Spring break 2026. The Grand Canyon topped my bucket list for years. Yet, every year I found myself swapping my dreams of exploring the southwest with the pull of sand, sun and beaches. This year was different. For months, I carefully curated the ultimate southwest adventure spanning Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. It was a packed itinerary with little room for error but experiences galore. As the days lead up to it, I planned and replanned each day ensuring endless memories. As Winter lingered on, I looked forward to this sunny escape.
The universe had a different plan. Forty-eight hours before our flight, the weather notices ramped up. Cancellations seemed possible but show me a Minnesota forecast in March where that isn’t the case. We held out on rebooking, convinced we’d beat the storm. My vacation started at 4 pm on Friday. At 4:19, an automated Delta notification informed me our flight was cancelled and there was nothing comparable to offer for a rebook until 4.5 days later. By 4:30, I verified my dream vacation was in fact a no-go.
A very recent version of myself may have snapped, curled up on my couch, and condemned Mother Nature while postponing this trip until next Spring Break. Instead, I asked Google how long it’d take to drive to our Airbnb at the base of the Grand Canyon. Twenty-six hours and change. A lifetime with a tween. But not impossible. A one-way rental car is cheaper than our flight. A quick chat with the hubby and the decision is made before I even get home.
Carpe Diem. I arrive home and tell my 12-year old we’re going on a road trip. He immediately agrees on two conditions – unlimited snacks and shotgun. And thus, the 11-state road trip from Wisconsin – Minnesota – Iowa – Missouri – Kansas – Oklahoma – Texas – New Mexico – Arizona – Utah – and Nevada begins.
Our roadtrip commences the next morning. My husband and I take turns driving our rented Jeep Compass – no destination in mind for the day other than staying ahead of the storm making its way to the Midwest. As we clear Iowa, I realize dinner time will hit in Chief’s Kingdom. And while visiting Arrowhead Stadium does not work, savoring our favorite KC barbecue in a park does. We drive on and eventually succumb to sleep in Dodge City for a few hours before getting back on the road during multiple wind advisories. And thus begins our multi-state battle with tumbleweed.
I am instantly fascinated and terrified by the endless thorny shrubs that hurl themselves on my windshield. As the sun rises, each one flashes before my headlights causing my heart to temporarily stop as my brain attempts to distinguish bush from animal. By sunrise I’m exhausted. Google maps has led us astray. Turns out the shortest route involves many two-lane county roads with an endless line of barbed wire fencing but no towns, coffee, or bathrooms.
It is this predicament that leads me being hunched next to a barbed wire fence in an abandoned pull off while my 12-year-old chases the perfect sized tumbleweed souvenir and my husband watches for oncoming traffic. Newsflash – there is none. Our backseat is littered with wrappers, empty cans, and random gas station souvenirs. A slight odor that accompanies gas station snacks and oversized portions of barbecue lingers in the air.
I can’t help but laugh. What a privilege to live this life. To have these experiences. And come to realize, as exciting as the carefully curated itinerary is, these are the vacation moments that’ll become memories I cherish for years to come. It is a solid reminder that life’s greatest moments often happen in the margins of our perfectly planned schedules.
We load back into the car and make our way to the base of the Grand Canyon. We roll in at dusk exhausted but on time. Back to the carefully curated itinerary we go. Over the next 7-days we check off the Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Petroglyph Forest, Zion National Park, Glenn Canyon Dam, Hoover Dam, Fremont Street and more. My son takes up poker. We shoot hoops. We devour incredible food, savor flavorful margaritas, and soak in a Winter’s worth of vitamin D. I do my best to be flexible with our itinerary while holding true to the planner in me that wants to ensure my son experiences all the Southwest has to offer. The end result, a perfectly imperfect vacation. May we all be so lucky to have Mother Nature remind us of what matters.