In November 2025, our family of four set out on a two week road trip through the Southwest United States visiting; Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. From vast desert landscapes and towering red rock formations to iconic national parks, quirky roadside stops, and unforgettable sunsets, this trip was equal parts educational, exhausting, and completely magical.
We planned this adventure for months and built it around national parks, Junior Ranger programs, and hands on learning to complement our Southwest unit study. We focused on experiencing each stop as a family; watching sunrises, riding park shuttles, hiking, and soaking in scenery that felt wildly different from our home state of Maine.
This post breaks down our exact route, day by day itinerary, where we stayed, what we loved, and what we’d skip next time. If you’re planning a Southwest road trip with kids this is how our family spent two incredible weeks exploring this region!
(If you’re interested in the exact route we took, you can find it here on Google Maps.)
Day 1: Arrival Day Phoenix to the Grand Canyon
Wednesday, November 12
We flew into Phoenix, Arizona, picked up our rental car from the airport and made a quick stop for groceries from a nearby Walmart. We purchased food for breakfast, lunches and snacks. Then we made the four hour drive straight to the Grand Canyon. We choose to stay inside of the national park at Kachina Lodge.
Day 2: Sunrise at the Grand Canyon & Rim Trail Exploration
Thursday, November 13
Sunrise at the Rim: Our First View of the Grand Canyon
We woke up bright and early to see the sunrise and view the Grand Canyon for the first time! Ahhh so exciting!
We made the quick walk from Kachina Lodge to the rim of the canyon. And when I say quick walk, I mean we were literally seconds from the edge.
It was pitch black, and we couldn’t see ANYTHING. It was slightly heart attack inducing knowing there was a massive canyon just beyond a small stone wall only a few feet away.
As the sun gradually rose, we slowly caught our first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. It was difficult for my brain to comprehend the image appearing before me. It didn’t look real…more like a picture projected on a green screen than something that actually existed in front of us.
We watched the sunrise, took in the views and were pleasantly surprised by the lack of people. I’d heard horror stories about the crowds at this park but November proved to be an excellent time to visit.
Walking the Rim Trail & The Trail of Time
After our fill of sunrise we headed back to our hotel room for a quick breakfast then packed up and headed to Kolb Studios to pick up Junior Ranger books.
We started our Grand Canyon exploration with a walk along the Rim trail to Mather Point. This route included The Trail of Time. The kids and I had spent the past two months completing a Southwest Unit Study and the Trail of Time was like a big cherry on top of our Grand Canyon section of the unit.
As we walked the trail I had a moment of immense gratitude that our children get to experience this type of education. They aren’t just learning about it in books, they are experiencing it in real life.
The Trail of Time explains how the Grand Canyon’s layers were formed. It starts at the very bottom (2 billion years ago) and goes on to explain what each layer of rock is, with samples of real rocks along the way you can touch.
The trail also teaches how scientists have learned about different time periods through fossils found within these layers. It was a flat, paved, easy walk suitable for strollers and wheelchairs which made it extra family friendly.
The trail of time ends at the Yavapi Geology Museum, which we spent some time exploring.
We continued on to Mather Point. This area of the park was insanely busy.
Exploring Grand Canyon Village & Market
After this we took the shuttle to the Grand Canyon Village and Market area. Here we found a grocery store, restaurant, Starbucks and even a Post Office and library. We were surprised by the relatively decent prices at the grocery store.
Dinner at Harvey House Café
Around 4:00 p.m., we headed to dinner at Harvey House Café inside Bright Angel Lodge. There are several dining options within Grand Canyon National Park, but this one stood out as a more affordable and family friendly choice. The food was reasonably priced and good!
We finished eating in time to head out and watch the sunset on the rim.
Day 3: Hermit Road, Junior Rangers & Onward to Page
Friday, November 14
Today we rode The Hermit Road Shuttle, stopping at various view points along the route. The shuttle was easy to find, located close to Kachina Lodge and other lodges in this area of the park. The first shuttle left at 8 AM and other shuttles follow roughly every five minutes.
Our first stop was Maricopa Point.
I had a slight heart attack as it is a narrow section of land that juts directly into the canyon. The views were gorgeous, some of the best we had seen and there was no one here. NO ONE.
After Maricopa Point we took the .5 mile paved walking path to Powell Point. This stop also tested my dislike of heights. However, once again there were gorgeous views with only a couple of other people.
After Powell Point we hopped back on the shuttle and continued until Pima Point. It was STUNNING and by far my favorite view of the Grand Canyon.
We could see and HEAR the Colorado River in multiple spots. What???! So cool. It really blew my mind that that river created all this. Without this river being in the right place with the right conditions none of the Grand Canyon would exist. Such a small thing (and I know the Colorado River isn’t tiny but in comparison to the Grand Canyon it is) made this incredible wonder. To see the earth cut open inside and see our past so eloquently laid out for us. Nice job Colorado River…really just excellent work.
After taking multiple pictures and soaking it all in we hopped back on the shuttle and rode to Hermit’s Rest. We visited the gift shop and grabbed some hot chocolate to enjoy with more stunning Grand Canyon views.
The Hermit Road shuttle complete we rode it all the way back to where we started.
Next we walked to Kolb Studio where the kids were sworn in as junior rangers. The staff member here was phenomenal. He took us outside to do the official ceremony on the rim of the canyon. After the kids were each given a wooden badge he suggested we stamp them with the national parks passport stamp.
And just like that our time at the Grand Canyon had come to an end! We snapped one last photo, hopped into the car and headed to our next stop, Page Arizona.
A couple of hours later we arrived in Page and stopped at The Glen Canyon Dam.
We stayed at the La Quinta in Page for the night. It cost 58 dollars, was clean, smelled like vanilla and had a delicious free breakfast.
Day 4: Bryce Canyon National Park & Hoodoo Views
Saturday, November 15
After enjoying free La Qunita hotel breakfast we headed out and drove 2.5 hours to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Our first stop was the visitor center for a map and Junior Ranger Books.
We spent some time at the museum and learned more about Bryce Canyon.
We started our Bryce Canyon journey at Sunrise Point with a quick picnic lunch and a walk along the trail for our first glimpse of the canyon.
The next stop on our itinerary was the 18-mile scenic drive. We drove the length of it first to Rainbow Point then stopped at the view points on the way back.
Scenic drive complete we checked into our hotel, Bryce Canyon Lodge. There are no televisions and very little cell phone reception in the rooms. Unlike Grand Canyon there are also little to no amenities around the lodge. It is also very pricey. With a discount during the off season we paid almost 200 dollars for a night.
Since there were really no food options in the park we headed out to get pizza for dinner from The Pizza Place. It was about a 20 minutes drive. The food and service were both excellent.
Day 5: From Bryce to Zion National Park
Sunday, November 16
We checked out of Bryce Canyon Lodge and stopped at the visitor center on our way out. The kids were sworn in as Junior Rangers for Bryce National Park.
Then we headed on to Zion National Park. Bryce Canyon was beautiful and we were happy one day was enough to see the majority of the park above the rim. Should we have chosen to do hikes into the canyon another day would have been required.
We stopped at Sevier Coffee along the way. The kids split a chocolate chip muffin that they loved.
We drove into Zion National Park through the the Zion Mount Carmel Tunnel and entered the parks through the east entrance. There were zero lines to enter the park at this entrance. We were absolutely blown away by how gorgeous it was. We went through the mile long tunnel and came out to switchbacks down the canyon with just breath taking views everywhere we looked.
As usual our first stop was The Visitor Center to grab a Junior Ranger Book. We picked up a map and chatted with a park ranger who gave us some suggestions on things to do in the park.
After that we headed toward the town of La Verkin where we were able to get an early check in at the La Quinta in room 222. We went in, had lunch and checked out the pool and hot tub. We mostly stayed in the hot tub with the occasional cold plunge in the pool.
After some pool time we headed out to get dinner at El Rancho and for dessert we went to Hoku Lani Shaved Ice and Crepes for shaved ice.
Day 6: Full Day in Zion National Park
Monday, November 17
We woke up early, had free hotel breakfast and then headed to Zion with a quick stop at River Rock Roasting Company.
We found a parking spot easily in the visitor center lot. The ranger had advised arriving before 8:30 AM to ensure we could find parking.
We hopped on the free shuttle which we rode to the last stop, The Temple of Sinawava. The shuttle ride in itself was a phenomenal experience as our bus driver was chatty and informative. The scenery was gorgeous. Other worldly.
We got off at The Temple of Sinawava to hike The Riverside Walk.
It was a flat, easy walk with basically no elevation gain.
We walked back to the shuttle stop and got back on stopping at Big Bend to take in the scenery.
Next we hopped back on the shuttle and got off at The Grotto.
We walked along The Grotto Trail to Zion Lodge where we hung out, had a snack and used the bathroom.
We hopped back on the shuttle this time getting off at the Court of the Patriarchs. Jake got to see and take a photo of the one with his name.
Back on the shuttle again, this time all the way to the visitors center.
We had a car picnic at the visitor center before going in to meet with a Junior Ranger to get our books checked. The ranger here was phenomenal. And in case any adults are interested the Junior Ranger program is open to you too! After being sworn in as official Junior Rangers we headed to the gift shop for a bit.
For dinner we went to Adelitas and got ice cream at Davis Food and Drug for dessert. Very random but Jamie found this local grocery store that had cheap and really yummy soft serve ice cream!
Zion National park was a highlight of our trip for all four of us. I enjoyed how accessible it was. They are definitely the big hikes famous hikes like the Narrows and Angels Landing, but also plenty of trails for people who are looking to simply walk around and enjoy the park.
It was also a relief being at the bottom looking up after spending the last few days at the edge of cliffs. The surrounding towns around Zion also had a lot of restaurants, hotels and things to do.
Day 7: Valley of Fire State Park & Arrival in Las Vegas
Tuesday, November 18
After free La Quinta hotel breakfast we checked out of our hotel and headed to the same coffee place as yesterday.
Then we stopped at Bonrue Bakery and grabbed four yummy pastries. Coffee and pastries in hand we were road trippin again!
We headed towards Las Vegas with a 2.5 hour drive ahead of us. We planned to stop at Valley of the Fire State Park on the way.
Our drive had us leave Utah, drive through Arizona and finally arrived in Nevada! NEW STATE UNLOCKED!
Shortly after we arrived at Valley of the Fire State Park. It cost 15 for us to get in for the day.
We stopped at the Visitor Center first, then at Seven Sisters.
Then we went to Alta rock where we saw petroglyphs.
After that we had a quick picnic and headed towards Las Vegas and our hotel for the next two nights, Aria.
This hotel was located on the Las Vegas strip and was fancy. After settling in we headed out to explore Vegas. Much like my experience at the three national parks we visited Las Vegas also didn’t feel real. Not due to it’s beauty more due to the fact it is unlike anything we see in our life home in Maine. It was just SO DIFFERENT.
We went to the Belagio to see the fountains and Caesar’s Palace to wander.
Dinner was The Cheesecake Factory (don’t make fun of us, we don’t have these up in Maine) and it was so good.
The kids enjoyed the giant fish tank outside the restaurant that included sharks and sting rays.
Day 8: Exploring Las Vegas with Kids
Wednesday, November 19
We had breakfast in the room, then got coffee from Starbucks for Jamie and an açaí bowl that the kids and I split from Pressed. It was amazing.
Then we headed out to walk the strip with plans to explore the various resorts.
We began at the Hershey’s Store where the kids got a pressed penny. I gambled at New York, New York with a slot machine. This looked like me putting a dollar in a slot machine and pretty much promptly losing it all without even knowing what happened. But it was fun. It was an old school one and I got to pull a lever.
We explored Excalibur and Mandala Bay Resort.
Jamie bought Deuce on the Strip bus passes. It’s a double decker bus that runs along the strip from the South to Fremont Street. There were 28 possible stops. It was incredibly affordable for anything in Las Vegas costing 8 dollars a person for a day.
The rest of our day was spent riding the Deuce to get around the strip. The kids loved that it was a double decker bus and with big windows, making it like a sightseeing bus. Our first stop was Tacos El Gordo We ate a a lot of street tacos and tried a soda that tasted like orange creamsicles.
Next we rode the Deuce to Fremont street. We went to Pink Donuts.
Then we took the bus back to the area Aria is in. On the way it started raining and then the next thing we knew there was a rainbow. A beautiful beautiful rainbow, in the desert.
Before heading back to our hotel we stopped at The M & M and Cocoa Cola store.
We picked up take out from Din Tai Fung located inside of Aria and ate in our hotel room then got dessert from Pressed. They had a seasonal peppermint chocolate sundae that was so yummy.
Day 9: Hoover Dam & Kingman Stopover
Thursday, November 20
We left Las Vegas and headed to see the Hoover Dam. We walked on the bridge above it, drove over it and parked and saw it from below too.
Next we drove to Kingman where we got more street tacos and checked into another La Quinta. La Quintas are the hotel mascot of this trip. They are clean, have big rooms with free breakfast and most seem to have pools and laundry too.
We got dinner at Cracker Barrel. Yummy! Again…don’t make fun…we live in Northern Maine….we have very few dining options and had dessert at Baskin Robins.
Day 10: Route 66 Road Trip Day
Friday, November 21
Today we traveled Route 66 from Kingman to Flagstaff.
This leg of the trip involved driving part of the longest continuous, uninterrupted stretch of historic Route 66. The Arizona Route 66 Passport book as well as the Rock the Route: Route 66 Check-In Challenge served as our guide for this part of the trip.
We stopped at Giganticus Headicus to take photos, The Hackberry General store where the kids bought a key chain, The Grand Canyon caverns and Seligman where we ate lunch at the Snow Cap Cafe.
We stopped in Williams at the visitor center and Poozeum. Yes, it’s what it sounds like. The Poozeum is home to the worlds largest fossilized T. Rex poop. Our route 66 drive concluded in Flagstaff where we checked into (you guessed it!) another La Quinta (Yay!!)
After settling in our hotel we headed downtown. Our first stop was the visitor center for passport stamps and to pick up the prizes we had earned through the Route 66 Digital Passport.
Next up we wandered Flagstaff’s downtown area…which was ADORABLE. I got a clearance sweatshirt from a cute gift shop, the kids got macarons at The Sweet Shoppe and Jamie got some and Mac and cheese from Big Foot BBQ in the Old Town Shops. There was something for eveyone in downtown Flagstaff.
We got dinner at Northern Pines. We had a cozy corner booth. Our waiter was so nice. The French dip was yummy. The kids ate salad. Need I say more? It was a fantastic experience.
Day 11: Flagstaff – Downtown & Lowell Observatory
Saturday, November 22
Our day began back in downtown Flagstaff. We went to the Old Town Shops and tried out a a bakery.
Then we went to the Lowell Observatory. It was just a few minutes away from downtown. We have the ASTC Pass so we got into the observatory for free.
We played in their kid area, listened to their “Welcome to Lowell Talk” and “History Talk: origins of Lowell” and saw the Pluto and Clark Dome. We did the interactive area too.
Afterwards we got pizza from Fat Olives and ice cream from Baskin Robbin’s.
Day 12: Scenic Drive to Sedona
Sunday, November 23
We left Flagstaff and drove on the scenic road (highway 89) to Sedona.
We got donuts from Sedonuts.
Then we walked around Tlaquepaque Village.
We checked into our hotel where we ate lunch and went for a swim in the outdoor pool and hot tub. Jamie found us a hotel right outside of Sedona in the village of Oak Creek. This was an excellent choice. Sedona was so busy and Oak Creek was much more chill.
We got dinner at Flew the Coop and ice cream from Rocky Rd Ice Cream for dessert.
Day 13: Hiking Bell Rock & Final Thoughts on Sedona
Monday, November 24
We had free breakfast. It included warm cinnamon rolls and western omelettes.
After breakfast we headed out to hike around Bell Rock. This is one of the vortex sites. We hiked to it, then around it a little, then up it a bit and finally took the rector trail around and back to where we started.
It was so foggy when we started our hike…we could barely see anything.
However, gradually the sun came out, the fog cleared and we began to see how pretty the rocks were around us.
After our hike we got coffee and pastries in Oak Creek, then headed to downtown Sedona for a bit. We wandered and got the kids a caramel apple to split.
We had lunch at Sedona Organic Taco Truck. This was one of my favorite meals of the trip.
After lunch we went back to the hotel to swim in the pool and relax. It was 60 degrees but between the dry weather and full sun it felt much warmer.
We got pizza and salad from Famous Pizza for dinner.
To be totally honest I was a little disappointed by Sedona. It was so busy. By far the busiest of any of the spots we visited. This is a place known for spiritual enlightenment and high energy vibrations. To me it felt like a crammed town full of psychics and musty smelling crystal shops that have really yucky energy. It made me appreciate Vegas because at least Vegas is pretty up front about taking your money. Sedona is doing it under the guise of healing you.
Looking back on it though some of my favorite memories of the trip happened in Oak Creek village, where we stayed right outside of Sedona. We loved the hotel and the pool and hot tub. The food in Oak Creek was affordably priced and yummy. Bell Rock was absolutely stunning and a hike you can make as hard or easy as you want. We got there around 8 AM and it was pretty empty until around 10 AM. The kids loved getting to scramble up some walls and put their bouldering skills to the test. So if I was to return, I’d skip Sedona and just stay on the outskirts and then hit up any hikes I wanted to do EARLY before the massive crowds of tourist come.
Day 14: Back to Phoenix
Tuesday, November 25
Today we did the 2 hour drive to Phoenix. In Phoenix we stopped at Trader Joe’s for star cookies (an annual tradition) and Culver’s for our last day of vacation lunch (also a tradition) their root beer is fantastic.
The next couple of hours were spent relaxing in our hotel room and organizing and packing up our suitcases for the flight home tomorrow. We grabbed Chipotle for dinner because it was right in the parking lot of our hotel.
Day 15: Travel Day Home
Wednesday, November 26
This has been a wonderful two week trip. We have seen things that are so markedly different from anything we have in Maine. Different plants, terrain, climates and ways of life.
Final Thoughts on Our Southwest Road Trip
This two week Southwest road trip was everything we hoped it would be and more. We experienced landscapes, climates, and ecosystems completely unlike anything we’re used to at home. Towering canyon walls, red rock deserts, hoodoos, and lush canyon floors with flowing rivers and wildlife.
One of the most meaningful parts of this trip was watching our kids learn in real life, not just from books. Seeing the Grand Canyon layers up close, walking through Zion’s canyon floor, spotting petroglyphs, earning Junior Ranger badges, and driving Route 66 turned our unit study into something tangible and unforgettable.
We’d been planning this trip for months and it delivered in every way. Adventure, connection, learning, and memories we’ll carry with us forever. If you’re considering a Southwest road trip with kids, November was an excellent time to go, and we wouldn’t change a thing.
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Wonderful!!! I’ll be visiting this masterpiece for weeks as well; absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing!!!
Thank you! We had a wonderful time!
Love this. Great trip, great planning!
so many memories ❤️