From Vegas we headed to Zion National Park. Zion was breathtaking. We could have spent several days there but our itinerary called for a quick visit. People like the Zion! Unlike Yosemite they accounted for this and shut off the entire park to cars. You can explore the park by bike (unless you hate biking, which I do) or shuttle bus (which I don't hate). We lunched in Springdale, UT, parked our car and headed for a shuttle. Our goal was to hike the Narrows, a trail that leads you through the slot canyons. It sounds majestic, peaceful and inspiring, doesn't it? The hike to the slot canyon was crowded with droves of people who were utterly taken with squirrels. Seriously, we passed three dozen families photographing glutenous squirrels who had bellies full of granola bars and Uncrustables. If I hadn't been so mesmerized by the people gawking, I'd have been utterly disgusted by the squirrels. Ok, slot canyons...busy, beautiful and muddy. Once we were at the trailhead (which was over a mile from the nearest shuttle stop) we began our journey with, well, everyone. Were you at Zion last Saturday? We waded for approximately 3/4 of a mile, gawking, mud-slinging (literally) and slip-sliding away. Zion is, like, really busy and popular. It usually annoys me...crowds, but its craziness was justified. The park was peaceful despite the crowds. Unfortunately we don't do well with a taste, so I'm sure we'll be planning another visit soon.
After Zion we creeped towards Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado where we camped for two nights. Unlike Zion, this was the quietest national park I've ever visited. We hiked, mingled with the park rangers, adopted a new dog (from boredom springs creativity) and slept on a ridiculous incline.
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Random mountain town cafe had a carving of Wile E. Coyote and other violent cartoon perpetrators. The kids, as many of you know, adore these cartoons and could not leave the restaurant without pictures.
Springdale, UT |
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| The Road Runner. I love Odelia's face. Determined to get her picture with this fella. She needed Nana to see it! |
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| Zion National Park |
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You just need to see it.
Zion National Park |
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Heading to the Narrows.
Sadly, we did not get a picture of the giant squirrels eating a Salted Nut Roll but I assure you, they were. Freakishly big and freakishly hungry. |
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He carried her the entire walk.
Zion National Park |
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Like I said, BUSY! If you are retired or not bound to summer visiting I recommend a fall or spring visit.
Zion National Park |
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Milo hiking the Narrows.
Zion National Park |
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Both kids just jumped in. Both literally and figuratively.
Zion National Park |
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Hiking the Narrows. I kid you not, I kept myself dry from the knees up the entire hike. The very last step I took to exit the Narrows I slipped on a rock and propelled myself into the water in front of a gajillion people.
Zion National Park |
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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
The zipper on our tent broke on our second to last day of camping. We slept with a broken zipper on the last night. I use the term "sleep" loosely. With a severe incline, a broken zipper and a touch of insomnia it was an active tent that evening. On the bright side, I'd never seen a night sky quite like that one. |
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The kids etched out a fort of their own on our campsite. To the left you will see a tether-ball fashioned out of camping rope, scotch tape and an orange, rubber ball.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado |
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Pretty canyon!
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado |
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| Learnin' |
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| Both kiddos earned their junior ranger badges. Milo took it quite seriously. Odelia...not so much. |
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| She visited us everyday with her babies. |
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| Slap.Happy. |
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| We are exhausted but eager to partake in campfire fun. This was before I knew we'd be sleeping on a hill for two nights. Delightfully ignorant. |
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| Mark doesn't eat roasted marshmallows in any form. It's a contentious point with us. He will, however, roast them and give them to anyone who wants one. He also has very strong opinions as to how they should be roasted (I know, Mark with an opinion, weird, right?). He's teaching Osie the slow and patient toasting...much different than my technique which involves blowing out a flaming mallow. Mark calls it the "burn and blow" method. |
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Nice people offer to take our picture.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park |
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| She just wants to get through the book so we'll put the movie on her tablet. |
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| Ranger program on geology. Milo always volunteers. |
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| Odelia photographs. |
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| Ranger Tom sat down with them for several minutes quizzing them and swearing them in to the Jr. Ranger program. |
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| These cows were blocking the road on our way back into the park on day 2 (we detoured for a visit to the local pool). The bovine were refusing to move so we spent some time with our windows rolled down "mooing" at them. They mooed back. |
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| And they did a fair bit of glaring at us too. |
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| Mark says, "get a picture of me eating my corn". Notice the light caramelization. |
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Odelia and the purple flowers.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, CO |
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| This was the BIGGEST anthill I have ever seen. Damned picture doesn't do it justice. Wherever that queen ant was residing in her monstrous community she was sitting back fat and sassy admiring her work. It was approximately 2 feet x 2 feet. |
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| Ranger program. Milo volunteers (again). |
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| S'Moreos! |
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| It's like a s'more but better. |
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| Don't they say something about boredom breeding creativity. I'm holding their dog, Spot. It's really an empty wet wipes can that they've drawn a face on and created a very average canine persona for. |
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| They had a leash, procured the services of a veterinarian and bathed it. Spot. |
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| Taking him for a walk. |
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Gunnison Brewery, Gunnison, Colorado
They had toys, lots and lots of toys. |
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| And beer. |
