So we had set out a chunk of time from our calendars to travel through the Southwest. At first we had planned to be gone for two weeks, visiting Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Moab, Mesa Verde and even Antelope Canyon. We packed up our little tent trailer and got ready for life on the road, with mandatory stops at nearly every children's playground we could find.
On our first night we stayed at a resort in Las Vegas that had the perfect pool for Tyler and Sophie. It was a sandy beach bottom pool that they played in non stop. It was wonderful to stay in luxury, but it would not be for long.
After two nights at the resort, we headed to Zion National Park to start the camping portion of the vacation. When we first got there, we hurried up into the high county across the Canyon Overlook Trail, past slot canyons and arches for one quick
family photograph. Both Tyler and Sophie were running up the trail with full steam and loving every minute of it. The next morning however, we tried to go out on a family hike but Sophia wasn't having it. Instead it was just Tyler and I for the morning hike in Zion. We hiked a trail leading up and out of the desert canyon and into a series of beautiful waterfalls and emerald pools.
Zion really is stunning in its beauty. An oasis in the desert landscape, the rock walls provide a shelter for life of all kinds. I woke early one morning to watch the
suns first rays light up the canyon walls like magic. We only had two days to spend there, but I know we will be back. I already can't wait to hike the
Narrows and
Angel's Landing with my little ones as they grow.
From Zion we traveled east to Moab, not at all aware of the classic cars coming descending from all over on the town for a
major car show and quickly realized we were beyond lucky to find a campsite. Tyler and Sophie were quick to take advantage of our campsite's pool and hot tub, or as Sophie called them, "cool" and "bathtub".
With stunning red rocks and canyons in every direction, the area of Moab is a truly beautiful landscape. We were there for four days, and once again Tyler and Sophie made it clear that they had no desire to go on any hikes. Instead Katie and I took turns hiking in Arches National Park to the the arches and viewpoints alone. One morning I woke up early and explored the surrounding landscape and slickrock trails with my jeep. I had wanted to hike out to Delicate Arch, but I could not ask my family to wait for me any longer, so I decided to
hike out to Corona Arch in the middle of the night by myself. That alone was an amazing experience and will forever be in the forefront of my memory.
As we stayed in Moab, both Tyler and Sophie began to have less and less energy for the outdoors and then began to develop a rash. Tyler was the first to get the rash, so we took him to a doctor in town that diagnosed it as an allergic reaction, probably to chemicals in one of the pools and prescribed medicine to cure him.
On our last day in the area, we ventured into Canyonlands Nation Park for views that are nothing short of breathtaking. Wide open landscapes carved with canyons stretched to the horizon in every direction. After not being successful at a family hike in five days, Katie had the excellent idea of pushing Tyler and Sophie up to Mesa Arch in our bike trailer. It wasn't easy, but it was incredible to see them laugh and smile as they bounced down the trail. Mesa Arch was equally impressive; it stands at the top of a cliff close enough to touch, but with a drop off of several hundred feet underneath the span.
Of course, being who I am, I noticed a "shortcut" back to town from Canyonlands; a steep trail carved into the slickrock mountains leading down into the canyons and following the Colorado River back to Moab. In reality, it was far from a shortcut, taking us almost twice as long, but leading us to even more amazing views and even Dead Horse Point.
All things considered, at this point Katie and I realized that this was not the time to push on with the trip. Our children were sick, lacking energy and not ready to hike. So we made the decision to postpone the remainder of the vacation to a future date and instead leave camping behind us to visit my family in Los Angeles. Beyond the immediate comforts of a home, it turned out to be a very wise decision. As Sophie's rash got worse, we took her to a doctor who diagnosed their illness as Scarlet Fever which they contracted someplace along the way. It is not serious as treated, but definitely explains why they were so drained. A few days later now, both are quickly returning to normal.
So it was not the trip that we had planned, but we made the very best of it and I wouldn't trade the memories for anything else. The lands that we visited together were wonderfully diverse and dramatic. Tyler and Sophie were incredible troopers, still enjoying themselves and the trip in spite of their illness. Katie and I have already called this our first family trip through the southwest and are already planning our next.
the different colors are insanely cool! are those straight lines (dots) going from the top left to center bottom airplane lights?
Thanks Derek! Yep, the straight red lights are from an airplane. Pretty cool how the blinking pattern gets more pronounced as the plane gets closer too. Of course, I wish there were no planes flying over Yosemite, but that's another thing...