I made the decision to stay in Moab, UT, mostly because I didn't think I could drive all the way to the next city, but mostly because it is where Arches National Park is located. We loved Arches. So pretty, so many spots to stop and explore. As a matter of fact, we did that so much that we only actually saw one or two arches, because it got dark before we could me it all the way into the back end of the park where the majority of the arches are. However, we really loved that whole area!
The next day we drove further into Utah to explore Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park. Wow is all I can say! Bryce was spectacular for the incredible views from the rim of the canyon. It was an easy one to explore because you drive the length of it, with lots of scenic overlooks. There were many hiking trails but we stuck mostly to the drive because we wanted to have time to see Zion before dark.
As an aside, Utah's countryside is amazing. It looks like a desert most of the time, but when we finally found areas of green, lust vegetation along the banks of the Virgin River, there were sod farms everywhere. Even though most of Utah is a desert, they grow grass for other places!
Zion was everything we hoped for and more! We climbed, looked at Western Big Horn Sheep, and marveled at the scale of the mountains. We felt a little like Lightning McQueen as we emerged from the tunnel that cuts 1.5 miles through the park- Wow!
As evening approached, the boys played in the Virgin River- the clearest, prettiest river I have seen- and I watched the sun cast its reflection on the sides of the mountains and was amazed at the majesty of this place. God is so creative! What a beautiful place he created for us to enjoy!
We enjoyed the park so much, we opted to return in the morning before we headed toward Vegas. What a contrast!
Vegas is really not my scene. It is a sight to see, for sure, but honestly not something I need to see again. I am glad we went so I could see it first-hand, though. Vegas is trying to reimagine their image and trying to bill themselves as fun for the whole family. I disagree. First of all, the pool at our hotel (Excalibur) was only open from 10-6. I don't know about anyone else, but my kids mostly just want to swim in a pool on vacation. I can only assume it closes so you will go to a show or spend money elsewhere in the resort, but that was a big let down for us. Secondly, you can't turn around without seeing something you don't want your kids, especially young men, to see. Signs, billboards, showgirls on the street, it's everywhere. Even the privacy door hanger was unnecessary. It read, "Damsel in Undress." Why?? Try explaining that to a somewhat naive 11 year old.
Leaving Vegas, we headed to the Hoover Dam. It was amazing. Pictures don't do it justice, especially as you hear the story of how it was built and the scale of the project almost 90 years ago. Very impressive. Lake Mead, the man-made lake that the dam created, is some of the prettiest water I've ever seen! Green and clear, so awesome to see!
Our intent was to travel into California after the Hoover Dam, mostly to say that we had and partly so we could find the Joshua trees that are native to the area. Well, after about 10 miles of desert and wind-blown sand covering the highway, we decided that we had seen enough of Cali and turned around without seeing the first Joshua tree. As we re-entered Nevada, we saw a sign naming the road Joshua Tree Highway. Seriously?? They were everywhere. As we pulled in to our hotel for the night, incidentally on Route 66, there was a Joshua tree in the parking lot. Joke was on us, I guess.
Yesterday, we finally got to see the Grand Canyon. Massive, beautiful, striking! Words are insufficient to describe it and pictures fail to capture it. The boys had a blast hiking- and crawling- to some of the rocky outcrops. I think they loved it!
So here we are in Sedona. I picked a hotel online that was a little pricier than I normally would so that we would be sure to have a nice pool and reliable wifi- important, first-world issues for my kids. Well, this place is a full-on golf resort where they try to get you to sit through a presentation with the promise of a "free" vacation. Guess who went for it? The precious girl gifted us a free Pink Jeep ride through the wilderness out here in exchange for my agreeing to get the "free" vacation. Good deal? We'll see. This place is amazing! Too bad it's out of my price range, but I can see why anyone would want to have a time-share place in this resort. Tonight we head to Gallup, NM for no good reason except we get to pass through Winslow, AZ, and stand on a corner. We will be in San Antonio by Wednesday to enjoy a couple of days at a water park. Downhill side of vacay starts now!
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