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  1. Awesome article. We were there precisely one year ago… little did we know this year was going to be so different with no traveling due to Covid-19. Thanks for this article, it put a smile on my face!
    Marcella

    1. Who would have thought everything will be different this year. I’m glad I could bring back your memories to these places.

  2. I LOVE detailed road trip itineraries like this one! You included so much helpful information! I am saving this for our future trip to the parks! Thank you!

  3. A work friend is doing a “year of National Parks” and is visiting a new one every month. I’m totally sending him this post, he’ll love it. Meanwhile, you’re going to all of the parks that are on my bucket list! The tent rocks look so cool, I’d love to find out more about how they were formed!

    1. Your friend is lucky to be able to do it once a month. I will be happy if you share this post to him.

  4. That is quite the trip! I have seen delicate arch once before, it is very impressive. You have made me want to take my own road trip to some of these spots.

  5. Wow. That was quite the trip that you took. so many parks and what a beautiful area. I’ve explored a lot of Colorado and New Mexico myself but never been on a road trip quite this long to so many cool places sounds like you had a ton of fun

    1. For part-time traveler like our family, we don’t have a freedom to go whenever we wanted to. It depends on time off from school and all the activities. So, this is one way to do it.

    1. Yeah, I like Kasha-Katuwe, the national monument that has cone shaped rocks. I haven’t been to Banff, but I must do it.

  6. There’s just so much to see in do in the Western U.S.. What a great trip! Sounds like your family was able to see so much!!

    1. And there are still so much that we haven’t seen yet. The western U.S. is a heaven for outdoor lovers.

  7. Great detailed list here, have always wanted to do a road-trip through the US with a focus on all the amazing national parks. This seems like a great itinerary. Will certainly save for when this trip comes to light.

  8. This is pretty much my dream itinerary – love living in New York but hate being so far (and usually a pretty pricey flight) away from all the weat coast national parks.

    1. I understand that. I sometimes wish living in Colorado so it’s easier to go to all those national parks in the west.

  9. Great compilation! There are so many parks on the west coast that it’s hard to see them all! So this is a great guide to seeing some of them.

  10. I know that “sandia” is the Spanish word for watermelon… was there something particularly watermelon-like about Sandia Peak?

    1. Honestly, I didn’t know that. But I will stop again next June, so I will find out about it. Thank you for giving me something to think about.

  11. That’s such an amazing two-week trip! We’ve never made it to any parks out west, but I want to so badly. The pictures look amazing! I love that the US has so many gorgeous places to see…right in our own backyard! Which park was your favorite?

    1. For this trip, I fell in love with Arches. It captivated me with its giant rocks formation the minute we drove to the park. I’ve never seen giant rocks like that before.

  12. I’m hoping to do something similar to this soon (but from Denver, and to Grand Canyon instead of Yellowstone). Thanks for all the tips!

    1. You are welcome! We’re going to Grand Canyon also this summer, then Colorado in July.

  13. I did a similar impulse trip a couple of years back where I hit some of the same spots! I could spend forever in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. You should definitely try to make it to Montana too!

    1. Montana and Idaho are our next destinations when we go up there again. So many parks to see, but the opportunity is not always taking us to that direction.

  14. Wow! That looks like an awesome 14 days with minimal planning! I’m planning on doing Utah soon so will definitely keep your tips in mind!

    1. It was crazy awesome! lol. I know that we need to do Utah only in the future. There are so much parks – National or States – to explore there.

  15. My partner and I have been meaning to go park hopping! We love the park scene and the calmness of camping. I will be bookmarking this list to revisit with her. Thanks!

  16. You’re so lucky you have all these wonderful landmarks on your front door! I’ve seen many photos of Moab in Utah and think it’s spectacular! I also love those interesting rock formations, so unique and unlike any other I’ve seen before.

    1. I know, right? But tell you what. I’m sad because most people I know don’t care about these wonderful landmarks. They only want to go to Disney, Paris, or New York. There’s nothing wrong with those places, but they need to open their mind for alternative destinations.

  17. I can’t believe you did all that with no planning!! You should do that more often! the Hole n in the Rock and the Mammoth hot springs looked amazing. Kids look like they had a ball! Thanks for the awesome list!

    1. It’s not the whole trip without reservations. Just the last 4 days and 3 nights. I can see we will do more in the future.

  18. Wow! You sure got around in two week’s time! I love road trips and this is a great itinerary. We’ve done a lot of the things you covered in the south, but on up into Idaho is a dream of ours.

    1. That’s what we like to do. Rest time is at night, or in the car. 🙂 We actually thought about going to Idaho this summer.

  19. That was a great read! Your trips are similar to ours…always on the move! I will keep this in mind when we head to Utah and Colorado. This summer we are going to the Yellowstone, Teton and Glacier areas.

    1. Good to hear from another family that has similar trip like us. I hope you will have ton of fun at those National Parks. I’ve never get enough of Yellowstone, and still have to explore Teton and visit Glacier.

  20. This is a great well put-together itinerary. I love how you have gone into detail, given prices and drives times. I always find these details super useful. The landscapes and scenery look amazing too.

  21. I can’t believe how much you packed into two weeks! I would love to know how you found floating in Great Salt Lake with those shrimps and flies? Was it gross or did you feel great and refreshed after.

    1. Well, for us hotel is only for sleeping, shower, and breakfast. Then we spent the whole day outside. Maybe that’s why we could pack a lot in two weeks. Though in Moab we did stay in the condo during afternoon hours. And, floating in the Great Salt Lake was gross. But I was there already. So, just do it! lol.

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