Vacation from our Vacation

Today we embarked on the long journey back home. I suppose it’s both long and short, depending on how you look at it. In one sense, it only takes a single day to travel the 4,000 miles that made up our nearly month-long road trip. In another sense, today felt like the longest day of them all.

Checking in, switching seats, flight delays, jet bridge delays, passenger delays, bathroom breaks (more delays) – it all added up to a very long night. It was nearly 3 a.m. before we finally got home and everyone was in bed. The kids didn’t exactly reset their clocks quickly either; by Monday night, Faith was still up reading until 3 a.m.

This first part of our summer adventure was unforgettable. Thirteen states, over 4,000 miles. Four national parks. Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. We saw deserts, mountains, oceans – and a lot of cows.

Now we’ll take a little vacation from our vacation. We’re heading up to Rogers City for the Fourth of July, then to Camp GG, Upland Hills, and spending some time back at the house. We’ll catch up with friends, repack, and soak in summer in Michigan. Pleasant Lake might just rival our swims at Mandalay Bay, Under Canvas camping, every Hilton and Hampton Inn pool, and definitely the Great Salt Lake. Michigan might end up being the most pleasant place we stay all summer.

California Dreaming / Cousin Sleep over

This week we accomplished some our the goals of our trip of our trip – our final stop heading “west,” making it to the ocean, and, most importantly, spending time with cousins. The kids have been talking about seeing Sydney since the day we left home, and every day since.

I even offered them another night in Vegas or one last event before we left Mandalay Bay in the morning, but both times they declined – they just wanted as much time as they could with their cousins.

After the 4-5 hour drive from Vegas to Sherman Oaks, the kids couldn’t wait. As soon as we pulled into the driveway, they jumped out of the car to run and greet the family. It was adorable.

What happened next was everything they had hoped for: all four cousins sleeping in Sydney’s room, palying with Baby Skylar, and sleeping in (at least for Faith). On Thursday, we met Sydney (and Captain and Cat) at Pedal Heads bike camp, then walked to talk and grab lunch. That night we had a pizza party and did a lot of laundry.

On Friday, we decided we needed to complete our adventure by making it to the ocean. After all, it’s a different story to say you made it to the ocean rather than just within 15 miles of it. So, we headed to the end of Route 66: the Santa Monica Pier. We enjoyed rides and games, had lunch at Bubba Gump on the pier, and then spent time swimming at the beach.

When we got home, Uncle Hommie had set up the backyard with water toys, which worked out perfectly since everyone was still in their bathing suits. We ended our nights celebrating Uncle Hommie’s birthday and Marley’s (for the sixth or seventh time now) – and we did it in style, with dinner at a teppan grill.

Hoban Kid's Vegas Vacation

This was my chance to show the kids Las Vegas—a city I love, but one I’d never experienced through the lens of a child’s tour guide. Still, I think I pulled off a pretty great time.

We kicked things off with a true Vegas staple: the buffet. At Excalibur, the kids initially spotted a single table and assumed that was it. “No,” I explained, “that’s just the dessert table.” Their eyes widened as they stepped further in and saw the real buffet—rows and rows of endless options. They were floored.

After brunch, we explored more casinos. Lainey especially enjoyed seeing the different themes each one had to offer. We hit an arcade, rode a few roller coasters, grabbed dinner, and—of course—returned to the pool for one last splash.

By the end of the day, the kids were still a bit overwhelmed but genuinely appreciative of the experience. And while they had fun, I could tell they were ready for the next chapter: Los Angeles and cousin time.

Marley's Birthday Vegas Adventure

The drive from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas takes about five long hours. At one point, we had a brief panic when we unexpectedly crossed into Arizona. With no cell service or GPS, we weren’t entirely sure if we were heading to Las Vegas, Nevada... or Las Vegas, New Mexico. Once we regained coverage, Faith called Annie, who quickly set us straight. Crisis averted.

But Vegas wasn’t the only highlight of the day—it was also Marley’s birthday! Turning five in Sin City might raise some eyebrows, but as Faith said, “We’ve celebrated his birthdays at breweries before, so Vegas seems… fitting.”

Our first stop at Mandalay Bay was the pool. I’d been holding off on telling the kids what to expect, so they were blown away. Mandalay Bay has an 11-acre pool complex complete with multiple pools, a lazy river, a beach, and a wave pool. The kids were in heaven.

After cleaning up from pool time, we headed out for some Vegas fun—kid style. First up: Circus Circus. I’ve stayed there before and had a very different impression, but with three kids in tow, it was perfect. We caught a circus show and spent the rest of the night riding rides and playing games in the Adventure Dome. It was a fitting way to celebrate Marley’s birthday—for the fifth time this trip.

On the way back, we cruised the Strip so the kids could see the lights, buildings, and general sensory overload that is Las Vegas. Faith summed it up best: “This is… a lot.”

As we tucked Marley into bed, he asked if we could do it all again tomorrow. We told him no, it was a special birthday treat. His reply: “But it’s my birthday tomorrow too.”

Honestly, at this point? Why not. We’ve been celebrating all week.

Salt Lake City

Today we said goodbye to Grand Teton National Park and made our way to Salt Lake City — a stop on the route to Los Angeles, and the city where Annie would be flying home for work. To make the most of the day, we left early (well, early for us) to squeeze in a bit of sightseeing.

Our first stop was the Mormon Tabernacle to hear the famous organs. At 2:30 PM, there's a daily practice session in the Conference Center. It took a little wandering and some help from kind folks in Temple Square, but we made it just in time. The music was stunning — even the kids stood still and listened. That alone says a lot.

After exploring Temple Square, we headed out to the Great Salt Lake. I’ve always wanted to float in it. First impression upon arrival: not many people were swimming. Second impression: the smell. Third: so many flies. Luckily, they didn’t bite, so we pressed on.

We suited up and made our way to the "beach." A rather grumpy DNR ranger gave us swimming instructions and seemed to subtly suggest we reconsider. Undeterred, we waded in.

The moment we touched the water, every scratch and cut from the past few weeks lit up with a stinging reminder of how salty that lake really is. Marley was out immediately. Annie, who had no intention of swimming anyway, took him back to shore. The girls and I ventured farther out where it was deep enough to sit and float. As Lainey put it, “You don’t have to swim — just sorta steer.” It was exactly what I imagined... and enough after about five minutes.

Back at the car, we rinsed off, changed, and laughed at Faith’s perfectly accurate summary: “I’m glad I did it, but I’ll never do it again.”

From there, it was a quick drive to the airport for a bittersweet goodbye with Annie. We spent quite a while reorganizing: offloading suitcases and souvenirs with Annie, moving Faith to the front seat, unloading the car top carrier, and folding down the third row for easier access to the rest of our gear.

With Annie on her way, we weren’t quite sure what to do next — so Faith found a classic diner, and we found a nearby hotel for the night.

Up next: Las Vegas!

Grand Teton Day 3 - and Marley's Birthday Party

Our third and final day in the Tetons started off like a middle school dance—boys and girls separated. 😊

The girls set off for a two-hour horseback ride through the park, while Marley (too young to join) went on a boating adventure with me. A few days earlier, when Annie and I were hiking around Colter Bay, we spotted a boat rental dock. I had taken a photo of a little motorboat, and ever since, Marley reminded me—hourly—that we were going to rent that boat for his birthday. So that’s exactly what we did.

It was just the two of us, the lake, and the Teton mountain range. It was peaceful, beautiful, and special—for about 45 minutes. Then Marley got bored and asked to go back. Still, as we were leaving the dock, he turned to me and asked, “Can we do this again tomorrow?” So we’ll call that a win.

Meanwhile, the girls had a blast on their ride. Lainey burst through the door afterward, yelling about “Cappy”—who, I correctly guessed, was her horse. The three girls got to ride up front, and Lainey spent most of the ride chatting with the guide—an aspiring third-grade teacher, and a perfect match for our little Bug. After the ride, they got to feed the horses a cookie before meeting back up with us to celebrate Marley’s birthday.

Marley, who’s been celebrating his birthday for three days now, decided today’s celebration should be a pizza party. We headed to Lee’s Pizza, and the hour-long wait was totally worth it. That pizza is second only to Rogers City Bowling Alley pizza. Over dinner, we gave Marley his birthday gifts, sang Happy Birthday, and then returned to the lodge for dessert—and another round of Happy Birthday singing.

A perfect final day in the Tetons, a fitting birthday celebration, and our last night with Annie before she headed back to Michigan.

Exploring Grand Teton National Park - Day 2

Day two of our Grand Teton adventure began with a weather delay. We headed to Jenny Lake to take the boat across and start our hike, but just walking to the dock felt like an expedition. The wind was some of the strongest I’ve ever experienced—other families were crouched behind benches and signs trying to find shelter. The small lake looked like an ocean, with whitecap waves crashing across the surface. We questioned whether this was a good idea, but pressed on… until a park ranger announced they were pausing boat service—for only the second time in 23 years—due to weather. Then the power went out.

Now, losing power in a national park isn’t that big of a deal—you don’t need electricity to see mountains and trees—but it turns out you do need it to process a refund. So, we sat in our car, ready to admit defeat and head back. But just then, the skies cleared, the sun broke through, and we decided to give it one more try.

We’re glad we did.

The hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point was stunning. It's only a mile, but it's a mile uphill. We weren’t sure how the kids would handle it. To our surprise, Marley practically sprinted up the trail and hopped down it like a mountain goat. This is the same kid who drags his feet walking through a hotel lobby and acts like he’s dying from a bug bite—but somehow had zero fear running along the edge of a cliff.

Thanks to early spring runoff and recent rains, Hidden Falls was roaring—powerful and breathtaking. And when we finally reached Inspiration Point, the skies had cleared completely, revealing a perfect view.

The boat ride back was quiet; the kids were clearly wiped out. So we returned to the hotel for a quick nap and reset before heading back out.

That evening, we set off to finish exploring the park. We did the full loop, visited the historic buildings of Mormon Row, and stepped inside the Cunningham Cabin—one of the area's first settler homes. Along the way, we had one of our best wildlife moments yet: a large male elk wandered near us as we hiked down to a riverbank.

This was our “cover ground” day, and we made the most of it. By the time we finally sat down to eat dinner (around 9 p.m. again), we’d explored the entire park loop—mountains, wildlife, waterfalls, and all of Jenny Lake.