The wind made itself known as soon as we returned to camp that evening. Thankfully, Cas had decided not to put up the canopy, thinking the forecast might bring stronger gusts. It turned out to be a great decision.

Even without the canopy, the trailer rocked back and forth throughout the night. Every strong gust seemed to shake the entire camper, making it nearly impossible to fall asleep. As the clock crept past 1:30 a.m., with winds reaching around 28 mph, our minds started wandering. What if the trailer tipped over? How were the campers sleeping in tents handling this? Would the protective covers we had secured to the front of the trailer still be there in the morning? It’s amazing how many thoughts can race through your head in the middle of a windy night.

After finally getting some sleep, we treated ourselves to a slow, relaxing morning. Many of the campers around us who had been staying in tents had already packed up and left by the time we were up and moving. We decided today would be a lighter day—revisiting a few favorite spots in the park, stopping by the visitor center, and then heading into town for a much-needed shower.

Our first destination was Double Arch. As we pulled into the parking lot, a busload of visitors arrived at almost the same time. Hoping to beat the crowds, we hurried over, but it seemed everyone had the exact same idea! Since we’d visited before, we didn’t linger long. Thankfully, today’s smartphone cameras have incredible zoom, allowing us to capture beautiful photos without having to squeeze through the crowds.

Next, we crossed the road to The Windows, where the North and South Window arches stand side by side. The scenery was just as impressive as we remembered, but once again the crowds were everywhere. We snapped a few photos, admired the incredible rock formations, and continued on.

Our final stop of the day was Turret Arch. Surprisingly, neither of us remembered visiting it before, making it feel like a new discovery. It turned out to be one of those charming little spots where you can enjoy views of all three arches together, and even frame a beautiful view through the opening on the opposite side. It was a peaceful way to end our morning of exploring.

Before leaving the park, we stopped by the visitor center to cool off, watch the park film, and browse the gift shop. As always, we couldn’t resist adding one more special magnet to our refrigerator collection—a small reminder of another unforgettable stop on this incredible adventure.

Knowing we had an early start ahead of us, we did as much packing as possible the night before. We folded down the table, stowed the canopy, camp stove, and chairs, organized everything inside the trailer, and even lowered the sink. Every little task we finished that evening meant less to do in the dark the next morning.

We crawled into bed around 10:00 p.m., knowing the alarm would come far too soon. At 3:00 a.m. we were up, finishing the last few packing tasks, and by 4:00 a.m. we were pulling out of the campground and beginning the long journey home.

The drive home couldn’t have gone much better. We rolled into our driveway around 5:30 p.m., and for the first time in quite a while, we were able to enjoy the beautiful drive through the mountains of Idaho in daylight. Usually, we make this drive after dark, so it was a treat to take in the scenery one last time before the trip officially came to an end.

Even better, we didn’t run into a single major traffic delay. That was a welcome change after the way our vacation had begun with unexpected traffic slowing us down.

Along the way, we also managed to save about $10 on fuel thanks to our Walmart+ membership. We probably could have saved even more if our card hadn’t been declined during one stop, and we didn’t realize until later that we could also save when fueling at Walmart stations. Walmart+ is a complimentary benefit we receive through Spark for driving with them, and it’s turned out to be a pretty nice perk.

Pulling into the driveway always brings a mix of emotions. It’s wonderful to be home, but it’s also a little bittersweet knowing another adventure has come to an end. Thankfully, everything looked just as we had hoped. The house was cool inside, the grass hadn’t grown nearly as much as we expected, and best of all, every tree, flower, and plant had survived while we were away.

After unloading the truck and trailer, drinking what felt like gallons of water, and finally enjoying a hot shower, we crawled into bed around 10:00 p.m.—almost exactly 19 hours after our day had begun.

As exhausting as travel days can be, they’re always worth it. This trip gave us unforgettable memories, breathtaking scenery, new adventures, and plenty of stories to tell. Until the next adventure…