or a way to feel like you were there with us experiencing it all as well.
Shameless plug: if you do want to take this trip but don’t know where to begin please shoot me an email and I can book it all for you, I’ll even send you a packing list so all you have to do is pack your bags and show up to the airport on time! Marissa@livelikeliltravel.com
Now let’s recap, what would I recommend, what would I skip:
Vegas
The Flamingo is a nice central location if you want to be on the strip and in walking distance from most attractions, not all, but most. It’s on the lower end budget wise as well but the rooms definitely reflect that, however I view it as a place to lay my head not where I will be spending any significant time so doesn’t bother me.
I would recommend checking out Caesars Palace and Bellagio – honestly any of the resorts on the Strip are cool to just walk around in and check out these are just the best ones in my opinion. If you have more time, check ‘em all out.
The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace is not at all worth it in my opinion for the price. I’d rather spend the money on a really good seafood broil or something personally. it was good but not $100pp good.
The Bellagio Fountain show is okay but not anything too spectacular in my personal opinion but I’ve seen it quite a few times so maybe I was impressed the first time I saw it, I can’t remember. However, it is free so it doesn’t hurt to stop and see it.
Highroller vs Eiffel Tower – My family all agree that the Highroller is kind of disappointing because when I went on it in 2019 and when my parents just did in March of 2025 the windows are so smudgy and cloudy you truly don’t get a great view unfortunately – is it a cool experience overall, kind of, but i’d say if you’re going for the view, just do the Eiffel Tower- it’s cheaper, you can spend as much time as you’d like up there or be done quickly if that’s what you’d prefer – plus no smudgy glass to look through.
Roadbear RV Yes, I do recommend them. The person I personally interacted with was nice, however a few of the managers seemed like they could be a little rude from one phone call I made. Regardless of that, they seemed to be the best prices around. The RV was nice, clean and did it’s job! The beds were hard I will say but that’s very common in RVs and to be expected.
Zion
Zion Canyon Campground I would absolutely recommend. It is very nice and well taken care of with full hookup available. It is walkable distance to the Visitor Center as well as restaurants and shops, there is also a shuttle for places that are not walkable. The people in the office were also all very kind and made the experience enjoyable. They also have a pool that was not open when we were there but is seasonally.
Zion Canyon Horseback Riding HIGHLY recommend! This was a magical experience and a very cool way to see part of the National Park. I had never even ridden a horse before so I went with the one hour ride but if you are experienced and know you can do the whole three hours I would totally go for it!
Peekaboo Slot Canyon UTV Tour with Razors Edge YES YES totally recommend! Keep in mind it is about an hour from Zion so plan accordingly but it is on the way to the Grand Canyon so you can go on your way if you do the trip similarly to us.
Horseshoe Bend Absolutely must do – it’s $10 – takes an hour maybbee and the views are incredible.
Grand Canyon
Mather Campground I have no complaints, it was very very cheap, no hookup wasn’t a big deal for us but if it is for you you may want to look into other options like Trailer Village but I hear it books quickly so plan in advance.
Sunset Hummer Tour with Buck Wild Yes, I do recommend this and especially the sunset one, that was the best part for me personally but if you are unable to do that time frame it is still a great informative tour where you will see and learn a lot.
Hoover Dam It is cool to see but for me personally, I would not go out of my way to make it work if you can’t seem to fit it in. We didn’t spend much time here. If you really want to make the most of it, plan the time to park, walk around, go into the visitor center and read up on it. I personally did not do all of that because there was construction going on and it was difficult to park the motorhome at the time.
Las Vegas KOA at Sam’s Town That is a heck no from me. This place made me feel unsafe to be totally truthful with you. Maybe I am being judgy but it just had a vibe to it that made me personally uncomfortable and I was glad we were only there to sleep essentially. The Sam’s Town Casino and Hotel seemed nice though.
Grandview Las Vegas I did not spend much time here as we didn’t even spend the night, however besides the faint leftover smell of smoke, it was overall clean and the rooms were very spacious. The pool space was very nice as well and they have more than one. The Casino being next door with tons of restaurant options as well was nice.
The Itinerary that actually happened:
March 20th: Fly to Las Vegas, flight leaves Detroit at 9:55pm and arrives in Vegas at 11:56pm (thank you time change)
March 20th-22nd: Stay at Flamingo hotel on the strip
22nd: Leave hotel and pick up Motorhome – Drive to Zion National Park – Grocery shop on he way
22nd-24th: Zion Canyon Campground
23rd: 3:30pm Horse tour – Lil and I
24th: Slot Canyon tour 9am, continue on to Mather Campground at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon – Stop at Horseshoe Bend
24th-27th: Mather Campground at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
26th: 4:30pm Sunset Hummer Tour
27th: Drive back to Las Vegas – Stop at Hoover Dam – Stay at Las Vegas KOA – 7:30pm Piff the Magic Dragon Show
28th: Return Camper 11:00am – go to Grandview Hotel for the day
28th: Fly out at 10:58pm and arrive in Detroit at 5am
