Canyonlands

Arches was a fabulous but long day with an early morning, so we did not wake early the next day, and breakfast/packing up/getting ready was of course slowed by the appeal of the tv. The kids love watching shows they don't get at home, and to be honest, it's easier than having them bouncing off the walls while trying to get going.

Since we only had one hike left in Arches we'd been interested in, we decided to check out nearby Canyonlands Park on Saturday, hoping it'd be less crowded. We stopped by a grocery store to grab some more lunch essentials, and thought about buying 5 bags of chips to get their deal, but decided to just get two.
We drove into Canyonlands and were happy to find a lot less cars, and lots of open road. We went to the Mesa Arch first. The kids enjoyed climbing around the rocks, and couldn't hold still long enough for my camera to do a panoramic; Reese especially. His arms got cut up in the middle of lots of dabbing and swinging around.

We were the only ones there when we arrived! Love no crowds! The arch was cool, but the best part is the view from inside it. It's also right over the edge of the huge drop-off cliff, so the kids didn't get much of a close-up view. Reese ventured closer, and liked the pic of him.

We did manage a family pic, not getting too close and acting as barriers. Reese isn't bothered :)

While climbing around the kids found a lizard and a little cavern spot just big enough for Bree. This lizard managed to keep its tail, but another one on the crater trail lost it's tail, wriggling behind it's previous owner.

We traveled over to the crater overlook next, and different signs had different mileage. One said it was a mile to the overlook, but we showed the kids the one that said only .3 miles. Hiking is not universally enjoyed in our family.

The crater is pretty cool, and RD discussed various causes with the kids, including aliens. We hung out enjoying the view.

 Then we decided it was time for lunch. We were lucky enough to get a shaded table right by our cars! We spent an hour eating sandwiches, chips (those two bags were gone! maybe shoulda gotten five...), and apples, chatting and enjoying the beautiful weather, place, and people. This lunch was what we needed the day before! We left with our spirits nourished probably more than our bodies (that was a lot of chips), and ready for one more hike.

RD wanted to hike up the steep dome Aztec Butte trail, but he was the only one. The kids actually asked if they could climb Whale Rock, but we didn't want to. We decided on the map's well-reviewed Grand View trail. We started out, and the view was grand, but the trail was along the edge of the canyon. Along the EDGE.

 It was a bit nerve-racking in spots, and while the older three kids were careful, Bree just wouldn't stay close. She got upset at one point and darted off, and that was it. We turned back, with Bree on backs or in arms. Reese remarked it was his favorite hike, and it was incredible.

When we got back to the parking lot the girls sank down for a rest; it'd been a lot of walking for two days!

We decided to head home, and after some extra scenic driving to get an item left in another car (with almost no cell phone service to coordinate) we headed home. We had a brief stop in a po-dunk half-ghost town looking for ice cream, but it was a disappointment.
By the time we arrived home we were all worn out, too tired to even go get ice cream!, but so glad we had a great adventure!