Canyonlands and Arches

Canyonlands was way cooler than I thought it would be!  While it wasn't as big as the Grand Canyon, we were able to see for mile and miles so it seemed even more incredible!  We drove a loop called "Island in the Sky" and that's exactly what it was, a sliver of road with incredible views all around.  

I was most excited about Arches National Park and planned on getting some amazing pictures.  That's not exactly how it worked out, picture wise, but we did do a family hike up the The Delicate Arch and that's way better than pictures anyways :).  The hike was 1.5 miles uphill in the heat.  I knew the girls could do it, but they needed quite a bit of encouragement so I bribed them with ice cream.  It worked and everyone was glad that we made it to the top!  The return trip was downhill in cooler temps so it was easy breezy and they got too much McDonald's ice cream on the way back to camp.  

Parting Ways

We were super sad to say goodbye to the Torlands, but they had real life responsibilities and we got to hold off on those a bit longer.  We got to see so many more cool things!  The Arizona dessert is beautiful and we loved our drive through the Painted Dessert and Monument Valley.  We checked out the Glen Canyon Damn and the Horseshoe Bend Campground, where we took one look at the insane drop-offs and decided it wasn't exactly ideal for our family, or my nerves.  

Instead, we found a perfect little spot on top of the Cedar Mesa.  Our spot was technically by a radio tower, but the girls had lots of room to roam.  From there, we spent a day at Natural Bridge National Park, which was really neat!  The girls checked out the ruins at Hovenweep, but it was a little toasty for Indie and I so we hung out in the shade.  At Mesa Verde, the girls did the Junior Ranger Program and it really motivated them to learn about the Anasazi  Ruins (we also did it at Canyonlands, but it actually distracted them from the amazing views while we were there.)  At the ruins, they each earned their Junior Ranger Badge and enjoyed the experience!  

Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Zions, and the Grand Canyon

 Our next camping spot was at the Cora Pink Sand Dune parking lot.  It didn't start off as our first choice, but the kids loved it and it was close to Zions National Park.  Zions was beautiful and amazing, too grand to capture with pictures so I didn't even try.  We did get to drive through a big mountain tunnel with windows through the rock, see amazing views, ride the tour bus, and hike with 6 kids on a toasty day.  We also hit up the Grand Canyon and it was equally amazing!  I didn't get a ton of pictures there because I was scared about a certain squirrelly toddler slipping off the edge.  We hiked the Angel's Landing Trail, which was breathtaking, but Indie was NOT happy about being packed around.  We saw some beautiful places, but the best part was adventuring with the Torlands (with their yummy summer sausage snacks :))  

Bryce Canyon

We got to meet the Torlands and they showed us how camping is done!  We met at a campsite and totally lucked out with some first-come-first serve camping spots that were right next to each other!  The first day together, the kids attempted to kayak in 50 degree weather and insisted that it was fun even though they were shivering.  After that experience, they spent the rest of the day running around the campsite and catching up.  Marie brought all sorts of games, activities, and real meals so we were pretty stoked!  

We didn't have much a plan, but were happy to spend time together and check out some of the amazing national parks nearby.  First stop was Bryce Canyon and it was great!  Indie and I didn't make it too far because she insisted on walking and I wasn't about to let her fall off a cliff, but the Torlands took the older girls on an adventurous little hike.  We also did a couple more family hikes and saw lots of pretty stuff until the kids were officially worn out. 

Grand Mesa

Next up, we stopped by Grand Junction to visit our good friends, the Chamberlains.  They're such good friends, they even let us do laundry haha.  We camped in the Grand Mesas and we almost settled for a campground spot until we found the perfect place to boon dock.   We spent lots of time throwing "gocks" into the lake. exploring, and making the perfect little wildlife store.  

The Grand Mesa was about an hour from town and the drive had the prettiest views!  We also traveled out to the Land's End Observatory for breathtaking and super windy views.  Indie hung out in the truck for that part because we have a hard time trusting her near cliffs (which became a reoccurring issue for the rest of our trip.)  

  

Western Colorado

After our busy graduation weekend and moving extravaganza, we were excited to ditch our responsibilities and enjoy our final camping hurrah!  We didn't have much of a plan, because that's just how we roll.  We headed down through Western Colorado and it was pretty spectacular. 

We stopped at the Walden sand dunes, where the hike to the top was a bit challenging, but worthwhile for the beautiful views.  The run down the big dunes also seemed to be a hit!

Next up, we found a great little spot near Meeker, Colorado where we enjoyed all our camping favorites like picking wildflowers, hiking, playing with sticks, finding special rocks, and roasting marshmallows. 

 Somewhere along the way, our camper fridge broke, but we just picked up a cooler and continued on to the next adventure.