The Ronca/Shumskas Family of 5 from Pipersville, PA (with children ages 19, 15 and 9) traveled to Utah for Thanksgiving for an awesome outdoor adventure through our national parks.  They flew into Las Vegas and headed to Bryce Canyon with a stay in a suite at the slightly worn, but well-located Ruby’s Inn.  In this park, the family recommends going past the crowded overlooks with a hike into the canyon. They said that even 100 yards past the lookouts are well beyond the crowds.  The family really enjoyed hiking both the Fairyland Trail and the Outer Rim Trail.  They found both to be beautiful hikes and a great way to get down into the hoodoos (the tall and thin spire of rocks that is caused by the weather and erosion).  The family then spent a day hiking in the Escalante National Monument which has a more open landscape and offers grand, sweeping views. Then they moved onto Zion National Park with a stay at the lovely Cliffrose Lodge.  They really enjoyed this hotel, spreading out into two rooms with beautiful views of the mountains.  For Thanksgiving, they opted to cook steaks on the grill since most restaurants were closed, but there was a market nearby.  Zion is also a very popular and crowded park; getting out on the trails is very worthwhile. Here they hiked to Observation Point which was a scenic, but strenuous 8-mile hike with 2500 ft of elevation gain. And last they did the Narrows Hike with a guide from Zion Adventures which is in a deep canyon and requires hiking in the water with proper gear depending on the time of year.  The family wore dry suits and dry boots since the water is in the 30’s. This hike proved to be an interesting experience. The trip ended with a night at The Mirage in Las Vegas due to their return flight home.  They really enjoyed Utah in the fall because the temperatures were great for hiking.  The sheer scale of the views was also breathtaking, and the trip kept three children of very different ages both excited and engaged; a true success!