We had packed everything into the van the night before so that all we had to do was get everybody in the car and start driving. We left the house at about 7:00am and started on our 5 hour drive. Easy peasy!!! The kids did fabulously, even Little E was just as happy as can be.
When we arrived at Arches, I was surprised by the entrance. Typically when you drive into a National Park, you can see the beginning of the park and beyond, but not Arches. You are greeted by a great wall of rock.
You drive up a zigzag road, up and up and up you go until you reach the peak and you can view the Visitor Center down below.
The camera was zoomed in for this picture. We were much higherup than it seems.
Then you drive into a valley and along the way you see such awesome rock formations. Our campground was almost at the end of the paved road, 30 minutes into the park, at Devils Garden. We had the best camp site!!! It was large enough for our mammoth tent and it had a really fun rock. Not only did it provide us with shade, but it was a playground for the kids. We named it "Kevin". (Inspired by the movie Up.)
This was taken by Jeff on top of "Kevin".The area behind "Kevin" was the kids' favorite place to play. They called it their playground.
After we had set up camp, we decided that we would go on a short hike before we had to start on dinner. We chose a hike that was nearby the campground called Skyline Arch.
Here the kids and I are making our way to the arch.
Here is another post for you, one taken on the way down from the arch.
As we were finishing up with the hike, I started to realize that I had forgotten to put sunscreen on myself. I got all the kids, but forgot myself. We can all see where this is leading. My upper back and neck and upper arms were so red! I was so burnt! This did not make my day. To make the day worse, when we were starting to prepare for dinner a storm came. The winds were so strong it blew over the canopy that we had set up over the picnic table. We were worried about our tent, but it held strong. That can't be said for other tents in the campground. I think we got lucky because ours is so big and it has a lot of stuff inside weighing it down. As we were packing the canopy back into the box, it started to rain. I'm talking hard, hurts when it hits your skin, rain. As soon as that canopy was down, we all took shelter in the van. The rain only lasted a couple of minutes, but the winds blew the entire night. However, it didn't stop us from getting a good night's sleep.
Day 2 - August 12th
This day had a rocky start. We had a wonderful breakfast, pancakes, and afterward we piled into the van to head off to various trails in the park. However, the car didn't start. It wouldn't even come close to turning over. Jeff walked down to the campground host to see about getting a jump start. As he was gone, the kids and I joined in prayer. We were all scared that the van was seriously broken, but a couple minutes later Jeff drove up with a ranger. It took a couple of tries, but the van was able to start. We made it out of the park and down to Moab, where we found an auto shop. We were very blessed because it was only a dead battery. It could have been a whole lot worse, and much more expensive, but our prayers were answered and we were blessed. It was a great experience for all of us!
When the van was all better, we headed back into the park and to Balanced Rock. It is amazing how this thing can stand together on a daily basis. One wonders how it is possible, however, one day it will most likely fall.
While we were there, the kids decided that they would help keep the rock standing.
Here they are holding it up. :)
Next, we went to Broken Arch. This was an amazing trail, one of which we will remember for a very, very long time. The arch itself was gorgeous and it was fun to be able to continue the trail through the arch.
We were making our way to Sand Dune Arch across a meadow, when Matthew got a bloody nose. So, we decided to skip the other arch and head back around the Broken Arch Loop. On the way back, we ran into something unexpected. Sean was at the lead when all of a sudden he stopped and then started backing up. At first I didn't see it, but within a few seconds I did. A deer!!! It was walking on the trail heading straight for us. The kids did beautifully and just stood where they stopped. The deer turned and walked down off the trail.
It was quite an experience. We were laughing and retelling the tale, when within just another couple of minutes, another deer on the trail!!! What are the odds?
We all contributed our good fortune to Matthew's bloody nose.
Day 3 - August 13th
We decided to also visit Canyonlands National Park. After a 2 hour drive, we arrived at The Needles District. The first stop was to Pothole Pointe. It doesn't rain much in this area, only 9 inches per year, so when there is standing water it is only in puddles. It is in these potholes that you can find tadpoles.
Have to throw in this picture. Brotherly love.
This next arch was pretty cool. It is called Wooden Shoe Arch. Can anyone guess why?
We then stopped at Cave Spring Trail. You first come upon the remnants of an old cowboy camp.
Then you find the spring. Amazing!!!
To continue along this trail, you have to climb up these wooden ladders. Unfortunately, with the baby on my back, I couldn't continue. So, Jeff took the older kids while I headed back with Matthew and Little E.
On their way back, the kids did their part again by holding up a rock. :)
That's one strong girl!!!
For dessert that night, we made popcorn. Not too bad.
Day 4 - August 14th
Because Canyonlands is so big, we decided to spend two days there. On this day, we went to Island in the Sky. On our way to the park, we stopped and took our picture by the sign.
No we didn't plan in advance to wear our USA shirts. :)
We realized very quickly that the other trails in this part of the park were not child friendly. We did go to Aztec Butte.
On which we had to climb this:
We all made it to the top and had this fabulous view.
But then, to get to the granaries, you had to walk along the slick rock.
It is amazing that the Pueblos would place anything in a place such as this. I still don't understand the purpose. Even after coming down off the trail, in the parking lot we ran across a Park Ranger. He had no idea why they would choose that location either. Very interesting.
The views from Island in the Sky are amazing!
On interesting thing that we noticed was the prevalence of sunflowers. However, they were only located in the valleys right before the park's entrance and no where else.
Because Island in the Sky was only a 30 minute drive, we had some time where we could finally go to Sand Dune Arch. It was well worth the wait. You first enter through some fin formations, quite a mystery, and arrive in a small, cool, shaded area. Boy, did that feel good after a very hot day.
There is a reason this is called Sand Dune Arch. I mean, look at all the sand!!!
Funny picture time.
Day 5 - August 15th
This was our last day in the park so we kind of had to make up for the lost time due to a dead car battery. We really wanted to see Delicate Arch, but didn't have the time for the 3 hour loop trail, so we took the 20 minute overlook trail.
Still gorgeous from here.
A decade after he settled, his daughter and her husband and children visited and felt that the cabin wasn't bit enough. So, they erected another, bigger, cabin for him. They ALL lived there for many years.
Can you say, "Still teeny"?
Silly kids!!!
And Double Arch.
The Three Gossips.
Then we drove out of the park towards Potash where we found some petroglyphs on the side of the road. It was amazing how many there were and how high up they were.
Also along the road, towards Moab, was Wilson Arch.
We then drove south and stopped at The Needles Overlook. They had a very short trail loop, so we all got out of the car and walked around for a bit. Along the trail, they had these benches that were in small caves.
Remember Aztec Butte?
Finally, it was time to drive back to camp for dinner. So, during our time camping, we mostly cooked in our Dutch Ovens. We had some fantastic meals and this night was no exception. We had lasagna and peach cobbler.
Do we look tired or what?!
Day 6 - August 16th - LAST DAY!
Overnight, it rained and rained and rained. We slept fairly well until 5:00am came and Jeff had a distinct impression that we needed to pack up right then and there. We were planning on waking up an hour later, but we listened to the prompting and quickly packed up and left. We have no idea why we needed to leave when we did, but we were obedient.
On our way home, we decided that we would stop at Goblin Valley State Park, since it was on the way home. It's not as grand as Arches or Canyonlands, but it's pretty cool.
Yep, that's pretty much the whole park.
We had some pretty good luck with the wildlife while we were on our vacation. Here are some more pictures of what we saw throughout the week.
These lizards were all over the campground.
Oooh, a bigger lizard at our camp site.
Look, it's a squirrel. Don't see many of them. ;)
Said the raven, "Nevermore". I swear he was talking to Jeff. They're
smart birds you know.
Ahhhh, a bear!!! Just kidding, it's Little E. Doesn't he look happy?!
Actually, he was quite happy because I shared my powered sugar
camp donut with him. YUM!!!
After we had set up camp, we decided that we would go on a short hike before we had to start on dinner. We chose a hike that was nearby the campground called Skyline Arch.
Here the kids and I are making our way to the arch.Closer to the arch, there was a crevice where the kids found that they could climb up the walls. We only let them go so far, but they were happy to pose for us.
Here is another post for you, one taken on the way down from the arch.
As we were finishing up with the hike, I started to realize that I had forgotten to put sunscreen on myself. I got all the kids, but forgot myself. We can all see where this is leading. My upper back and neck and upper arms were so red! I was so burnt! This did not make my day. To make the day worse, when we were starting to prepare for dinner a storm came. The winds were so strong it blew over the canopy that we had set up over the picnic table. We were worried about our tent, but it held strong. That can't be said for other tents in the campground. I think we got lucky because ours is so big and it has a lot of stuff inside weighing it down. As we were packing the canopy back into the box, it started to rain. I'm talking hard, hurts when it hits your skin, rain. As soon as that canopy was down, we all took shelter in the van. The rain only lasted a couple of minutes, but the winds blew the entire night. However, it didn't stop us from getting a good night's sleep.Day 2 - August 12th
This day had a rocky start. We had a wonderful breakfast, pancakes, and afterward we piled into the van to head off to various trails in the park. However, the car didn't start. It wouldn't even come close to turning over. Jeff walked down to the campground host to see about getting a jump start. As he was gone, the kids and I joined in prayer. We were all scared that the van was seriously broken, but a couple minutes later Jeff drove up with a ranger. It took a couple of tries, but the van was able to start. We made it out of the park and down to Moab, where we found an auto shop. We were very blessed because it was only a dead battery. It could have been a whole lot worse, and much more expensive, but our prayers were answered and we were blessed. It was a great experience for all of us!
When the van was all better, we headed back into the park and to Balanced Rock. It is amazing how this thing can stand together on a daily basis. One wonders how it is possible, however, one day it will most likely fall.
While we were there, the kids decided that they would help keep the rock standing.
Here they are holding it up. :)We learned on this trail how other trails would be marked, by little stacked rock formations.
Next, we went to Broken Arch. This was an amazing trail, one of which we will remember for a very, very long time. The arch itself was gorgeous and it was fun to be able to continue the trail through the arch.
We were making our way to Sand Dune Arch across a meadow, when Matthew got a bloody nose. So, we decided to skip the other arch and head back around the Broken Arch Loop. On the way back, we ran into something unexpected. Sean was at the lead when all of a sudden he stopped and then started backing up. At first I didn't see it, but within a few seconds I did. A deer!!! It was walking on the trail heading straight for us. The kids did beautifully and just stood where they stopped. The deer turned and walked down off the trail.
It was quite an experience. We were laughing and retelling the tale, when within just another couple of minutes, another deer on the trail!!! What are the odds?
We all contributed our good fortune to Matthew's bloody nose.Day 3 - August 13th
We decided to also visit Canyonlands National Park. After a 2 hour drive, we arrived at The Needles District. The first stop was to Pothole Pointe. It doesn't rain much in this area, only 9 inches per year, so when there is standing water it is only in puddles. It is in these potholes that you can find tadpoles.
Have to throw in this picture. Brotherly love.
This next arch was pretty cool. It is called Wooden Shoe Arch. Can anyone guess why?
We then stopped at Cave Spring Trail. You first come upon the remnants of an old cowboy camp.
Then you find the spring. Amazing!!!
To continue along this trail, you have to climb up these wooden ladders. Unfortunately, with the baby on my back, I couldn't continue. So, Jeff took the older kids while I headed back with Matthew and Little E.
On their way back, the kids did their part again by holding up a rock. :)
That's one strong girl!!!We then made our way back to Arches and to camp for dinner. While we were waiting for the dinner to cook, Jeff took Donovan and Sean to Landscape Arch, which just happens to be by the campground.
For dessert that night, we made popcorn. Not too bad.
Day 4 - August 14th
Because Canyonlands is so big, we decided to spend two days there. On this day, we went to Island in the Sky. On our way to the park, we stopped and took our picture by the sign.
No we didn't plan in advance to wear our USA shirts. :)The first trail that we went on was Mesa Arch. This was a bit nerve wracking. It is a beautiful arch with a beautiful view, but just on the other side of the arch is a 500 foot vertical drop.
We realized very quickly that the other trails in this part of the park were not child friendly. We did go to Aztec Butte.
On which we had to climb this:
We all made it to the top and had this fabulous view.
But then, to get to the granaries, you had to walk along the slick rock.
It is amazing that the Pueblos would place anything in a place such as this. I still don't understand the purpose. Even after coming down off the trail, in the parking lot we ran across a Park Ranger. He had no idea why they would choose that location either. Very interesting.
The views from Island in the Sky are amazing!
On interesting thing that we noticed was the prevalence of sunflowers. However, they were only located in the valleys right before the park's entrance and no where else.
Because Island in the Sky was only a 30 minute drive, we had some time where we could finally go to Sand Dune Arch. It was well worth the wait. You first enter through some fin formations, quite a mystery, and arrive in a small, cool, shaded area. Boy, did that feel good after a very hot day.
There is a reason this is called Sand Dune Arch. I mean, look at all the sand!!!
Funny picture time.
Day 5 - August 15th
This was our last day in the park so we kind of had to make up for the lost time due to a dead car battery. We really wanted to see Delicate Arch, but didn't have the time for the 3 hour loop trail, so we took the 20 minute overlook trail.
Still gorgeous from here.Okay, so check this out. Right before the trail is Wolfe Ranch. It is a ranch that was settled by John Wesley Wolfe in the 1800s. He built a one room cabin.
A decade after he settled, his daughter and her husband and children visited and felt that the cabin wasn't bit enough. So, they erected another, bigger, cabin for him. They ALL lived there for many years.
Can you say, "Still teeny"?The kids got into the old western mood and decided to have a shoot out at the ranch.
Silly kids!!!
After walking the short distance to the viewpoint, we realized how much hiking we had been doing over the past few days. We were pooped!! So, we decided to do a lot of driving. There were still some more arches that we wanted to see, thank goodness we could see them from the road. We got The Windows.
And Double Arch.
The Three Gossips.
Then we drove out of the park towards Potash where we found some petroglyphs on the side of the road. It was amazing how many there were and how high up they were.
Also along the road, towards Moab, was Wilson Arch.
We then drove south and stopped at The Needles Overlook. They had a very short trail loop, so we all got out of the car and walked around for a bit. Along the trail, they had these benches that were in small caves.
Remember Aztec Butte?
Finally, it was time to drive back to camp for dinner. So, during our time camping, we mostly cooked in our Dutch Ovens. We had some fantastic meals and this night was no exception. We had lasagna and peach cobbler.
Do we look tired or what?!
Day 6 - August 16th - LAST DAY!
Overnight, it rained and rained and rained. We slept fairly well until 5:00am came and Jeff had a distinct impression that we needed to pack up right then and there. We were planning on waking up an hour later, but we listened to the prompting and quickly packed up and left. We have no idea why we needed to leave when we did, but we were obedient.
On our way home, we decided that we would stop at Goblin Valley State Park, since it was on the way home. It's not as grand as Arches or Canyonlands, but it's pretty cool.
Yep, that's pretty much the whole park.The coolest thing about Goblin Valley is that part of Galaxy Quest was filmed here. I love that movie. My favorite line, "Never give up, never surrender."
On the way out of the park, we ran across some antelope on the side of the road.
On the way out of the park, we ran across some antelope on the side of the road.
We had some pretty good luck with the wildlife while we were on our vacation. Here are some more pictures of what we saw throughout the week.
These lizards were all over the campground.
Oooh, a bigger lizard at our camp site.
Look, it's a squirrel. Don't see many of them. ;)
Said the raven, "Nevermore". I swear he was talking to Jeff. They'resmart birds you know.
Ahhhh, a bear!!! Just kidding, it's Little E. Doesn't he look happy?!Actually, he was quite happy because I shared my powered sugar
camp donut with him. YUM!!!
4 comments:
I love your pictures! I'm glad you guys had such a great time...I haven't been to Arches in years, but reading about your trip reaaaalllly makes me want to go back!
Those are some really great pictures. Someday we should do a family reunion there. That would be awesome. BTW, Little E looks so adorable.:)
I can't believe we lived in Utah all those years and never went there. Your pictures make me sad we didn't. What a fun adventure with the kids. I bed they had a BLAST. You guys look wonderful. Hope the transition back to school has been smooth!!
Great pictures. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us! I think however, because I have learned to be a bat (or vampire...?) and shun the hot sun, we will visit in the winter! Beautiful, just beautiful. Thanks for the inspiration!
Aunt Peggy
Post a Comment