Even though we live over 1,000 miles apart, my mom and I have always been close.
As the single mother to an only child (me), she went out of her way throughout my childhood to take me on adventures of all sorts.
Before I was 18, we had already road-tripped to Colorado, visited beaches in Florida, and spent numerous Christmases with her family in Sweden.
My mom is, hands-down, the reason I’ve become such a fearless international traveler and wilderness backpacker in my 30s. Of course, I know my time with her isn’t unlimited, which is why I recently invited her to join me on a trip to Moab, Utah, this past November.
Though I was, admittedly, a little nervous to take my retired, 63-year-old mother on a wilderness-focused trip in a remote desert town, the endeavor was a huge success — and I learned that you’re never too old to plan a bucket-list adventure.
Here’s how I pulled it off.
I planned us just one big activity per day
Emily Pennington
Though I’m a 38-year-old frequent traveler who loves to load up my days with two or more excursions, plus meals, I simplified my plans for this trip.
I kept our itinerary more relaxed so that we had plenty of time to prepare for and decompress from each activity. This ended up being a key reason for the success of our autumn adventure in Moab.
On day one, we went out for a guided canyoneering tour that involved a few miles of off-trail hiking and rappelling down steep cliff faces.
Afterward, we were both excited to relax back at our hotel and do some shopping in Moab’s adorable downtown before heading to an incredible dinner and cocktails at Birdy’s Finer Diner — we needed the sustenance after that trek.
For our second full day in Moab, I planned for a late start and a leisurely breakfast in town at Moab Garage Co. After, we embarked on a scenic drive up to Canyonlands National Park.
Emily Pennington
Instead of tiring ourselves out on strenuous day hikes, we spent an afternoon strolling to scenic viewpoints to conserve our energy because, later that day, I’d booked us an evening night-sky photography experience with Moab Dark Sky Tours.
Emily Pennington
I never would have guessed it, but going on mellow night hikes with my mom and a camera in tow became an instant favorite travel memory.
We stayed in a centrally-located hotel
Emily Pennington
I’ve been to every US national park, and I love adventure travel, but I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to weird lodging in rural towns.
To avoid any hotel snafus, my mother and I booked a room at well-reviewed hotel in the heart of downtown Moab.
This simple hotel choice meant that getting to and from Arches National Park was a breeze, and heading back to the room for a shower and rest before dinner meant just a quick drive.
It also made patronizing unique local businesses in town, like Sabaku Sushi, easier than just grabbing basic snacks at the hotel. Both my mom and I were able to kick back and unwind, rather than driving an hour each way, just to get to one restaurant or activity.
Though we pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones, we did do selectively
Emily Pennington
I knew it was risky to take my retired mother on a high-flying canyoneering expedition outside of Moab that would involve rappelling off 110-foot vertical cliff faces.
However, I did loads of research and chose an experienced guiding company that I was confident could make both of us feel safe and supported.
On the days when we adventured at our own pace, I researched easy walks on apps like AllTrails so we didn’t lose steam too early.
All in all, night hiking with my mom in Arches and canyoneering deep in the Moab backcountry were incredible bonding experiences that I know I’ll cherish forever.
Even though it took some extra planning and moxie to pull it off, I’m glad that I went on an adventure vacation with my mom while she’s still spry and active enough to try new, exciting activities together.
Though our trip had its challenges, it was a heck of a lot more memorable than watching movies on the couch.
