Our Amazing Vacation - Zion National Park

So, even though we had lots of fun on Wednesday at the Sand Hollow Aquatic Center, there's no proof cuz we took no pictures.  It was fun though, there was a great water slide and a fun kids area with lots of water squirting and falling everywhere.  The kids didn't want to leave.  It eased their pain that we were headed for McDonald's (Grace's birthday wish come true) where there was a play land, but it was still tricky to herd them all out of the water.

Thursday dawned cloudless and sunny.  We hit the road and arrived at Zion Park around 11:00.  They have the neatest shuttle system there: you park your vehicle in the park (if you get there early enough) outside the park entrance or anywhere in the town of Spring Dale and just catch the free shuttle.  They depart regularly from the Visitor's Center and as you travel to different points of interest, you listen to a pre-recorded description of the sites you are seeing.  The shuttles are comfortable and well ventilated, and its nice not to have to worry about driving or finding parking.

Joseph on the shuttle.  He's so cute!

 Our first stop was the Court of the Patriarchs.

 

Chad got a picture of us at the overlook, but had to get a wide angle shot to get all three peaks in.

 

The peak on the far left is Abraham.  The center peak is Isaac.  You'd think that the peak on the right would be Jacob, but that is actually Mount Moroni.  Jacob is the white mountain peeking out behind the right shoulder of Mount Moroni.

After picking up the shuttle again we headed deeper into the canyon to hike the Emerald Pools Trail.

These pictures were taken on the bridge at the beginning of the hike.

Our little hikers did a fantastic job.  When their energy started to lag we would sing songs.  "My Aunt Came Back" and "I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly" were their favorites.

When we reached our destination we found the trail wet... 

 with water that fell like rain from the rocks above.

 These are the "Emerald Pools" that the trail is named for.  As Merritt pointed out they are more brown than green, but you can see the algae in the middle of the water that would give the pools their namesake color.

After a much needed lunch break we set off again, this time to Weeping Rock.  Daddy the Pack Mule had a tired back by this point so I took a turn carrying Joseph around on my back.  He seemed to like the easy access to my hair.  :)  I thought I'd have an easy time of it because the Emerald Pools trail was over a mile round trip, Weeping Rock was way shorter, but, as luck would have it, the Weeping Rock Trail was very STEEP!  It was so worth it though.  It was my favorite view of the entire day.

Even though it was mid-afternoon by the time we took this shot, it actually looked like a misty morning because we were standing behind a fine curtain of water droplets and spray.

Merritt took the opportunity to stand under the dripping water and get very wet.  The moisture felt wonderful in the heat.

I just like this picture!

This one too!

This is the shelf of rock that "weeps".  Because of all the moisture, there are actually hanging gardens of flowers and ferns that grown right out of the bottom of the overhang.  It is incredible to see.  The water comes from far above and slowly travels down through the sandstone layers over the course of thousands of years to finally drip down at Weeping Rock.  Amazing!

Our final hike of the day was the Riverside Walk.  The north fork of the Virgin River that carved out Zion National Park is accessible from this trail, so that meant we got to play in the water.  We walked the trail for a bit and then turned back and took one of the river access points so that we could play around and cool off.

We had a great day in Zion and look forward to going back someday.  I wanted to throw in one final picture cuz I think Chad took a good one and because the name is cool...

This peak is called the Great White Throne.  I really appreciated all the unashamed religious references to be found in Zion National Park.  The people that settled the area sensed the grandeur and glory of God in all that they saw and named things accordingly.  Love it!

Our Amazing Vacation - North Rim Grand Canyon

In trying to decide whether to go to the North Rim or the South Rim of Grand Canyon, two things became the deciding factors: 1 - North Rim is three hours from St. George and South Rim is five.  2 - Grand Canyon has 5 million visitors annually and South Rim gets 80% of them.  Easiest Decision EVER!!  The North Rim is fantastic and I highly recommend it.  The temperature was in the 70's, the hikes were awesome, the crowds were small, and the views were amazing.  True, we weren't able to go out on the skywalk and stand on glass a mile above the Colorado River, but I wouldn't have done that anyway.  :)

Right after the entrance of the park we came across a "beefalo" herd in a meadow.  Chad and I couldn't, at first, figure out why the buffalo didn't look quite right but later read in the Park newspaper that the animals are a cross between cows and buffalo.  They look like buffalo, only smaller.

Our first stop was our campsite.  We wanted to make sure that the tent was all set up and everything taken care of because the last thing you want to do when you are tired from hiking is set up a tent.  We were able to reserve the last spot (site #55) at the North Rim Campground before our vacation started and we set up the tent in the shade of the trees.

It came together really well, but I did have to climb under because we missed a particularly prickly pine cone.

Next came the hiking.  After doing some research prior to our trip, we had settled on the Transept Trail, which follows the canyon rim, and  Bright Angel Point Trail for Monday, and the Cape Royal Trail for Tuesday.  Chad and I had decided that there was no way in the world that we were going to a mile deep canyon without harnesses for Grant and Joseph.  We found cute dog backpack/harness contraptions where the tail was the "leash" and it was seriously the best $30 spent for the vacation.  We had wonderful peace of mind and all the comments were got from people were positive.

I suppose taking a picture while pretending to fall into the canyon is a visitor must, especially for 10 year old boys.  

One of the overlooks along the Transept Trail.

Joseph pooped out and got to ride on Daddy the Pack Mule.  

Water and snack break at Transept Trail viewpoint.  We left the rim for a bit and hiked through a beautiful forest of Ponderosa Pine, Quaking Aspen and Douglas Fir.  As the trail lifted out of the forest we found ourselves at this inspirational view point.

View from along the Transept Trail.

Grant found a rock that looked like a couch on the Bright Angel Point Trail so all the kids HAD to sit on it.

Merritt contemplates the view from Bright Angel Point...

 while Joseph sleeps through it.

Family photo on the Bright Angel Point Trail rocks.  We traded picture taking favors with people up and down the trails.

A ha...a glimpse of the bottom!  The blue of the Colorado River can be seen in the distance.  The Cape Royal Trail is the only area on the North Rim where you can view the river.  Merritt was very excited to finally see it. 

 Angel's Window at the Cape Royal Trail.  We actually walked over it to get to the observation point at the end of the rock.  Chad and I both loved how all the names of formations at Grand Canyon were named after angels rather than devils, (i.e. Devil's Tower, Slide, Gate, etc.).  Seeing the wonders of nature definitely makes me think of a loving, considerate and creative Father in Heaven, not His opposite.

One final scenic shot on our drive down from the Cape Royal trail head.  We all loved Grand Canyon!

Our Amazing Vacation - Sunday in St. George

We picked a week in June for our annual family vacation and when the 15th arrived we packed up and headed south to St. George.  Using that as our base we then ventured further out spending Monday and Tuesday at the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Wednesday in St. George, Thursday in Zion National Park and Friday at Bryce Canyon.  We had so much fun and are already looking forward to next year's adventure.

On Sunday we attended church at a ward building across the street from the temple.  It was a wonderful ward and we really enjoyed ourselves there.  Chad and I each had a separate geeky Church moment when we realized we were fortunate enough to hear the Lorenzo Snow lesson on tithing right in the city where the revelation was given!  That was really neat!

After church we headed right over to the temple and took lots of pictures of the kids.

  
I wanted all the kids to smile naturally for the pictures so I started to do some funny dance moves.  Apparently I looked completely ridiculous because they all started laughing.  I realized later that I could be seen from the Visitor's Center so who knows how many people got to see me bust a move.  I'm sure they were all laughing too...or calling the nearest mental health center.

Joseph decided to be the funny man next. He had all of us laughing!  Check out Grant's GQ pose.

We did a quick tour of the Visitor's Center and spent some time looking at the Christus.  A sweet sister missionary snapped some photos for us (don't smile Merritt!) and then we headed back to our vacation pad so Joseph could have a nap.

Eat Your Heart Out!

Jealous?  You should be!  I picked these peaches off the tree in our backyard.  One morning I walked outside as the sun rose bright and warm over the mountains and checked how the peaches were coming along.  I gently twisted one and it came right off in my hand, so I stood there and ate it.  It was perfection, juicy and sweet and everything a peach should be.  Over the next few days I picked them all and we ate some and made jam out of some and canned some.  I love growing my own food!  I just wish I was a better gardener!

Guess Who Got Into The Flour Bucket?

Joseph, that's who!

Independence Rock and Martin's Cove

 

On Monday morning we said our goodbyes to the Whartons and headed off back toward home. We knew, however, that our vacation wouldn't be complete if we didn't stop in at the two famous historic sites between Casper and Rawlins: Independence Rock and Martin's Cove. Traveling toward Rawlins you pass by Independence Rock first, so that was our first stop. The kids were so excited about climbing on the large, loaf-shaped granite monolith and, after Merritt scrambled up the side quick as a wink and I complimented him on his sure-footedness, he declared, "I climb like a mountain goat!" I can't disagree with that, he didn't slip once and showed no fear.

We enjoyed hunting around for names from the days of the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails.  Since the rock has only been a historic site since 1961 you can find names from later dates, but they aren't the interesting ones.  It really is an amazing thing is to stand at the top and look for miles in every direction and know that the scenery (minus the visitor's center and highway) is unchanged from the days that scores of pioneers, including ancestors in Chad's family and my own, stood and surveyed the same landscape.  Our feet could have stood in the same spot, we could have clambered up the same side of the rock, our hair could have been tossed by the same strength of wind.  It was a wonderful moment when we touched history.

Grant in a tree at the picnic area.

After making a few wrong choices in what direction we should go to get down off of Independence Rock, our feet were once more on level ground and we got back into the van for the short drive to Martin's Cove.  The area now has a lovely green space with picnic tables where we ate our lunch and enjoyed a respite.  It was interesting to note the changes there.  The Visitor's Center has grown marvelously since I first visited as a teenager, even since my last visit eleven years ago.  That time we actually walked out to the cove pulling a handcart.  The feeling at the cove where so many died is both somber and sacred; the sacrifice and faith of those pioneers left an indelible mark.  On our way back, Chad and I actually pulled my mother in the handcart because her hip, which at that time was soon to be replaced, was paining her badly.  This time around we did not walk out to the cove...somehow the thought of dragging four children on a five mile round trip hike didn't sound like lots of fun.  Instead we watched a video, toured the Visitor's Center, found the names of our ancestors (both Chad's and mine) who had been in the Willie Company (as well as Chad's ancestor who had been a rescuer), visited the blacksmith's shop where we received prairie diamonds, and had the kids pull a handcart along the small trail in the park located near the visitor's center.  The experience impressed the children and I look forward to when we can visit again and partake of more that Martin's Cove has to offer.

A loaded handcart in the Visitor's Center.

My family: the Gadds; Chad's family: the Dorney's.

A view of Devil's Gate.

Pulling a handcart...Merritt is doing most of the work.

Our greatest treasures; if we have them we have everything!

 We said our goodbyes to Martin's Cove and all the kindly missionaries there and set our faces firmly towards home.  We arrived on our own doorstep to find a lawn in need of mowing, a garden that had grown by leaps and bounds, and our own beds to sleep in once again.  What a great trip!

Mt Rushmore At Last

We were rained out on Friday, but Saturday dawned blue and clear and hot once again and we were off to see Gutzon Borglum's mammoth creation.  We drove through Keystone, making sure to stop at the Silk Fudge Shop which was highly recommended by friends who had gone to Mt Rushmore the previous year.  We were not disappointed...yum!  I know, fudge in the morning sounds totally weird, but we weren't going to pass through Keystone again so we had fudge at 10am and were happy.  We pulled into the parking lot and amused ourselves by shouting out different state license plates while we looked for an open space.  After snagging some decent spots, we piled out and entered the viewing area and Avenue of Flags that leads to the amphitheater.  The kids oohed and aahed upon seeing the famous sculpture and I turned to see Chad's reaction, since he hadn't said anything yet, but he just shrugged and remarked, "I thought it would be bigger."  We laughed at that because it is true, the visitor's center is so far removed from the actual carving that you don't get a good feel for Mt Rushmore's size.  Plus all the pictures you see are close-ups, so you think that when you visit the monument you will be a lot closer than you actually are.  It didn't help that we had seen Devil's Tower just two days previous because you walk around the Tower and it just looms over you.  Mt Rushmore doesn't loom, it sits on its lofty pedestal and you gaze at it from afar...kind of like Romeo and Juliet.  Chad did quickly add, however, that it was still cool.  :) 

Ahh!  Don't face the sun to take a picture!!

Here's a cool little cave we found while hiking around Rushmore.

Our plan after Rushmore was to stop at a picnic area for lunch and then head down to Jewel Cave before starting back to Casper.  We did find a fun place to eat off the beaten track with clean outhouses, potable water, fun rocks to climb and duel on and lots of squirrels to entertain the kids, but after we had set up and were cooking hotdogs the local forest service ranger stopped by and charged us $4 a family to have lunch.  We're pretty sure he just pocketed the money but, oh well.  Grace finally lost a tooth that had been wiggling mightly and, since Eli lost one the day before, we snapped a picture of them together.  We ate lunch, the kids ran and got their fidgets out, and Sandra became the Mighty Squirrel Tamer who got the little beasties to eat out of her hand.

The toothless wonders!

 We drove past lots and lots of local Rushmore-area caves on the way to Jewel Cave, which later made us go "Shucks!", but we were excited to see Jewel Cave which had lots of rave reviews.  There was, unfortunately, a wild fire down by Wind Cave, which forced the Forest Service to close it, and thus Jewel Cave's traffic was more than doubled.  We just missed getting a space on the tour by minutes and we didn't want to backtrack an hour or so to visit a different cave, so we turned for home and consoled the kids with the promise of pizza and rootbeer floats when we got back to Casper.