Spring Break Trip to Utah Part 4

After Bryce Canyon, we drove on down to St. George, Utah.  We stayed in this town for 2 nights.  The next day, we drove back to Zion National Park which was only a couple of hours away.  This park was very crowded, and we had to wait to get into the park, and then wait again to get onto one of the shuttles that takes you into the park.  They don't let very many cars into the park, you have to take shuttles to get to the various scenic areas and hikes.  The boys were able to work on their junior ranger books while we waited.  Once we got on one of the shuttles, we stopped at a couple of small places and did a couple of short hikes.  Then we took the shuttle up to the end and did a hike to the Narrows.  This was a really neat hike.  When you get to the end of the trail, people actually hike up the river to the end of the canyon.  We were not equipped to do that, but we said the next time we go, we would like to do that.  After that hike, we went back down the park, stopping at the lodge area to have some ice cream.  Then we headed out of the park, but not before stopping at the ranger station for the boys to get their badges.  Then we drove back to St. George.

The boys working on their books

On a hike

Getting sworn in

Ditto

Spring Break Trip to Utah Part 3

Our next national park that we visited was Bryce Canyon.  It was a little cooler weather here, but still very sunny and nice.  We were worried there might be snow on the ground, but it wasn't like that at all.  They have very interesting rock formation here called Hoodoos.  The boys enjoyed looking for those.  We did a couple of short hikes.  We drove to the end of the park and back.  It's bigger than Capitol Reef, but not huge.  We listened to a Ranger talk.  And the boys got their junior ranger badges again.

Spring Break Trip to Utah Part 2

After we left Moab, we drove through Capitol Reef National Park.  It's a very small park.  The main highway goes right through it, so we didn't even have to show our pass to get in!  We stopped and did a hike and saw a large rock/hill called Capitol Hill.  We stopped at the Ranger Station and the boys got their Junior Ranger badges again for this national park.  It didn't take us very long to see the whole park, so we drove on.  We stayed for a night in a town outside of Bryce Canyon.  But we got in late to the town, so we didn't go into Bryce Canyon till the next day.  More on that later.

Picture by the sign

Simon

Sam

Spring Break Trip to Utah Part 1

For Spring Break this past March, our family drove to Utah and visited 5 National Parks.  We left early Saturday morning, driving all day till we got just outside Salt Lake City.  We stayed there one night.  Then the next day we drove to Moab.  While in Moab, we visited Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.  We stayed 3 nights and 3 days.  While there, unfortunately Simon had gotten sick the night we stayed in Salt Lake City, and the next day in Moab, I got sick.  Not so fun.  But the bug didn't last long, and we were back to seeing the sights.  While in Moab we also went on a 4-wheel drive tour of the Canyon.  It was really neat, and really liked the scenery.  It was amazing.  The boys also got their Junior Ranger badges for both parks.  Here's a look back.

Arches

Arches

Arches

Arches

Arches

Arches

Arches

Canyonlands

Canyonlands

Canyonlands

Canyonlands

Pictographs in the Rocks

Canyonlands

Canyonlands

4-Wheel Tour

Starting up the trail

Looking back where we came from

Pic by the sign