Planning Another Family Trip to Arizona, Nevada and Utah!

If you follow along with our family travel adventures, you may remember when we went on a fabulous spring trip to Arizona, Nevada and Utah in April 2023. If you need a cheat sheet, once we returned from our vacation I broke the trip into bite sized posts:

Well, we loved the trip and the convenience of having Kanab as a home base, that we decided to go again! Which means I’m in full-on planning mode to determine what we want to re-visit in a different season, what we want to add to our list, and what we want to skip this time.

Here’s our current plan:

Day 1: Fly to Vegas.

Our evening flight into Vegas worked out so well that we decided to do it again. We will land in Nevada around late in the evening and take an Uber straight to our hotel. Last time, we stayed at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino right on the Vegas strip because it was incredibly cheap and looked ridiculous. However, it was a little icky, so this time we picked a different hotel. This time we will be checking out the Downtowner Boutique Hotel, which looks kitschy and adorable, is reasonably priced, AND has great reviews.  

Day 2: Vegas to Kanab, UT

Much like our last trip, we will check out of our hotel, find breakfast somewhere and pick up our rental car. However, this time we will also plan to pick up a lunch somewhere to take with us out of town. We plan to drive through the Lake Mead area (again) and stop at the Valley of Fire State Park (again), but this time we will be prepared with lunch so we don’t get hangry!

We absolutely LOVED Valley of Fire last time, so we are planning to spend more time exploring and doing some of the hikes in that area (on a full stomach!). From there, we will continue to Kanab to check into the house we rented for the week. We still need to figure out:

  • Where to eat breakfast in Vegas.
  • Where to pick up lunch to go in Vegas or on our way out of town.
  • Which hikes to do in Valley of Fire State Park.

Day 3: Explore

We have the full day open, so we need to decide which area we will be exploring. Some contenders for this day:

  • Coral Pink Sand Dunes – you can rent a sand sled for a half-day, which sounds pretty fun!
  • Johnson Canyon Road – located only 9.5 miles east of Kanab and gives you great views of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Lots of sightseeing on the drive and also hikes you can do at scenic overlook points.

Day 4: Explore

Another full day open to explore, so we need to nail down where we want to see. Some contenders for this day:

  • Zion National Park – we went on our last trip and loved it. We may rent e-bikes again (depending on weather) and do that again, this time hiking different trails.
  • Toadstool Hoodoos Trail – this one is pretty near where we are staying and has a 1.9 mile round-trip hike that looks easy and fun to do.

Day 5: Explore

Our last free day for exploring! Some contenders for this day:

  • Bryce Canyon Park – we went on our last trip and there was snow, so we were limited to the trails we were able to hike on. Determine if there is snow this year – if yes, do we want to revisit? If no, we will get the chance to do the hikes we missed.
  • Mossy Cave Trail – a really beautiful trail right outside Bryce Canyon Park
  • Cottonwood Canyon Road – a 46 mile each way scenic drive through the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. This is a heavy driving option – it will take about 2 hours each way for this sightseeing drive. A few stops along the way include: Grosvenor Arch, and the Cottonwood Wash Narrows hike.

You may be asking why I don’t have Page or the Grand Canyon on this trip’s lists. Well, we visited Page, Glen Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon on our last trip. We loved it, but since we have less days to explore, we decided to leave that area off our list for this trip. As for the Grand Canyon, we could drive to the Northern Rim… however, it is quite far and there is a chance that there will already be snowfall. So, we are skipping that this time too.

Day 6: Kanab, UT to Vegas

This is our packing up and traveling back to Vegas day. We will pack up at our VRBO, check out, and make the around 3-hour drive back to Vegas. Once there, we will return our rental car and check into Caesar’s Palace for the evening. Which happens to be Thanksgiving. So, if you have any suggestions on where to get a good Thanksgiving dinner in Vegas, let me know! Depending on the weather, we may do some exploring and check out some of the casinos (I think Jack would love to see the gondolas at the Venetian).  We will probably also go to bed pretty early, since we have to wake up super early to catch our flight home.

Day 7: Fly Home

We have a super early flight, so we will take an Uber to the airport and may do a little dozing on the plane.

Our trip is a bit shorter this time (last time we had 9 days and this time just 7), so I’m sure it will fly by! If you have any recommendations for places we shouldn’t miss – whether it be food options, hikes, stores, views, or a place to eat a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner – let me know!

Like what you see? Share me with your friends!

My Style: October 2024

October was QUITE the month over here. It’s been gorgeous with all the fall weather… and I finished up my time at my previous job and started a new one. You know, very low stress. {insert maniacal laughter here}

So, let’s take a look at my October looks:

I was working through a couple ‘on the fence’ items, so I decided to force myself to wear them this month. Specifically, that popover top (on left) and the blue floral tank top (on right). And I’m pretty darn happy with both looks, so they both earned their right to stay in my closet. Other than trying out new/old things, I just kept it simple with a solid linen skirt and cardigan. What can I say? Sometimes easy is best.

Here are two casual looks — once again, sticking with an easy uniform of fun skirt + graphic tee shirt. Love both the tees, love both the skirts.

We can call these looks the “I wanted to wear my new (to me) cowboy boots to work” so I did. I toned down the ‘yeehaw’ of the boots by paring them with two of my midi dresses and the same cardigan. It was a great way to look appropriate for the office, but still have a little fun.

These are the last two outfits I wore at my job before I left, so I made sure to go a little extra sassy on my way out. Love both these tulle skirts!

And, on to the new job! Here are the two looks I picked for my first week at the new office:

Professional + comfortable + tried and true looks that I’ve worn a bunch of times so I knew I wouldn’t be twitchy and uncomfortable in my clothes.

New vs. Secondhand Tally

This month, I count 6 items that I purchased retail and 19 items I purchased secondhand!

Like what you see? Share me with your friends!

October Thrift Haul

I’m quite certain that October was my luckiest thrifting month of the year. I had the opportunity to make a few visits to different stores and I’m so pleased with the items I found!

Let’s check them out together:

For my first trip, I found a cornucopia of awesome… and most items were half-off the tag price!

Sonoma Cardigan, $4.50

Okay, this one isn’t super exciting but it was on my thrift list, is the perfect mid-weather weight, and looks unworn.

Nic + Zoe shirtdress, $6

A super bargain for a classic shirtdress! I actually found the original tag for this one and it retailed for $198. I love the silhouette and color scheme and this will be perfect for work next spring/summer.

Jones New York Silk Skirt, $2.50

Another absolute steal – a silk skirt for less than $3?! The colors and flow of this skirt are so beautiful, but the waist is a bit large on me. So, it’s in my pile to tailor to my figure. While it’s more of a spring/summer skirt, I think I might be able to style it with boots and a chunky sweater for the cooler weather, so I’ll be trying that out soon.

Johnny Was dress, $9

I love, love, love Johnny Was but it’s too pricey for me to purchase unless I see it at the thrift or consignment shops. This gorgeous embroidered dress is 100% my style, so I was so happy to spot it on the racks. With that being said, it’s a little bit snug in the bust. So, I’m going to ignore it for a few months and try it on again in the spring.

Pyrex “Early American” Bowl, $9

I 100% bought this Pyrex because I knew my kid would think the cat was adorable. #NoRegrets It’s nothing super fancy – the Early American pattern was made from 1962 – 1971 and its one of the longest running Pyrex patterns. I just think it’s cute and the bowl is a great size for all our regular bowl needs.

For my second thrifting trip, I found just one item… but it’s a really good one!

Rebecca Minkoff Suede Jody Feed Bag, $34.99

Yes, I paid up for this bag. However, it’s a super thick and hearty suede and in absolutely perfect condition without even any crumbs inside. It’s the Rebecca Minkoff Jody Feed bag and it retailed for $248. It’s a great size and the shoulder strap is adjustable, so it makes for a fantastic cross-body purse. LOVE IT!

Okay, last thrifting trip of the month and it gives us some highs… and some lows:

Made in France bowl set (3 little, 1 big), $9

I saw these and loved them, but am having the hardest time tracking them down. Google images is no help. My awesome web searching abilities are not helping me. They look MCM to me, but the only markings are “Made in France” on the bottom. They have the yellow stripe with the atomic starburst-like design and the edges are scalloped and gold. I don’t know. I like them and they fit my MCM theme I have going on in my china cabinet.

Anyways, my thought was that the three small bowls are perfect for ice cream and I’d stick the larger bowl in my cabinet. Well, when I took the tape off the set I found that the larger bowl has two hairline cracks in it. Such a bummer. I still added it to my china cabinet though, since it’s so pretty. I’m still thinking the little bowls will be great for ice cream, unless I discover that they are poison or super collectible.

Qualfort 100% cotton cardigan, $9

This cardigan was totally manifested. It’s giving me Babaa vibes without the ridiculous price. I’ve been wanting a chunky knit cardigan, but I really wanted it to be 100% cotton, oversized, and a neutral color that I can just throw on with everything. This one is PERFECT and exactly what I was looking for. I googled the brand and it looks like it’s sold on Amazon for $40ish, so it’s good to know I can find a back-up if ever needed!

Loft Dress, $13

I was checking the Halloween costume section and came across this pretty tiered Loft dress. It was priced high, but I really like it and can see myself wearing it year-round with my cowboy boots, taller knee boots, tights and a cardigan, or even strappy sandals in the summer.

Eileen Fisher wool cardigan, $8

Okay, this one is a heart-breaker. I found this Eileen Fisher wool cardigan and absolutely love it. Similar wool sweaters by this brand sell for $250 – 300. Yeah, crazy! It’s hard to tell in the photo, but it has a dolman sleeve fit with a swoopy back, so looks super cute with jeans. And it was in perfect condition.

Notice I say WAS. Sigh. I threw it in the washing machine on cold, as I typically do with everything I thrift. But I kind of forgot that you aren’t supposed to wash merino wool, because the enzymes in detergent can cause little holes. Sure enough, when I pulled it out to let it flat-dry…holes. NINETEEN holes to be exact. And yes, I’m absolutely kicking myself. However, it’s not a total loss. I taught myself how to mend holes and it’s easier than I expected. I darned all 19 of those holes and it’s surprisingly hard to find the spots that I fixed.

So lesson learned. Well, two lessons learned. #1: Hand wash wool. and #2 Holes are pretty easy to fix if I make another mistake (or find a sweater with a hole for a steal)!

Like what you see? Share me with your friends!