What a BUSY day! We started the morning with a Pancake Breakfast for the birthday boy. That was a camping treat! 🙂 Then we were off to explore Mesa Verde NP. And did we! We started with the Mesa Top Loop Road driving tour where we were able to see surface dwellings and cliff dwelling overlooks. Next …
Not on our original itinerary, but with Canyonland NP right here we had to check it out. We visited the Needles Overlook and climbed all over the rocks. The view is VAST. One ranger said he preferred it to the Grand Canyon. Not sure I agree but it is impressive. We also stopped to see …
On the move again. Our first stop was Edge of Cedars State Park Museum. Very informative with an impressive collection of Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) pottery. There is also an authentic Puebloan village to explore. Kids finally caught a lizard that got itself trapped in the dwelling. Then, a less than two-hour drive brought us to …
This morning we drove from Lake Powell to Blanding, Utah. This is an example where it’s not the destination (there is NOTHING in Blanding) but the journey. We drove to the Navajo National Memorial in northern Arizona. We met John Bahe Smith, a Navajo artist. The kids really liked a small painting he did of …
Thankfully, the winds eventually died down last night. It was a little unsettling to think that another strong gust could take down the tent. No problems, though. Daddy and son did a great job that held all night and all day today! This morning, we hiked Horseshoe Bend (impressive but no railings) and Hanging Gardens …
Daddy and son woke up at o’dark early to go fishing this morning. AGAIN. We weren’t too far behind because this Arizona sun comes up early! The big event of the day was a tour of Lower Antelope Canyon. The wait was about as long as the tour, honestly. But, worth it. It’s difficult to …
Forget campfire breakfasts, when the view is this great we have to enjoy it. So, we packed up the tent and headed to the Lodge for a “good ol’ fashioned American breakfast.” And then sunned ourselves on the patio. We had hoped to stay tonight in one of the cabins but our reservations were cancelled …
Last night, Daddy woke us up at 1am to take a look at the stars. It is claimed that one can see 7500+ stars in these parts but only about 2500+ in most other places. Not sure if that’s true or not but the black sky sure did sparkle! We didn’t make it to Zion …
We decided to spend another day in Bryce instead of heading to Zion. So, the boys went fishing again – Oldest Son landed a 15″ brown trout! Afterwards, we hiked the Mossy Cave Trail and had lunch with the Hoodoos. What’s a trip out west without a trail ride? Exactly – so we put our …
Well, Daddy and Older Son woke up early this morning to fish. First thing Older Son said when he got back? “That’s only the second time Daddy has out fished me.” Daddy caught two 12″ brown trouts! All day Older Son kept thinking about fishing – he even went to bed early tonight so he’s ready …