The Utah Redemption Tour: Planning and Preparation

Between our 3+ years of full-time RVing and several trips involving regular cars and planes, we've visited almost all 50 states. For us, the best part of traveling the US is the variety. We can experience so many different cultures and landscapes right here in our home country. International travelers often equate crossing state borders in the US to crossing country borders overseas. Not only do we enter a new jurisdiction, but we enter into a new relationship with the land around us. In our 46 (Anthony) and 45 (Nicole) states visited, we've come to appreciate the uniqueness of our relationships with each state. Some of those relationships are still in the beginning stages, like Washington: a state we visited briefly on our West Coast Road Trip in 2018 but haven't been back to. Or Oklahoma: a state that's given us one day trip and one overnight, but both memorable in their own right.

Then we have the states where our relationship has grown deeper. This usually happens with repeat visits, but other times, something momentous happens on the first visit that kickstarts a relationship for the books. Utah falls into this category, but not for the reason we initially hoped or expected. Most travelers come to Utah and become enthralled by its beauty, of which there is no shortage. You can't go anywhere in the state without seeing something gorgeous out your window, whether it's mountains, canyons, red rocks, or lakes. We came to Utah for the beauty but ended up staying for the people.

The story is long and complicated, which is why it had its own series. In summary, two years ago we came to Utah because we found someone who could look at our axles, which were causing uneven wear on our tires. He came to our campsite for the assessment and concluded that we'd need both of our axles replaced. We thought this was the worst news of the day, but that came later, when our campground got flooded by the nearby river. We were forced to evacuate and made it out safely with our pets and our truck. Unfortunately, our trailer wasn't so lucky. We learned the hard way that, even when it's dry, Utah soil is a soft, enveloping hug for anything with wheels or feet. Our 12,000lb toyhauler was no match for this ground.

Leaving our home behind in rising floodwaters was a nightmare, but our recovery from the situation was one of the most pleasant surprises we've had since we've been on the road. Everyone we worked with, from county park staff, to mechanics, to RV park managers, was fantastic. We got to witness efficiency and professional courtesy that we haven't found many other places. In just a few days, we had 2 new axles, 4 new tires, a newly adjusted hitch, a clean undercarriage, and boosted spirits.

But this isn't actually our first Utah story. We first entered the state hoping to have our first dispersed camping experience on public lands, but we came up short. Defeated, we scrounged around for a last-minute RV park site and found one at the Hurricane/St. George KOA. This KOA squeezes their rigs in like sardines and didn't have the vibe we needed, especially after our dispersed camping disappointment. After one night, we left and headed north to Spanish Fork River Park, the scene of the flood.

That was how we introduced ourselves to Utah, starting down on the count and only sinking further – literally. The silver lining that came from all of it, though, was knowing that somewhere in this country were reliable, friendly people that we could count on. This year, we cashed in on this knowledge, returning to Utah for another axle appointment and to get Tanner surgery. Once again, we were met with all the hospitality we've come to know and love.

Our home-bases are all the way in New England, so if the greater Salt Lake City area can serve as our little hub of the west when reality hits, we absolutely appreciate this. However, we couldn't help but feel that our relationship with Utah needed to be more. After all, who wants a relationship rooted in trauma?! We patiently waited for the right time to finally explore the state the way it's meant to be seen, in its infinite beauty and adventure.

Our plan was to hit the road after our axle appointment and head to the southern part of the state, home of the famous red rock region that boasts the state's 5 incredible national parks, as well as some of the best state parks in the country. Only, this plan was conditional. First, our axles needed to be in working order. Second, Tanner needed to be recovered from his surgery enough to travel. We gave ourselves some buffer time in case we got delayed, but we remained optimistic that we'd keep our plans.

Starting March 25, we'd hit the Mighty 5 national parks from A to Z! Arches to Zion, that is, with Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Bryce Canyon in between. We'd also visit some of the nearby state parks and other attractions.

Technically speaking, the planning started last summer. After discovering that we would need to return to Utah for our axle appointment, we figured while we were there, we might as well try to do a bunch of things that had eluded us two years ago. The Mighty 5 were at the top of our bucket list.

Less technically speaking, the planning started 6 years ago. We had a huge road trip planned for 2020, which would take us from Yellowstone through Utah and beyond. The Mighty 5 were a big part of this trip. But alas, we had a pandemic lockdown instead, and travel needed to wait.

We've more than made up for that canceled trip since we've been RVing. In fact, we've already hit most of the destinations we had planned to visit in 2020. The old itinerary was still saved on my computer, and it came in handy during our last trip out west. This time, I consulted it again, gathering ideas for our Mighty 5 adventure.

Past Nicole was a little neurotic with her trip planning, but I felt I needed to be. These weren't RV travels. These were "take time off work, fly in an airplane, rent a car, and book hotels" travels. There was very little room for error. If we wanted to stargaze in Arches, we needed to know the exact time and location of the sunset and moonrise. If we wanted to hit multiple locations in a day or two, we needed to know the exact time and distance to get there, and where exactly to go to maximize our short amount of time in each place.

Thankfully, our RV life lets us take things slower. We've set up our schedule so that we split our time between work and adventure. This often means booking a campsite for a week or more, with plans to work some of the days and squeeze in sightseeing and recreation the other days. Still, I use the 2020 trip itinerary for reference. For the most part, what interested us then would still interest us now. We like to see the major attractions of a location during our first visit. In national and state parks, this usually means famous hikes or overlooks. This year, we also happen to be following the same route as we would have in 2020, traveling north to south through Red Rock Country. The old itinerary gave me a great directional sense, though I did have to account for the fact that this time we'd be towing an RV.

With the general structure of our Redemption Tour set, the next step was planning our accommodations. Unlike 2020, this would mean campsites, and with campsite planning comes the added bonus of making sure we know when and where we'll have important resources like utilities, laundry, and gas stations that will fit an RV. This part of Utah is famous for its dispersed camping and sought-after national and state park campgrounds. We hoped to stay at a mix of both, plus perhaps a full-hookup RV park or two for regrouping. Something we learned our first year of RVing is when to make advanced reservations:

1. If we're going to a popular destination
2. If we're going somewhere at peak visitation
3. If we want to stay in one place for a long time
4. If we're going to a bucket list destination and want to start off on the right foot

We also learned that we need to keep some flexibility within our plans in case something happens that delays or derails us.

Months ahead of time, I marked our "big dots" on the calendar – the coveted national and state park campgrounds – and made a note of when reservations open. The next steps were to find and book the RV parks, while leaving gaps of a new nights for dispersed camping.

The Mighty 5 national park campgrounds book on a rolling basis 6 months out. The Utah state parks in the area book 4 months out. I had my eye on a few of each, but the biggest dots were Devils Garden Campground in Arches and Watchman Campground in Zion. When we say "coveted campgrounds," Devils Garden and Watchman are at the highest level. These are some of the hardest national park campgrounds to get into in the entire country. I channeled all my determination and tech savviness and got ready to fight like a lion to get into one of these sites.

To tilt the chances in my favor slightly, I planned to book for dates slightly off-peak season. Arches' busy season (and timed entries to the park) begins April 1. I planned to book the week prior. Then for Zion, I thought I had the dates picked out, only to realize they'd be lining up with National Park Week, where visitors can get in for free on April 19 and a whole bunch of other festivities are offered throughout the week. I bumped the days up a little earlier, hoping to snatch a campsite before the mad rush. We'd still have some overlap with National Park Week, but as long as we were already in the campground, we were hopeful we could work our excursions into less busy times.

I went to a large university where class registration was a madhouse every semester. I got pretty good at lining up my desired classes in various tabs on my computer, then hitting refresh over and over until registration opened. Then, it was time for the mad dash to "REGISTER! REGISTER! REGISTER!" in hopes that I'd grab a spot. It's a recipe for an anxiety attack, but it must have taught me well. Back in January 2023, we tried to get a camping spot at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Somehow, we came away from the registration free-for-all with a site for the entire duration of the Fiesta, in the location we wanted.

Now, it was time to try my hand with Devils Garden and Watchman. There are a few different tricks to grabbing a spot at these campgrounds. One "controversial but you gotta play dirty" hack is to book the maximum stay duration, even if you plan on staying only part of that time. Basically, you back-book as far back as you can to include your trip dates in the reservation. So if you can book two weeks max and want to stay at the campground March 25-30, you would try to book two weeks as soon as the sites become available. Two weeks back from March 30 is March 16, so on March 16 you'd try to grab a spot for the 16th-30th. Then later on, modify the reservation to cancel the 16th-24. The other tip is to set notifications for when there is a cancellation. Rec.gov offers this feature, as do other independent apps and websites. Instead of gunning for a site right when spots open, set some dates aside and get notifications if they become available. They often do. Probably all those dirty players modifying their back-booked reservations. However, once a notification rings, you need to act fast, because you're likely one of many getting the same notification.

I opted out of both of these hacks. Instead, I looked at rec.gov the day before reservations would open for my dates. I checked to see which sites were still available, as though I was booking 6 months from then. For example, even though I was planning to book Devils Garden starting March 25, I pretended I was booking starting March 24. That way, it would show me which sites were available for all of my dates (March 25-April 1). I tabbed over each one that had availabilities for all the dates. Then, I went through each tab one by one, and I ordered the tabs from my top choice campsite to my last choice campsite, eliminating ones that didn't look like they'd fit us comfortably. Rec.gov has a filter for RV size, but I don't like to use it because sometimes the RV size isn't listed in the correct spot. It's easier for me to comb through the description manually.

The next morning, it was go time. I got myself set up to hit refresh as soon as the reservations opened. I hit refresh, refresh, refresh, until finally, I saw that the dates were available. I started with my top choice tab (which already had the dates clicked and ready to go) and tried to add it to my cart. If that one disappears because someone already took it, I go to the next tab. Rinse and repeat.

This tactic may have less luck during peak season, but I booked our top choice campsite in Devils Garden and third choice in Watchman. These, of course, were of the sites available for those dates, so they might not be the best overall, but they look good, fit us, and most importantly, get us into the campground.

With the campgrounds for our first and last Utah national parks booked, it was time to fill in the gaps. I jumped on state park reservations to book Goblin Valley 4 months in advance. This was less intense than Devils Garden and Watchman. I didn't need to book the second the reservations opened, but I did book that day. I planned to do the same with Kodachrome Basin State Park, but I missed the window because this was when Lily got sick. After that, I didn't feel like pressuring myself to watch for notifications, so I booked an RV park instead. The rest of the nights, I left open for dispersed camping. That might be risky for us, but we're due for a successful dispersed camping experience sometime, right?!

If all this planning seems overwhelming, it can be. This is why, whether we're planning campgrounds or activities, we leave breathing room. I cannot count how many people enthusiastically listed their favorite locations when I told them we'd be hitting southern Utah this year. People love this area and get really excited to share their recommendations. However, we need to pace ourselves. We simply cannot visit everywhere in the region. It's not only impossible, but it wouldn't be enjoyable! We chose our few highest priority destinations, and the rest will need to wait. There is nothing wrong with this. It's easy to feel FOMO when someone says "You have to go here! It's my favorite park in Utah!" and it's not on your itinerary. But the way I see it, in an area this beautiful, there will always be something to miss out on. I'd rather focus on the places we will go and the things we will see.

Of course, planning only does so much. We still needed to execute these plans. Our couple of weeks leading up to our Arches reservation, we maximized efficiency as much as possible. We got service and new tires on the truck while we waited for the trailer repair. We got the trailer back on time, which gave us a few days to camp with full hookups and run errands so we could be ready to boondock. Tanner had all of his follow-ups, but we opted to get his stitches removed at the Moab Veterinary Clinic, so that way we could keep our Arches plans.

Unfortunately, nothing is ever totally smooth, and we had a couple of issues try to derail us. Right before we headed to Arches, the latch on our fridge broke. First, one piece broke off, then the whole latch. For a couple of days, the fridge would stay in shut position, and we'd need to reach into the latch and press a small release button to open it. But on our drive day to Arches, we noticed that the fridge would close but not latch. Makes sense considering the latch was no longer there! We needed to create a makeshift latch. It would be a while before we could get a replacement, so this would be our status quo for much of the Redemption Tour.

As if our kitchen faucet took one look at our fridge and thought, "Ooh, fun!" our faucet handle fell off the night before leaving for Arches. We feared needing to rush into town first thing in the morning to find an interim faucet at Lowe's, but thankfully we were able to repair ours. Now we'll just hope it'll hold out until we make it to civilization.

With all the major crises averted, we left hard-hitting reality Utah behind and set off to find the beauty and adventure we've been eagerly awaiting for years. We had a feeling our relationship with Utah was about to grow in magnificent ways.