Thank you all for putting up with my blog editing errors as I wrote posts from hotel poolsides and the van when I could get a Wi-fi hotspot, and at times in a fog of sleep-deprivation. Proper English major that I am, I’m mortified as I reread and fix posts. But you’ve been more than gracious. So, let’s wrap all this up, shall we? We allowed ourselves four days to drive home, with plans to stop at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona on Day 17. David had someone scheduled to preach for him on Sunday, and, “We’ll just take our time and explore and process the trip,” we told…

We planned this road trip with the ultimate goal of seeing the Grand Canyon, but in the process had three sets of people look over the itinerary and tell us, “With young kids, you should spend more of your time in places like Estes Park and Moab, and less at the Grand Canyon. The hiking trails are difficult and there won’t be as much for them to do.” So we altered our travel plans accordingly and can I tell you how thankful we are!? One day may not seem like enough to take in Grand Canyon National Park, and of course it isn’t, but it was plenty for us on…

On Monday, David and the big kids made one more trip into Zion, and I was torn. I loved the park and wanted to explore it a little more, but I knew that Gabe and Noah did not. So I volunteered to spend the morning at the pool with them, and ended up being perfectly happy stretched out with my book. David said that he and Judah and Amie got on the shuttle, exchanged looks, and realized that they had zero energy for hiking. And for David to say he has zero energy for hiking, you know it’s desperate! So they found a couple of short trails then joined back…

Washington, Utah, was the last big stay of our trip, and it was perfect. At the tail end of our travels, we wanted to be somewhere that felt relaxing. So after reading lots and lots of reviews, I found us a condo in the Washington/St. George area. This is two hours from Bryce Canyon (which is why we stopped on our way from Moab), and 45 minutes from Zion National Park. We preferred to be able to get a nicer place even if it was a bit further distance from the parks, and that was a good decision because by then most of the family was done with hiking, especially…

After a wonderfully slow last day in Moab, we woke up first thing, loaded the van, said good-bye to the great big red rocks, and began our journey westward through Utah. Our bodies and our senses were rested, and we were once again ready to be astonished. David and I sipped hot coffee from our travel mugs as we kept watch through more miles of long, desolate highways. We realized that we’ve lived within constant sight of mountains for the past 12 days, which is perhaps the longest amount of time in my life I’ve spent with such a view. It doesn’t get old. The mountains of Utah quickly transformed…

On day 10 of our trip, I hit a wall. Actually I hit the wall on the night of day 9, when we pulled into the garage past 9:00 at night from rock-scrambling and sunset-watching, with plans looming over us to wake up and take another hike first thing the next morning. I was miserably, desperately, darkly tired, and left David to fend for the kids while I took the first shower and climbed right in bed. We’re always hungry here because we burn so many calories, and I knew vaguely that I really needed to eat some food but couldn’t think or move or even read the new novel…

Wednesday was a big day of exploring, so here we go! We woke up early and reached Arches by 7:30am, which was the right choice. There were still more people than I expected, but no waiting line for park admission, and the air was wonderfully cool and pleasant. Also, we were given the unexpected gift of an overcast day, and it made all the difference. I’m so glad that after the head we braved Arches a second time, because it was perfect. The kids were able to do more climbing on these trails. Delicate Arch is the most famous of the Arches, and is seen on Utah license plates and…

Hi there from our last day in Moab! We’ve had a wonderful stay here, but the heat has drained me so that posting on the blog has been hard. Today is a good catch-up day. Our drive from Colorado to Utah on Sunday, along the Rocky Mountains, was spectacular. The autumn-gold patches of aspen and glittering Grand Lake gave way over the course of the afternoon to looming gray mountain and dry brushy landscape. We drove miles and miles and miles of lonely American road without seeing billboards or gas stations or a rest area. And then we crossed the border into Utah, and soon the red rocks began to…

On our last full day in Estes Park, the kids and I wanted nothing more than to laze around and enjoy the YMCA camp, so we sent David on another hike in Rocky Mt. National Park alone, and we had an Uno tournament, then explored the walking paths and threw rocks in the creek. Our family stayed for 4 nights in the cabin, but if you wanted to do your whole vacation here, I’d say it’s well worth the long drive (from Columbia, at least). You could easily stay 7 nights and not get bored, and we saved money by staying in a two-bedroom. There are lots of activities for…