We spent our Thanksgiving week at Big Bend National Park with the kids, my parents, and the Pettey family.
Through Facebook, I found out my neighbor Brent was also there with his youngest daughter so I texted him, and a few hours later he showed up at our camper site! We decided to go hike Ernst Tinaja since it requires a 4WD to get there and we could get all of us in the truck. It’s still my favorite trail at Big Bend! You can click on any image to get a closer look.
Look at the fox Shaun took a picture of because he was holding my good camera!
The next day I woke up at 6 to go take pictures of Santa Elena at sunrise but I didn’t realize it was 1.5 hours away from me! So I just took a few pictures of the scenery along the roads.
One of my favorite shots
There is a Hot Springs at the park that is at a constant and toasty 104 degrees.
I tried again the next day. I woke up at 5 and finally got to Santa Elena. Shannon went with me and we had a lot of fun trying to get to the trail and then having to slide down on our butts.
View of the canyon from the trail
Along Santa Elena Trail
We saw 2 adult bears and 2 bear cubs on the Window trail!! I only got one decent shot of the momma bear.
Momma Bear
The Petteys
Family picture!
Samantha
Here are some pictures of Lost Mines Trail (click on image to view)
The Overlook from Hot Springs Trail
Boquillas Canyon Trail
Shaun fried the turkeys for Thanksgiving and they were delicious!
I don’t remember Big Bend being this gorgeous. I guess I was too young to really appreciate it. We are definitely coming back soon!
Six of us (not including our amazing guides Mandy & Kendrick) successfully trekked down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for the very first time, and it was better than I imagined. We left the canyon with memories of a lifetime and included everything from unbelievable hiking, excruciatingly sore calves, beautiful vistas, wine smuggling, postcards by mule, strict dinner times, big horned sheep, surprisingly comfy sleeping pads, speeding tickets, and really stale chocolate cake just to name a few.
Our group picture after it was over, and we had a few drinks & munchies at the bar. Look at those smiling faces!
As we were first hiking down on Thursday morning, I can’t explain how overwhelming it was. I had no idea what I was getting into, and the view was just breathtaking. I actually got teary-eyed. I felt such joy and just gratitude that I was able to do something like that. The hike down was around 8 miles and on that last mile, my wobbly legs were ready to collapse. I just had to keep walking until I got to the campground, and when I finally got there, my tent was already up along with the bed and sleeping bag. Let me tell you. This trip without Kendrick & Mandy would have been a totally different trip!! It is not forgotten how much of a difference they made to the entire experience. To not have to worry about food, setting up, emergency kits, cooking, planning,… it was beyond priceless.
That evening we had reservations for a steak dinner at Phantom Ranch. Apparently Mandy got the time wrong and we showed up half an hour late. At Phantom Ranch, they have 2 dinner sessions and you are given exactly one hour to eat and they you are kicked out. That meant we only had half an hour to eat. Kendrick seemed to be the only one annoyed. The rest of us saw it as a challenge to see how much food we could scarf down in 30 minutes. We did not disappoint. I believe Kendrick even managed to eat 3 steaks. Rene tried to buy another carafe of wine (we had some earlier that day) but they would only give him 1/2 a carafe because we only had 30 minutes to drink it. Really? Do they not know how much 8 people can drink in 30 minutes??
Bright Angel Trail
The view from the bridge as we started going up Bright Angel Trail
Friday was a day of relaxation down at the bottom. We all got to do our own thing. The creek was serene and the sound was perfect as I was falling asleep. We finally tasted our backcountry meals which were so yummy! Rene and I took some pictures at the beach area and met up with Mandy & Kendrick. We also smuggled some wine back to our campsite to enjoy after dinner. Operation Code Blue a huge success!!
Saturday we made our way up the Bright Angel Trail and stopped half way up to stay the night at Indian Gardens Campground. We had backpacker meals for lunch and then headed for Plateau Point which was amazing!!! Talk about saving the best for last.
For dinner that night we each had a glass of wine that Anetta brought up for Phantom Ranch. Here I am hugging it. 🙂
The last day was the hardest. Kendrick ran down a mile to see if any of us slow-pokes wanted him to carry up our backpacks. Leonore declined, so I quickly took him up on it. I have no shame!!
OK, so here are a few words about our crew and the people I spent the next 4 days with (my perceptions may or may not be factually true, they are just my usually very accurate observations):
Anetta: A lovely neighbor/friend who was crossing off one of her bucket list items. She was intent on sending out lots of postcards and appears to be able to eat all. day. long. Her backpack might have weighed more than her, probably from all of the snacks she brought!
favorite part: when you could first see the river, seeing Phantom Ranch, Mandy & Kendrick making coffee in the morning.
Karl: Retired Law Enforcement who now enjoys irritating his wife on a daily basis although I’m not sure who he’s fooling. He’s a proud Republican who owns a body bag (I’m not making this up). If you can get through that tough exterior, you will find a kind and decent human being. You have taught us a thing or two, Karl!
favorite part: Trying to get out of my shell and meet people that have different perpectives. Actually making it to the bottom.
Leonore: A fellow engineer from New Jersey. Leonore loves nature and is going to end up retiring and spending most of her time outdoors educating others. She even sleeps on the ground in her backyard on occasion. Leonore and I were the ones at the back of the pack, keeping it together. Or trying to anyway.
favorite part: Making it, meeting everyone, having a great time all the way up to that game. I’ve never seen that word in writing. walking across Kaibab bridge, feeling the oldness of the canyon
Monique: My dear friend of 8 years, and the only person I know who would immediately sign up after a quick summary of the trip. There’s never a dull moment when we are together, especially when it comes to inflating pillows, bathroom stalls, wine, and mice. She was the only person listening to music while hiking.
favorite part: knowing that I could do it, seeing God’s creation was absolutely beautiful. Postcards & pictures don’t do it justice. Meeting everyone. The view at Plateau Point and doing a plank.
Rene: A former Marine & Sniper, who is now a doting father with a smokin’ hot wife/bikini model. He’s an expert at smuggling wine and story-telling. He’s also good at spotting skunks and glow-in-the-dark leaves – no joke. Oh, and he was definitely the funniest in the bunch. And the fittest. But he’s a former Marine.
favorite part: Seeing the Colorado River and all its green and glory, the bright yellow cottonwoods – the sun going through the leaves. Being out in the wilderness. The view at Plateau Point.
Mandy: Our fearless c0-leader who is kind, strong, and so knowledgeable. She sees the good in everything and is so positive – she is a real inspiration to me. She is living her life, her way, and a truly admire her for that.
favorite part: Beating Kendrick at a game. (And she really DID beat Kendrick, contrary to what others might believe)
Kendrick: The ultra marathon runner who doesn’t like to button up his shirts and is a sore loser at Cards Against Humanity. And he’s a BAD ASS at carrying a sh*tload of stuff for all of us, including tents, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, food, and cooking equipment!! And he can put down some food – wow! Seriously though, I knew I had absolutely nothing to worry about with him as our fearless leader and emergency-trained can-handle-anything guide. I cannot begin to express the gratitude I feel for all that he did.
favorite part: Anytime anyone had an ooh or aah moment. I love sharing it with others.
Moments to Remember (or forget!):
Not being able to blow up my pillow after drinking 2 glasses of wine even though it inflated just fine the night before. Monique has a video but fortunately I don’t know how to upload videos to this page.
Rene leaning in and whispering “This is a wickedly naughty game”
Kendrick in his skivvies taking a dip in the river
Postcards by mule (postcards arrived 5 days after I got home)
Operation Code Blue
Karl leaving his bag of snacks in his backpack overnight for a critter to sniff out and grab while we were sleeping. We should have made him buy us a carafe of wine!
Rene and Karl sharing a tiny tent (I’m still laughing!)
Mandy always picking Kendrick’s card (is this a sign that they are meant to be??)
Fred, a veteran Grand Canyon hiker
Camp girl who loved chocolate icing
Backpacker meals are delicious, especially the Cuban Black Beans and Rice and the Pad Thai. Yum! And if you save some of the siracha powder to put on the rice, even more yum!
The Phantom Ranch Restaurant/Canteen was 0.4 miles away from our campsite and the 5 steps to get in and out of the building were HORRIBLE. And I don’t mean walking up the steps, I mean walking down with my sore calves. Have I mentioned my sore calves?!?
Those are the 5 steps!
The beach area off the Colorado River
Watching families carry their small children down (!)
Rene saving Monique’s life (from a tree!)
Monique getting called out for not using the proper paths. I thought *I* was a trouble maker.
Mandy & Kendrick making 4 hot apple cobblers at once. In a tiny stove on the ground. With headlamps. And it was still yummy!
The mouse and Monique screaming like a little boy
As soon as we get to Indian Gardens Campground while Kendrick is setting up our tents, Anetta says “When are we having lunch?”
Monique as she was approaching the corkscrew part of the uphill Bright Angel Trail “I prayed for everyone, even you Karl”. Karl’s response “I thank you for that” with a tear in his eye.
All of the friendly people at Phantom Ranch
Wine from a box never tasted so good
Kendrick’s yoga poses
Air shooting up in the toilets at Indian Gardens
Rene – “If anyone wants to know, there was booty touching”
The really noisy sleeping pad that Anetta slept in on our first night at Bright Angel Lodge
The stealth ninja park ranger who wore a mask and would sneak up on you
Kendrick the ultra marathoner – “Do you want me to run down and bring back some more wine?”
Mandy trying to drink from the carafe of wine as if it was her very own wine glass
Made fresh Monday, Fall apart Friday chocolate cake
Justin Tyler “we don’t need to involve Justin”
Me – “is the lemonade frozen?” Justin Tyler – “It arrived frozen” <insert sarcasm>
Rene – “I have a story…”
Mandy trying to desperately tell us that if we accepted the crackers and cheese, we would have to carry it out because she most certainly was not, but no one listening because it was REAL GOUDA CHEESE and it was delicious!
Perhaps I should talk about MY highlights and what I am grateful for:
The view from Plateau Point was a huge highlight for me. It was beyond words. You really do feel small when you are there.
I am forever grateful for Mandy & Kendrick for all of the things they did to make the trip enjoyable and a trip of a lifetime.
I am grateful that at 51 I was able to accomplish this goal.
I am grateful that Monique was able to experience this with me.
I am grateful for Kim who signed up Rene to go on the trip. He kept us all laughing and was fun to be around. (Monique, notice how I mentioned you before him. Don’t be jealous).
I am not happy about those 5 steps at the canteen. Every time I had to go down those steps, I thought I was going to die. Or at least fall on my ass. Thankfully there was always someone there to help me.
The heartburn from the wine was NOT fun, but well worth it.
I am super grateful for my husband who was very supportive of me going and to my kids who didn’t notice I was gone. (OK I’m exaggerating a little. Just a little).
I did it! And I don’t look like I’m dying!
Until next time. And there will definitely be a next time. Rim to rim anyone??
If you would rather watch a quick video, here is something Anetta put together of the trip, and it’s awesome!
AND if you you’ve ever even thought about hiking down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon but would like everything taken care of for you, you should sign up now. Mandy & Kendrick are planning to do the same trip 3 different times next year. Check it out!
After 12 hours of travelling, we made it to Hawaii. We decided to stay right on the ocean because we didn’t think we’d be coming back and we wanted to enjoy every moment taking in the scenery and the sounds of the ocean. We were wrong. We are definitely coming back! This was the beach at our condo. There is no such thing as a “private” beach in Hawaii – the area from the ocean to high tide is public. This area is one of the best spots on the island for surfers, so we were able to watch really good surfers from our balcony in the mornings and early evenings.
One of the sunsets from our balcony. It was gorgeous.
As soon as we arrived at the condo, the kids found some boogie boards in the closet, and off they went to hit the waves.
Ali lets me take pictures of her (and loves it), so I have a lot more picture of her than Gabriel. With Gabriel, if he’s having a good day (healthy self-esteem), then he will let me take pictures. Otherwise it’s a no-go, and I choose to respect that.
Gabriel was obsessed with finding coconuts, and then he would open them and gross out when tasting the coconut water. But that didn’t stop him from wanting more coconuts to open!
The next day we went to Magic Sands Beach at La’aloa Bay, about a mile south of our condo. It is home to a beautiful beach cove, known also as Disappearing Sands Beach, or White Sands Beach. The reason it is called Magic Sands is because the action of the surf literally pulls the sand off the beach periodically, exposing the lava rocks that were buried by the sand. Later, as the surf subsides, the sand gets washed ashore and re-deposited. The water was so clear and beautiful! The currents that day were way too strong however, and a massive one came through when Shaun and I were trying to put on our snorkel gear. He tried to brace himself in the sand with his hands and really hurt himself. He wrapped it the rest of the week, and found out when we got back that one of the bones on the back of his hand was broken, so now he has a nice purple cast on, and he can’t type or even hold a mouse. We’ll see how he works when he gets back! Even after all that, he managed to have a great time with the kids. They had SO much fun!
This was also at the back of our condo. According to one of the locals, the coral is extremely sharp in that area and can really cut you up. She said that kids shouldn’t swim too far out because it was dangerous.
Scandinavian Shave Ice is located in Kailua Village and it’s been around for over 20 years. It is considered to be the best shave ice in Hawaii. Often mistaken for “snow cones” or “slushies” a true shave ice has the consistency of new-fallen snow, not the granular, crunchy ice we are used to. And if that wasn’t good enough, they will also fill the middle with ice cream or frozen yogurt! I did not get one (not into pure sugar and food coloring), but I had a scoop of their macadamia ice cream and it was delicious. The kids, Shaun, and Nana all had Shave Ice and loved it.
We took a full day tour to see the lava with Wasabi Tours . We stopped at a beach with black sand called Richardson’s Ocean Park. I was expecting it to be more like gravel since the sand is made of lava rock, but it was very fine and felt just like typical sand. I’m glad we got to see it.
We also stopped to see Rainbow Falls. I wish we could have gotten there early in the morning to see all the rainbows.
Our guide Mike also took us to see this formation created by lava flow. It is called the Holei Sea Arch. It is currently about 90 feet tall, but has a limited life span and will eventually crumble. It was cut into the cliff of an ancient lava flow, about 550 years ago. It’s impressive. The lava on this island does whatever it wants and there’s nothing you can do about it. There is no such thing as insurance for lava damage, so if it flows into your yard, that’s pretty much it for your lot and house. Fortunately it flows slow enough that there’s plenty of time to get out of its way. The force of nature is incredible. You really feel it on this island between the lava and the currents. It makes you feel pretty small.
We did not hike to the active lava because the fumes are dangerous for the kids especially. So we saw it from 2 miles away at the overlook at Jaggar Museum. If I were to do it again, I would go on the boat tour because the lava is so active right now, it is flowing into the ocean!
We also walked through a lava tube. A lava tube is a natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. After the lava flow has ceased, the rock cools and leaves a long, cave-like channel.
We spent the day on Saturday driving to Hilo and going to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. If was beautiful and reminded me of El Yunque in Puerto Rico. You could even hear the coquis that were accidentally introduced into Hawai’i from Puerto Rico in about 1988.
And I was able to get a good picture of my parents with the kids. This was still at the Botanical Garden.
That’s the prettiest leaf I have ever seen! 🙂
We had to go to a Luau! The pig in the pit also reminded me of Puerto Rico! Ali took some Hula lessons and she had a good time, as you can tell. All smiles! Mama did not pack her proper shoes but at least they matched!
The last 2 days of our trip we went to the prettiest beach on the Island called Kua Bay Beach. The water was beautiful shades of blue and the white sand was so pretty. The waves were perfect for the kids too.
Here’s a picture of the beach and the water.
I got a shot of my dad from the balcony. He looks like he was about to be torn away from that rock but he is actually very close to shore.
Look at this gorgeous tree! This tree is also all over Puerto Rico. Apparently it is as well liked as the coqui – they call it the weed tree. It’s become quite invasive in Hawaii.
We went snorkeling with the Manta Rays our last night there, and while we were waiting, we spotted the highly endangered Monk Seal! The captain said there are only 5 around Big Island. How cool is that, that we saw one! And he was so cooperative to stick his head out of the water right when I snapped the picture. 🙂
What a wonderful trip! We will definitely be back. Especially so that Shaun can play golf. He hurt his hand the first day at the beach, and found out when we got back that one of the bones on his right hand was broken. It sure didn’t stop him from having fun!
Here’s are DOs and DON’Ts for our trip:
DO pay the extra money for oceanside. JUST DO IT.
DO go snorkeling/diving with the Manta Rays.
DO rent bikes or hike to the lava flow instead of going to the overlook at the park. (OR go on the helicopter tour, I hear it’s worth every penny)
DO go eat at Da Poke Shack.
DO find a place to try malasadas, yummy yummy Hawaiian donuts.
DO go snorkel at Kahaluu Beach Park. There is SO MUCH sealife there. So rent some snorkel equipment for cheap, and head out from the beach. You will be amazed.
DO go to Kua Bay Beach, it is beautiful!
DON’T think you can lazily swim in Magic Sands Beach and not pay attention to the strong currents and waves behind you. (You might break a bone or worse!)
DON’T do the dolphin excursion where you just watch them from the boat (they are going to make it illegal soon to swim with the wild dolphins)
DO get or rent a GoPro camera.
DON’T go to El Maguey Mexican restaurant. There were 2 roaches on the floor and they never even gave us a menu before we decided to leave.
[I found this picture on my phone. Ali must have taken it while I was busy trying to take a picture with a real camera. Hers came out better]
(August 6th-8th)
You could tell we arrived in Texas because it was HOT. So hot that the AC had a hard time trying to keep the camper cool during the day. We were also ready to be home and not be on top of each other. And it was hot. We were supposed to stay a day longer and then stay somewhere near Dallas to break up the 8.5 hour drive to Austin, but we decided to just go for it. It was a good decision.
We went on one very short but steep hike to the cave. Did I say it was hot? Look at amazing Luna, posing so perfectly in the photos. It was nice being in a state park again so we could take Luna on the trails. I would like to come back to this park when it’s not so damn hot. And I forgot my tripod, so no pictures of me.
They climbed to the top and I told them I would stay put to take a picture of them. It worked well for me, since it was so bloody hot. 🙂
On our last morning there, I went for a jog with Luna, and it was nice. Nice weather, nice and peaceful, good company. I wasn’t looking forward to the drive home, but I was trying to stay positive.
We left a heart on a branch while at the dump station. Hopefully it won’t smell by the time someone finds it and takes it!
We arrived at our house at 7:45PM, and it was glorious. Nana and Baba were waiting for us at the house. It was so nice sleeping in our bed again without the floor moving when you got up to go to the bathroom.
Well, we made it! We still like each other, no one was hurt, we all had fun, and we plan to do it again. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do something like this.
One week relaxing at home, and then we are flying to Hawaii!!
I was so happy we could visit an old friend of mine who moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado. I finally got to see her beautiful house, her animals, and feel the yarn made from her Alpacas. The kids loved feeding the animals, and Gabriel had fun with their pugs (although I’m not sure how much fun the pugs were having!) We had the kids eat oustide, so we were actually able to catch up with Kay and Andy and have some adult conversation.
Again, look at Gabriel with the animals. I didn’t think he was going to let the llama go. He’s too funny.
Next up is our final stop before heading to Austin! It’s been really great, but boy am I ready to go home. The only person who is sad about heading home is Ali. She’s having so much fun, she just doesn’t want it to end. I think Gabriel is getting tired of always having to drive somewhere new. Once he gets to a place he likes, he wants to stay there indefinitely.
We spent 5 days in Billings, Montana visiting Shaun’s family. We stayed at the KOA in town which happened to be the very first KOA ever! The kids spent some good quality time with Grandma Priscilla and their cousins at her house. They had fun playing hide & seek. I’m amazed I was able to take a picture of all of them smiling!
I took these pictures to show how good Gabriel is with his youngest cousin, and how it was usually Tristen and Ali that played together. I think Gabriel was sensitive to how close Tristen and Ali were and acted out by not wanting to hang out with Tristen too much, although they had some fun moments at Yellowstone and playing outside. It’s nice to see Ali bonding with Tristen though.
Gabriel has always been good at helping the little kids – it’s quite adorable. Not to mention how adorable Elizabeth is! :-). This was at Grandpa Jack’s. Grandma Nancy bought them this gigantic “bubble” to play with. It lasted less than an hour before one of them popped it!
Ali and Tristen had fun doing gymnastics in their backyard. The small hill is perfect to gain some momentum. There’s Aunt Betsy in the background!
The kids had so much fun playing with Lexi. Especially Gabriel – he LOVES all animals. But Lexi was especially cute!
The KOA in Billings was located right next to Yellowstone River and Gabriel spent a lot of his time there. He found this baby turtle and frog. The shell wasn’t hard yet. He could be out there for hours.
Next stop – visiting Kay and Andy in Ft. Collins, Colorado. It’s time to start heading home.
I have been struggling to come up with words to describe Glacier National Park, but then Shaun’s Aunt Cindy, who lives an hour away from the park and visits a few times a year says “Every time I go, it’s like seeing it for the first time.” I’ve only been this once, but I totally get it. It was breathtaking. It is 1 million acres. It takes 2.5 hours to get to the other side of the park. We are coming back, that I know for sure. Any of our camping buddies want to join us?
The first day we went white water rafting. The kids loved it. Gabriel was allowed to jump in the water twice, which is all he wanted to do. He’s just like Luna – if there’s water, no matter how small, dirty, or cold it might be, he wants to jump in.
Our guide mentioned Bowman Lake so Shaun thought it would be a good idea to drive out there. It turned out to be an hour long drive on a very bumpy dirt road and he later admitted he was nervous about me being upset if it turned out to be less than spectacular. We were pleasantly surprised. I keep looking at the picture and it looks like a fake backdrop to me.
We saw this little one on a trail and it was not shy!
We stopped along the Going-to-the-Sun Road to check out one of the many waterfalls.
And ran into these pretty flowers, which flared up Ali’s allergies later on that day. Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked her to hold the pose for my picture. 😐
Same background, different child. So pretty.
We saw a moose!! The bull had just left so we didn’t get to see him. 😕 We were still very excited to see this one. It was at the Fishercap Lake at Many Glacier.
Below is one of the many pictures I took of Fishercap Lake. The scenery in this park is amazing. Shaun and I couln’t get over how beautiful it was.
Playing with my wide-angle lens.
On our way back to the campsite on our last night, we stopped on the side of the road because this guy was looking through his binoculars so I asked him what he spotted, and he said a grizzly and her cub. Wow! So he proceeded to point to them but they were so far away that they just looked like tiny bushes amongst the other tiny bushes. Well he left and we kept looking and Shaun finally spotted them after about 10 minutes. Once I got home and zoomed in, I could finally see that they were bears. So cool!! Even though this is a terrible picture, I still have to put it in my journal for proof. 🙂
And then there’s the obligatory picture at the entrance.
Still love my tripod!
And a few more of my favorite pictures.
And here is one of the Pokemon we caught in the truck while driving to Glacier. 🙂
The weather was SO nice at Yellowstone. At night it was in the 40s, but during the day it was in the 70s and it was perfect. Grandma Priscilla, Grandpa Tom, Uncle Erin, Aunt Betsy, and cousins Tristen & Elizabeth met us at the KOA, and it was great seeing them. It was definitely more stressful for us when we are with family because Gabriel is a lot more hyper and impulsive when there are others around, but all in all he did pretty good. Here we all are, and me with my crazy hair!
This was at Artist’s Paint Pots Trail. Yellowstone preserves the largest collection of hydrothermal features on the planet. Below are a fumarole, a mud pot, and a geyser.
This was one of my favorites.
This was a waterfall on the way to Firehole Swimming Hole.
The kids had fun swimming in the river. Tristen and Gabriel were cute going in together.
Cousins!!
Gabriel found a secret area and he actually wanted me to take a picture of him. 😊
This was on the hike behind Old Faithful.
My favorite! It looks like a pice of abstract art.
This was at Yellowstone Lake. The kids found a log that they were going to take to the island behind them. The fun ended when Ali got up from the water and fund small leeches all over her legs. Opa was able to flick them off pretty easily, but she was still traumatized, as I would have been.
Old Faithful!
We didn’t see much wildlife. We saw one bison but the picture came out blurry so I did not include it.
I’ve been wanting to get the kids involved in some sort of community project, so I thought I would start by crocheting some hearts while riding in the truck and having the kids hang them at various locations during our road trip. If you haven’t heard of the Peyton Heart Project, you can read about it here. The project is named after a 13 year old named Peyton who committed suicide after years of getting bullied. Here is part of the description on the site:
“These delicate yarn hearts, each one made by hand and each one representing the delicate heart of a life lost to suicide, have inspiring quotes attached to them. They are placed in public places around the world for people to find during their everyday lives. We hope the hearts cause people to stop for a moment and reflect on a young life lost to suicide, on bullying and on the fact that everyone’s life matters. We want to leave people with a feeling that there is still good out there in the world and we would like to inspire others to join us on this mission of kindness.”
The kids are enjoying leaving the hearts along the trails for people to find. Even Shaun has started reminding me to bring the hearts when we go somewhere. We hope it spreads a little bit of love and hope. Especially these days when there seems to be so much hate.
Although Grand Canyon was more breath-taking, Zion is beautiful and significantly more kid-friendly. We hiked the Emerald Pool trails and the kids had a lot of fun playing in the water. They caught and released some tadpoles and tasted the water from the natural ponds. Gabriel loved it and wanted to do the same hike the next day.
This was along the Pa’rus Trial along Zion Canyon.
The waterfall from the upper pool. I learned enough from my online photography courses to set the camera to a faster speed to catch the detail of the moving water. 🙂
Can anyone tell me how I captured that rainbow-like thingy in my photograph?
Yay, another rock to climb! Like I was saying, Zion was way more kid friendly. You couldn’t climb anything at Grand Canyon without the possibility of falling to your death!
No, this picture does not need to be rotated to the right, that’s the actual slope. Nana would have been freaking out watching them climb up there. Now she just gets to see a picture after the fact and know that they didn’t kill themselves. 🙂
Below is the Great Arch and the tunnel along Mount Carmel Highway. The drives through Zion National Park were so pretty.
A few people told us to spend less time in Grand Canyon and more time at Zion because of the kids so we changed our plans to spend more days in Zion, and I’m so glad we did. Thanks Brett and Doug. 🙂
We’ve been living in our camper for 11 days now and have visited parks in 3 different states, and it’s been wonderful. I have so much to be grateful for. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it’s going to be nice to have some privacy again and be in a room where I can’t hear the kids screaming while playing video games. Or be able to sleep and not get woken up when someone gets up to go to the bathroom because the whole camper shakes. But I’m not complaining. Really. 🙂 It’s been amazing.
