A Car Trip Epic Tale

Okay, I'm rested up now and ready to jot down all the fun details of our trip. We were originally going to leave after the kids got out of school at about 1:30 pm on Friday, but my mom decided to take a risk and pull the kids out of school early. They picked me up a little after 10:30 am and we were on our way!

It was a great decision to leave earlier, because we made it to Arches National Park in time to really enjoy the scenery and take a few short hikes before sundown. Balanced Rock was one of our first stops (pictured in my previous post). It looks awesome from a distance and terrifyingly precarious when you are standing directly beneath it, looking up. We also spent quite a while at the Double Arch. This is one place I look forward to taking my kids...climbing rocks galore! My little brother and sister (okay - me too) had a blast scrambling up the huge stones and posing for a million pictures. The wind was biting and cold, and it really blows through the arches. The path to the Double Arch was surrounded by fine red sand, so soft you can't help but grab a handful and sift it through your fingers. Once again, I found myself thinking my kids would love this place.

We didn't have time to do the Sand-dune Arch before dark, so we headed to Green River for dinner. You can imagine all the restaurant options in such a small town. After driving back and forth on the only street (Main Street) a few times, we ended up at a place called the Chow Hound. If you're in the mood for a root beer float, it's a great place, but I definitely don't recommend the taco salad.

When our stomachs were sufficiently stuffed we went to the hotel, where Lori and I worked off our Chow Hound calories by playing in the indoor pool. After splashing, racing, hot-tubbing and underwater hand-standing until we were exhausted, we returned to our room to crash and watch an episode of Lost before drifting off to sleep.

My mother, the early-bird, was ready to go on the road by eight o'clock the next morning, but we did enjoy a decent hotel breakfast first. There is quite a distance between Bryce Canyon and Green River, so I had time to work quite a bit on the dress I'm making for Sadie. (I'll post pics when I'm done.) We also listened to a book on tape about Christopher Reeve, which was pretty interesting, but not something I'd usually pick out. It does make you appreciate the gift of simple movement and a healthy body.

Bryce National Park is beautiful, especially from Bryce Point. A game of hide-and-seek would last years with all those stone columns and rows. It was truly stunning and my amateur photo (in the last post) doesn't do it justice at all.

Once again we were on the road. At this point our enthusiasm for the trip was dwindling. My mom took over the wheel and the rest of us slept until we got to Zion's National Park. It is amazing how different each place was, and yet each had the characteristic red rock and scrubby trees. One of my favorite parts of Zion's was the tunnel. It went on forever! Each time we'd turn a corner and think we were nearing the end, it would end up being only a larch arching window allowing a quick glimpse of the beauty outside before we were plunged back into the darkness of the stone tunnel.

We hiked to the Emerald Pools and Weeping Rock, both fairly short, paved hikes ending at picturesque little places. Unfortunately, my camera was full at this point, so I only have a few pics from my phone. I'll post them soon, though they'll give a slightly fuzzy view of the sights.

We also stopped at Zion Lodge to use restrooms and pick up a few souvenirs; a bracelet for my sister and River-Rock Jelly Beans for my kids. I considered getting something for them that wouldn't be gone in five minutes, but I've decided I simply have to bring my kids down there to experience it themselves. We'll probably come just before school gets out, so it won't be crowded, but it will be warmer.

The return trip was significantly more quiet and subdued than the drive down. We were all exhausted and after so many hours in a car, I think your brain starts shutting down a little. :o) I got home at about 10:30 p.m. and I'm glad I have a few months to convince myself another car trip will be fun.

Overall, I'm soooo glad I went. It was beyond beautiful and awe-inspiring.