Vegas Lights to Bryce Heights - Our July 2025 Utah Adventure

We kicked off July 2025 with a milestone: dropping Tate off at the airport on the morning of July 2 for his journey to the MTC in Provo, Utah. It was a mix of emotions, pride, nerves, excitement, and a big start to what turned out to be a memorable week.

After saying our goodbyes, Annette, Addison, and I hit the road to Austin and caught our flight to Las Vegas. We spent that first night in Henderson, Nevada, at a Comfort Suites room, where we celebrated our safe arrival with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. A vacation should always start with cheesecake, right?

July 3 was packed with history and heat. Our first stop was the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort, where we learned how Brigham Young sent missionaries to establish an adobe fort in 1855, the first white settlement in Las Vegas. They only stayed for two years before being called back, largely because they clashed with the local tribes after cutting down the mesquite trees, a vital food source. That visit gave us a new appreciation for how complex those early missions really were.

From there, we drove to Hoover Dam. We walked through the visitor center, took in the views, and of course, made the obligatory stop at the dam café. I had a dam burger and even used the dam toilet. Yes, I said all the jokes. We also walked the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, the suspension bridge that towers over the Colorado River. It reminded us of our walk across the Flaming Gorge bridge a few years ago in Colorado. High, windy, and unforgettable.

We also stopped at the Hoover Dam Gift Shop, where I bought a dam shirt. 

This is my dam shirt.
(Yes, I wore it proudly.)

And here’s my dam burger ...
complete with fries and a cold lemonade.

Our last adventure of the day was at Valley of Fire State Park. The red rock formations were glowing in the late afternoon sun. Addison did some climbing, and we took our time wandering through the Martian-looking landscape. That evening, we made our way to Ruby’s Inn near Bryce Canyon. It was historic, rustic, and a classic Utah experience.

Look closely – that’s Addison, king of the canyon!
She climbed higher than I would’ve dared.

On July 4, we celebrated Independence Day by hiking along the rim of Bryce Canyon. We started at Inspiration Point and made the 1.7-mile trek to Bryce Point. The views were incredible, and the hoodoos never get old. After the hike, we took the shuttle back and drove to Sunset Point before heading to our final destination: Junction, Utah.

Our original plan was to meet up with the extended family in Pine Valley for the Call family reunion, but a wildfire forced a change of plans. The fire started on June 19 and by early July had burned nearly 15,000 acres. So we relocated to Junction, the county seat of Piute County. Someone had converted the historic courthouse into a reunion space, and across the street stood an old Dodge dealership that had been turned into an Airbnb called the Bunkhouse Vacation Rental. We rented both.

We stayed in the bunkhouse with Hobie and Irene’s family and Becca and Phil’s crew. The rest of the gang stayed in the courthouse. Our room had three queen beds and we used all of them. Annette and I took one, Addison had another, and one night Mike and Allyn joined us and took the third. The wall dividing our room from the next did not go all the way to the ceiling (because the light fixture and ceiling fan were in the way), so the light and conversation traveled freely.

We had all the usual reunion favorites, including chocolate-covered cinnamon bears waiting on our pillows. Meals were on a rotating schedule, and our family was assigned to cook and clean for Sunday dinner (scrambled eggs and French toast) and Monday breakfast (cereal and leftovers).

A jigsaw puzzle of our family reunion history – part tradition, part challenge.
I may have done the lion’s share, but it was a group effort (sort of).

One of the highlights of the reunion was a talk prepared by Grandma Tueller about our ancestor Ebenezer Bryce and his wife Mary Park. She brought posters, family stories, and a lot of heart. We learned that Bryce Canyon is named after Ebenezer, who was a shipbuilder from Norway. He built the church in Pine Valley using his shipbuilding knowledge and constructed it like an upside-down ship. It was inspiring to hear the stories that connected us to that part of Utah history.

Another meaningful moment came when someone shared a letter written by Grandpa Call to his parents, Stayner and Reita Call, on April 29, 1967, from BYU. In the letter, he mentioned “yours truly and #1… [her] name is Margaret Simmons,” and included a snapshot photo of the two of them. It was a sweet glimpse into Grandma and Grandpa’s early relationship, and a fun way to connect the younger generations with a bit of their love story.

“Yours truly and #1…” Grandpa Call wrote in 1967, introducing Margaret Simmons to his parents. A window into a chapter of their lives we might not have otherwise known.

The photo Grandpa slipped into the envelope...
a moment from when it all began, long before any of us came along.

On July 7, we packed up and drove back to Las Vegas, stopping at the St. George Temple along the way. That night, we stayed at the Luxor and went to see Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE at the Mandalay Bay Theater. The whole show was fantastic, but one dancer in particular brought the house down with his performance of Billie Jean. He had every signature move nailed, including a flawless moonwalk.

Annette pulling off her own version of the iconic Michael Jackson lean...
pretty impressive after a full day of travel!

The grand finale of Michael Jackson ONE
– a dazzling end to an unforgettable show.

After the show, we wandered the Strip, grabbed dinner at Shake Shack, and walked to the Bellagio to watch the fountains dance.

The Bellagio fountains put on their classic Vegas show
– set to music, lights, and a little bit of magic.

By the time we flew home on July 8, we had put over 600 miles on our rental, an F150 pickup that had fewer than five miles on the odometer when we picked it up. We gave that truck a proper break-in across the Nevada and Utah deserts.

Our trusty F-150 – fresh off the lot with under five miles – earned its stripes on this trip.
By the time we returned it, we’d added 600 miles of desert dust and family memories.

It was a week of contrasts: history and modernity, nature and city lights, family roots and new beginnings. A perfect mix for a July to remember.