The Colorado River that is.  The boss’ idea to do something other than hike was an inspired one.  We didn’t have to be at the rafting offices until 8 so that gave us the freedom to sleep in and catch up on some much needed rest.  After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we drove the short distance to check in for our ride.  We were fitted for life jackets and loaded up on to buses for our 45 minute ride to the put-in location.  The ride was a fun one for me because for the first time on the trip, I was able to sit back and just look at the scenery.  According to our guide, the road we were traveling was ranked the #2 scenic road in America, behind the Pacific Coast Highway (feel free to click back and read about that trip from 2015).  As 2Pac said- “I get around”.  Though I don’t think we mean it in quite the same way.

Once our ride was complete and our safety talk given, we loaded up and set off down the river.  Our boat was fortunate.  There was our family and a family of 5 from Georgia.  Our guide quickly learned that a boatload of Southerners is an easy going craft, unlike some of the other boats around.  Our guide introduced himself as Brock and told us we could call him peach fuzz. He is 18.  18.  Let that sink in.  Lucy is 15.  A dude that I am trusting with my family is 18.  The good news is there were no real challenging sections and there was ample opportunity to jump in the river and float on down.

This was wonderful.  Yes, the canyon views were cool.  The history lessons were cool.  But just jumping in the water a coasting was sublime.  The air temperature was close to 100 and the water felt awesome.  The only challenging part was getting back in the boat.  None of us looked graceful trying to do this.  The girls even got a chance to do some of the rowing and help Brock out a bit.  Before long, our 7 mile journey was over and it was time to head back to Moab.  Another lunch at Sweet Cravings was called for and the round of lemon spritzers hit the spot.

Once lunch was done, back to the hotel for some pool time.  I’m not sure how, in a place where the air temperature was 106, the pool temperature was somewhere around 60.  Yes, it was refreshing and it was fun just cooling it for a bit.  I even managed to catch a few winks in the shade until some guy turned on the hot tub.  Thanks, dude.  And, hot tub?  It’s 106 out!.  As the girls rested a bit more, the boss and I went to check out the Moab Brewing Company.  Her report is that all the beers tasted more or less the same and were very one note.  One beer was plenty.  Another weird Utah law, she couldn’t get a flight at a brewery.  Apparently, it is a no go for a person to have more than 2 drinks in front of them.  They also charged .65 cents for a taste of a beer.  Whatever, we were hungry.

For dinner tonight we went to 98 on Center.  I never expected to be eating Vietnamese food in Moab, but here we were.  We all split a yummy rice noodle salad.  Lucy and the boss had sandwiches while Ethel and I opted for Pho.  It was delicious and the prices weren’t outrageous. The place was funky and everything was just good.  One more stop on the way back for ice cream and our easy day was done.

Breaking up the trip with something like a float was exactly what we needed.  Full credit to the boss for coming up with the idea.  She nailed it.  Moab is a cool little town and is worth a visit.  In fact, if we did this again, it would be 3 days in Moab, a day in Bryce, and 3 days in Zion.  With one day remaining, we have done nearly everything we set out to do.  We have see all 5 parks.  At some point, this became a quest and not a vacation.  It became a quest to do this hike, or that hike.  Today was a good reset, although it came at the very end.  Tomorrow we’ll complete our visit by finishing off the last couple of hikes left on our list.  This has been a fun trip.  It has be exhausting, but fun.

A few of the photos are form Canyonlands, they finally loaded.  They are noted…

When last I left you, we had decided to depart Bryce a day early for our ride to Moab and had reached our destination, dined on some italian food, and bedded on down.  Waking up in Moab the day we expected to arrive afforded us lots of opportunities to do things we might not have otherwise done.  After a pleasant breakfast at our band-aid hotel (where we all slept wonderfully) we drove up to Canyonlands National Park.  It took us a solid 45 minutes to get there from Moab, but the drive up was pleasant and the temperature at 8:30 in the morning was still slightly below 100 degrees.

Canyonlands is a vast park and it is impossible to see all of it in any one trip.  The best you can do is to pick a section of the park and check it out.  We decided that the Islands in the Sky section was best for us.  We drove to the end of the road and took in the vast expanse of the park.  You could see another section, The Needles, off in the distance.  After a walk out to Mesa Arch we headed out.  Mesa Arch was cool though.  A short .25 mile-ish walk out to the arch provided cool views and an arch that was neater than any of us expected.  I was glad that we had come in to Moab the day before and then drove here.  I think that if we had stuck to our original plan and driven in from Bryce, Canyonlands would have been almost an afterthought, and that would have been too bad.

Heading back to Moab, we swung by Dead Horse Point State Park.  This park is meant to have some of the best views of Southern Utah.  The park fee of $15 was bit steep, but it’s doubtful I’m ever back here so we went.  The legend is a group of cowboys rounded up some wild horses, drove them out to a point with a narrow neck, and sealed them there.  Once they decided which ones to take, they left the rest to die.  The views from here were more or less the same as Canyonlands.

Driving in reverse from the way we went, we decided that it was past time to get some food.  The boss had done some looking and we all agreed that Sweet Cravings Bakery and Bistro was the place to go.  Lucy loves sandwiches and it seemed to be a good option.  It was.  The sandwiches were amazing and they took great care in preparation.  They had a wide selection of paninis, cold sandwiches, wraps, and salads.  We all had different main courses, but the kicker was the lemon spritzer.  I never knew that lemonade combined with sprite would be so darn tasty.  But, boy was it!

After a good amount of time in Utah, seeing parks, and walking lots, the boss had the inspired idea to try something different.  She thought something involving water might be fun.  Well, just across the street from our lunch spot was Adrift Adventures.  She and I walked in and asked if there was any availability for anything in the next day or so.  Well, wouldn’t you know it?  They had room on the very next day in the morning for a float down the Colorado River.  Booked and paid for right then.  We drove to our hotel, The Gonzo Inn, let them know we were there and then waited a few minutes for our room to be ready by the pool.

After resting in the room for a time, we made our first trip into Arches National Park.  Confetti!  Horns!  Party time!!!  We had completed our adventure of hitting all 5 parks in Utah.  A stop by Balanced Rock and a loop around it was cool.  We then drove to the Double Arch and Windows section of the park.  By now it was evening, approaching 7pm with a temperature right at 100.  The walk to Double Arch was easy and when we got there, you could climb up into it and see how it was possible for it to form.  The walk to the Windows was equally as easy.  There are three arches here to see; Turret Arch, South Window, and North Window.  We started with Turret and worked our way to North Window.  It is hard to convey the sheer size of the arches.  They’re big.  I mean, like really big.  Thinking about the forces and the time required to create them is mind-blowing.  Time had slipped away and the sun was starting to set.  On one side of the arch was the sunset, on the on the other side, moonrise.  Pretty spectacular.  Around 9 we left the park heading back to the hotel.

After a stop at a Wendy’s that might go down as the worst Wendy’s in America we got back and called it a night.  Deciding to leave Bryce early and come on in was a great idea.  It gave us time to not be rushed in Canyonlands and to have the energy to head into Arches at dusk.  Had I driven in the same day, I’m not sure that would’ve been possible.  As it was, we were rested, saw all of these things, and were in our room past dark (a first for this trip).  All that’s left now is to make the most of our final two days.

All photos in Arches are by Ethel…not bad.

With much sadness we departed Zion for Park #2 of our 5 National Park trip.  This time, we were headed to Bryce Canyon.  Bryce is only a short distance from Zion, but it is a whole different world.  The road leading out of Zion was gorgeous.  We climbed what felt like forever pausing at lookout points and really trying to take it all in.  Since we were in no real hurry to get to Bryce we stopped at several places along the way.  Our first stop was at a roadside attraction called, The Rock Shop.  It was a store filled with all kinds of…rocks.  Yep, a store of rocks.  Apparently, rock stores are quite the business in these parts.  We also stopped because they had coffee.  We also learned that coffee is not so ubiquitous in Southern Utah due to the Mormon influence.  Once learning this, it was interesting to note the many businesses that advertised coffee or in one case, expresso.  The owner of the store gave us a neat little history about the shop and the man who built it back in the 50s.  Just down the road from this attraction was a German Bakery.  I stopped there and the girls were pretty excited.  Full of sugar, we kept driving towards Bryce.

The scenery was ever changing throughout the entire ride.  Soon, we arrived in Bryce City (founded 2007) and went to the Best Western Plus Bryce to check-in.  Our room wasn’t ready so we decided to take advantage of the time and take a look at the park.  The boss had done her homework, as per usual, and told me to drive to the end of the road.  Once there, we could take a short hike and then all of the overlooks would be on our right returning towards the visitor’s center.  At the end of the road we took in the view and walked the Bristlecone Pine Loop.  This type of pine tree can live for centuries and they had even identified one that was 1600 years old.  Sort of crazy to think of a tree just starting to grow at the end of the Roman Empire.  Heading back down the road we stopped and took in the sights.  We parked at the lodge and noticed that the girls were starting to fade a bit.  To my right I spied Valhalla Pizza!  60 bucks was expensive for 2 pizzas, a salad, a beer, and a wine, but it was good to have a hot meal.

We walked over to Sunset Point, looked at the view, and then walked to Inspiration Point.  Getting there was a pretty steady incline and about halfway up, that pizza didn’t seem like such a good idea.  I pushed through and we all made it to the top.  It should be noted here, that the elevation of Bryce is between 8000 and 9000 feet above sea level.  Keep this in mind.  By now, we were all tired, and frankly uninspired so back to the hotel to check in.  This done, I went to the pool with the girls while the boss did some laundry.  Laundry done and showers complete we drove to Ruby’s to look for some goodies.  It should be noted that Bryce City is a town with “character”.  What I mean is, it’s really cheesy.  The family ate some, we’ll call it “food”, at the diner and we went to get ice cream.  By now, I was starting to feel pretty drained and wanted to call it a night.

It was a long night.  Around 4am, I came to the realization that I might have to forgo my dream of climbing Everest.  The altitude was doing a real number on me.  Combine that with the folks above us having what can only be described as marching band practice and I didn’t sleep well.  Breathing was hard, I wasn’t hungry, and I needed a change in altitude.  So I guess, if 8000 feet above sea level is too much, I’ll have to limit my mountain climbing to the Smokies.  Or sand dunes.  At the beach-you know-sea level.

The boss and I had a confab and decided that one night was enough in Bryce and we’d strike out for Moab.  But not before catching a sunrise at Sunrise Point and doing the Queen’s Garden/Navajo Loop Trail.  The girls started the trail, I went and packed the car, and then I parked at the end of the trail to meet them.  Not willing to let a bit of altitude distress slow me down, I walked into the Canyon and met them and Wall Street, thus completing the hike with them.  Take that body.

Figuring 24 hours at Bryce to be sufficient, we drove what can only be described as 4000 miles across Utah on roads that were gnarly to say the least.  We were able to check off park #3, Capitol Reef on the way.  Pretty neat, glad we drove through.  Now, all checked in at our stop for tonight (we change hotels tomorrow) we are prepping to head to dinner.  Dinner was wonderful. We ran across a place called “Pasta Jay’s” on an app and decided to give it a shot.  The girls destroyed a caprese salad, the boss and I shared a huge salad and out pasta dishes were all great.  It was a tad pricey, but since we’re in the middle of nowhere, it makes a bit of sense.  After we ate, we looked at some of the shops on main street and noted which ones had some goodies that we’d like to return to get.  Back to the hotel and the close of a really, really long day.  It seems like ages ago that we left Zion.  It was Sunday.  Bryce was nice, at least the scenery was spectacular.  I’m glad we made the decision to leave a day early.  I think 24 hours in Bryce is a good starting point.  Maybe if I could breathe there or we could sleep, we might have stayed that last night.  But I’m not so sure.  The ride to Moab was longer and harder than I’d anticipated (especially with so little sleep).  And I’m glad we’re here and don’t have to leave at some ungodly hour to try and rush through seeing Capitol Reef and Canyonlands.  So, bye Bryce and hello Moab.  As a wonderful bonus, at 4000 feet, I can breathe.  And the crowd rejoiced.  It will take a little while to deal with the realization that I am not ever going to summit Everest, but I’m coming for you sand dune on Oak Island!

Note:  The photos from Bryce have yet to show up on the cloud.  When they do, I’ll just post some of them.  These photos are from the ride out of Zion…Thanks, Bye!!!

Okey dokey.  Let’s just get right into our final day in Zion.  When I last left you all, I told you we were going to get up early to get a head start on our day and to avoid standing in line for an hour to catch the shuttle.  Since you’re all just dying to know if it worked, I’ll tell you.  No.  No it did not work.  First off, the Springdale shuttle doesn’t begin running until 7 and the park shuttle starts at 6.  Right from the get-go things aren’t meshing.  So, we started off walking to the visitor’s center at 6 and got there at 6:20.  The line today was 1/3rd as long as it was yesterday but it still took us just over an hour to board.  For the first hour the park shuttles only pickup very 15 minutes.  To us, this was inefficient and created a logjam of folks at the entrance that takes hours to work through.  Maybe the rationale is to spread people out in the park a bit or maybe they’re just dumb.  I’m not sure which.  At any rate, we boarded and set off for the Temple of Sinawava.  People on the bus seemed to be heading to one of 3 stops.  The Lodge, The Grotto (home of Angel’s Landing), and ours, which was the very last stop.  Finally, just after 8, 2 hours since leaving our room, we were ready.

At the shuttle stop we donned our river shoes and began the Riverside Walk heading to the Narrows.  This is technically a trail, though it is paved and really easy.  There were a few uphills and downhills, but mostly it was relatively flat.  The mile walk got us going and soon enough the path ended and there were stairs down to the Virgin River.  The Narrows hike is a walk mostly through the river into a slot canyon.  In Fact, it is often noted to be one of the best slot canyon hikes in the worlds.  And for us, this is where the fun began.  From almost the first steps, there was no avoiding walking in the river.  Those first steps, I’m sure we all resembled Bambi learning how to walk.  The shoes took a bit of getting used to, but boy were they awesome.  The neoprene socks allowed for our feet to warm the water in the shoes a bit making it a bit more comfortable and the ankle support was key.  We all agreed that had we attempted this in tennis shoes, we would not have gone as far or had as good of a time.  Plus, somebody would have fallen or tweaked an ankle.  Since we got a fairly early start the river wasn’t all that crowded and the further in we went the less crowded it became.  At times, it felt as if we were the only people hiking the Narrows.  We hiked two hours up the river until we came to a fork.  We went left a bit and turned around.  As it were, this is the turnaround point for most.  Those two hours in were blissful.  The air was cool as the sun only shines in the canyon when it is directly overhead.  The girls had a blast deciding what routes to take, plunging in chest deep, and laughing.  Just laughing.  Everyone had a smile on their faces.  Since it’s not a loop trail, we did have to head back downstream to get out.  It took us about 1.5 hours to get out as we weren’t fighting a current.  The closer we got back to the beginning the more and more crowded it became.  Thus proving, that getting an early start is critical.

Still grinning from our walk, and now in our dry shoes, we headed to the Lodge for smoothies and a bit of souvenir shopping.  That done, it was back to the shuttle for one last ride to the visitor’s center.  We returned our river supplies, still patting ourselves on the back for having rented it, and shuttled back to the hotel.  We all had a snack and while the girls rested a bit, the boss and I headed to Sol’s Market to stock up on some provisions for our days in Bryce.  We spent some time at the pool cooling off a bit, then showered, and went back to Oscar’s for dinner.  And just like that, our time in Zion came to an end.

A few takeaways.  When here in the summer, you must start early and break midday.  It’s friggin’ hot here.  Also, even if the line for the shuttle is long, the park itself will still feel uncrowded.  Fill up your water bottle lots.  That way, you know you’re staying hydrated, ’cause as stated-it’s friggin’ hot here.  Make sure to build in some downtime.  You probably won’t be able to get to it all, and that’s ok.  I didn’t make it to Angel’s Landing and that’s fine.  The memories I have of hiking the Narrows and seeing my kids smile and hearing them laugh while proclaiming this the best hike of their lives more than made up for it.  I’ll look at a picture of the Landing and that’ll be good.  But when I look at a picture of the Narrows, I’ll hear their laughter.  Now-off to Bryce!!!

I know that the post concerning Thursday was weak.  I am fully aware.  But really, there was nothing to say.  We waited, they showed up, we drove, we slept.  The end.  But Friday, Friday was way different.  We woke up good and early and headed out from Cedar City to drive the hour to Zion.  I really thought we were on the right track.  I got us to our hotel and parked.  The nice lady at the desk said we could park the car outside of our building.  This saved us at least $20.  Once we parked, we walked the .8 mile to the park.  First thing about this area is that every single turn of the head produces a view that is amazing.

After the obligatory photo at the park entrance sign we used the pedestrian entrance to the park.  It was here that we joined the line for the shuttle.  In Zion, you can’t drive and park.  You must use the shuttle.  Honestly, this is a good thing.  Traffic is minimal and I can actually look at scenery and not road.  We entered the line at 8:30.  We boarded our shuttle around 9:45.  So, yeah, there are lots of folks here.  Once in the park it seemed as if the people sort of thinned out.  We got off the bus at the The Court of the Patriarchs.  There was a short, but steep, walk to an observation point which provided a great view of the Patriarchs.  After basking in their grandeur we took a walk on the Emerald Pools connector trail to the Zion Lodge.  At this point, it was vital that we throw some calories at our girls.  That accomplished, we headed to the Weeping Rock stop.  This short, .25 mile walk was awesome.  It was, I believe, a roughly 60 degree angle walk, so it was sort of steep.  But the view at the end was the highlight of the day.

Once taking in all the Weeping Rock had to offer, we rode back to the Lodge and did the walk to the first of the Emerald Pools.  By now, we were hot, tired, and more or less done.  On the way back to the hotel, we dropped in on the good folks at Zion Outfitters to inquire about the Narrows hike.  After hearing the dude talk a bit, we decided renting the shoes and walking sticks would be money well spent.  Once we had settled on the appropriate footwear for our hike, we went to the hotel and settled in.

The Desert Pearl Inn is awesome.  I made these reservations a year ago and I am super glad that I did.  Our room is huge, with a fridge, microwave, and a great patio to hang out on and look over the Virgin River.  Stay here on a trip to Zion and get a river room.  For dinner tonight, we headed to Oscar’s Cafe and dogged some nachos, some tacos, and a couple of sandwiches.  We had enough to bring home some leftovers.  By now, it was pushing 6 and we were beyond spent.  I sat on the patio and chilled a bit and just enjoyed the view.  We decided that after waiting in the line for the shuttle today that the next time we’d head out early and get moving sooner.  How’d that work, you ask?  Check back in the morning for the exciting conclusion to our time in Zion National Park.

I was told by the boss that I had to make a post for Thursday.  So here it is.  Ethel and I slept in and had breakfast at the hotel.  We watched a bit of the World Cup and then grabbed an Uber to pick up our rental car.  With that successfully done, we drove to the grocery store to buy some goods for the week.  After that, we went to the airport and waited for the other ladies to arrive.  They did.  Yay.   We drove through downtown Salt Lake so they could see the highlights and then off to Cedar City we went.  There was one, glorious pitstop on the way.  I was able to visit for the first time in three years an In N Out Burger.  Dang this place is awesome.  I wish there was one closer to home,  Like, I really wish this could happen.  After enjoying our burgers we drove the rest of the way to our Hampton Inn in Cedar City.  I had promised Lucy a trip to a Del Taco and I was able to deliver on this promise.  So, the Hampton Inn was just, eh.   Everything was fine.  Not great, but fine.  The biggest thing of the day is that our little family is all together again.  And that, is something.

It’s about time.  Last summer, I spent a few days in the mountains and a smattering of days at the beach.  A quick trip to Denver for a concert and 2017 closed out without a real opportunity to roam.  A year ago, though, the idea to try and visit the Big 5 national parks in Utah started to percolate.  We decided to make it a go and plans started to come together.  Tickets were bought, reservations made, and routes mapped.  Earlier this year, an opportunity to see a concert popped up and I made a change to come in to Salt Lake City a couple of days ahead of the rest of the crowd.  Ethel decided she’d like to come so we spent the rest of the winter and spring looking forward to the show.

Wouldn’t you know it?  The concert was canceled a week before the show.  For reasons that are completely understandable the headliner had to fly back to England to tend to a family issue.  I, however, was left with two tickets to Utah and two nights in a hotel.  Making the changes would’ve cost too much, so we came on anyway determined to salvage two days in Salt Lake.  Our flights from Raleigh through Denver and to Salt Lake were fine.  We took the light rail from the airport into town and checked into our hotel, Homewood Suites Downtown.  I chose this hotel for its proximity to the concert venue.  This ended up not mattering.  What I didn’t know, is that the hotel is right around the corner from what is widely known as the worst homeless shelter in the city.  There are a large number of folks who use this facility in the surrounding area making it feel a bit uncomfortable, especially if you have children.  After checking in, we headed out to find some food.  We ended up at Zest Cafe and Bar.  The restaurant is gluten free and vegan.  I was excited to go in and have some food.  This is where I encountered Utah’s very interesting laws regarding alcohol.  Due to the status of the establishment, it is a 21+ restaurant.  We got some take out to salvage the walk.  I learned from the guy there, that in Utah, kids can’t be in a bar.  Even if they serve food.  Depending on the set up of the place, depending on about 50 other things as far as I can tell.  I also learned that you can’t just duck into a store and buy a six pack or bottle of wine.  No, no.  You have to buy those at state run stores.  Unless you want less than 4% beer.  Other beer is referred to as full strength.  This place has weird laws.

Anyway, we got our food and headed back to the hotel.  We chowed down while watching Ant Man and called it a night.  We had all day yesterday to knock around town.  Bright and early we headed out to do a hike I had heard about.  We took an Uber to the trailhead for the Living Room Trail.  Rated as a moderate trail, Ethel and I have decided it is moderate+.  Coming from essentially sea level to 4000 feet takes a toll as you hike.  This is something I think I underestimated.  Casually we walked up the hill stopping to take photos on the way.  Eventually we made it to the end of the trail, sat around for a bit, and enjoyed the view.  After a bit, the only thing to do was to head down.  Another Uber shuttled us to Temple Square where we briefly visited the Salt Lake Temple area.  The visitor’s center explained the building of the temple and we were able to go into the Tabernacle.  We read some of the plaques around the property.  Before long, though, we were ready to head on out.  We walked through town and back to the hotel.  After dropping our stuff, we went to the Megaplex to see the Incredibles 2.  The movie theater has definitely seen its better days.  In fact the whole area made me a bit sad. It looked as if at one point, this was a happening little area.  I think that unless they relocate the shelter directly adjacent to the theater, the addition of Dave and Buster’s will do little to revitalize the area.

After the movie, we came back to the hotel.  Given the area, we decided that we would not venture back out as it was pretty clear that my travel buddy was a bit anxious.  I ordered up some PF Chang’s courtesy of Grubhub and while we waited we went to the pool.  This time we watched Winter Soldier as we ate and took it easy.  After another good night’s sleep we headed to breakfast and have begun the process of heading out to go get the rental car to pick up the rest of the clan.

I’m ready to get out of Salt Lake City.  The whole purpose of this trip is to get to the national parks.  I am really looking forward to that.  The purpose of coming in early was to hit a concert.  Even though that didn’t happen, I think we salvaged our time in this, um, interesting city.