Lilla Travels

Yesterday was not our typical Independence Day / 4th of July / Grandpa Eddie’s birthday. At 8am, we went to Zion National Park before the local parade shut down the main road in Springdale. Fourth of July weekend is the busiest weekend for Zion all year long, and as we waited 45 minutes to catch the inter-park shuttle, a guy stood up on a bench above the crowd and had everyone sing the Star Spangled Banner.

Our first hike of the day was Weeping Rock. Snow and rain water gets through the more porous layers of the rock and it takes about a thousand years before it finds it way out the side, making it look like the rock is weeping, so it was one thousand year old water sprinkling down on us. We then hiked to Lower Emerald Pool which was larger in size but the same concept. After lunch we did the grotto walk where we saw the original Zion visitor center / ranger cabin from the 1920s.

The upper emerald pool, observation point, and many other hikes were closed due to rock slides. Some other hikes were still open for more experienced hikers, such as Angel’s Landing which is one of the most dangerous hikes in the U.S.

Miss M and I spent the rest of the afternoon at the hotel pool while Paul and Big D rented inner tubes outside of Zion National Park and went on a two hour river rapids ride down the Virgin River. They saw a blue heron on the trip, lots of people picnicking along the river side, and came out of the experience at bit bruised up from navigating all the rocks while on their tubes.

We looked into catching fireworks at night, but nothing like that is done near Zion. The closest fireworks display was 45 minutes away starting at 10pm in a stadium where people start entering 5 hours prior. That did NOT interest me. Miss M was a bit sad at our lack of patriotic festivities, but as luck would have it, as we finished dinner, we realized with the time difference that the Boston Pops fireworks spectacular would be kicking off. She was able to watch it live on the iPhone while walking back to the hotel post dinner. Ah the wonders of technology!

Come to think of it, we took pictures all week with our phone. We used the phone for directions throughout this 1,000+ mile journey. The phone allowed Big D to text with his good friend Shant who broke his foot the first day of summer vacation – they even texted from the hike deep in the Grand Canyon! The phone allowed us to research sites, restaurants and stores. Playing backgammon on the phone kept us occupied while on shuttle bus rides or waiting in lines.

An interesting juxtaposition that we’re in such a beautiful place, all week we’ve been surrounded by such natural beauty, but we’ve still relied so much on technology.

Today we left Zion / Utah. We’re currently driving back through Arizona and into Nevada where we’ll fly from Vegas to Massachusetts. A scenic drive and perfect end to another great trip!

We’ve seen a lot of wildlife on this trip. On our drives between Arizona, Utah and Nevada we’ve seen countless horses and cows grazing.

A few hundred feet from our hotel in Springdale, we saw an elk munching on some bushes on our way to dinner one night, and then three elks on our walk back from dinner last night. We got within a few feet of them and they caused quite a commotion being so close to the street (and tourists.)

At Zion we’ve seen dozens of rock squirrels (one was squawking like a bird) and they aren’t shy. There’s been lizards, butterflies, a wild turkey and quite a few doe and deer.

There are tiny black and white birds flying about. Paul and Big D saw a blue heron while on inner tubes floating down the river from Zion to Springdale. Unfortunately we haven’t seen any big horn sheep clinging to the mountainside.

Paul spotted a snake, several feet long. Glad I wasn’t there for that one.

We’ve seen some interesting plants on this trip too, including a few species of cacti, but no suaro.

Today we slept in until 7:15 – it felt late after all the early morning starts we’ve had. We took a shuttle bus from our hotel to the Zion National Park entrance, and then another shuttle bus through the park until we reached the site of today’s hike — The Narrows.

The Narrows is the narrowest part of the canyon – basically a gorge. Many other hikers rented water boots with neoprene socks, and purchased $30 Zion branded walking sticks, but not us! We had our water shoes from home, plus four nature-made walking sticks Big D found in the woods behind the hotel’s property, so we were perfectly outfitted for the hike.

We walked on rocks, waded across the downstream flowing river in thigh-high water using the sticks to balance ourselves against the current. The forecast says high of 95 today, but the water is a crisp 50 degrees. A large portion of the hike has been in the shade, protected by the canyon on both sides. The brief moments of sunshine were refreshing and an opportunity to dry off / warm up.

Going up stream, I was the only one who fell in slipping off a rock and landing in water up to my shoulders. The cinch bag I was carrying contained our non-water shoes (flip flops) so not concerned about water damage. Pauls backpack carried our phones, water bottles and snacks in ziplock bags to ensure everything stayed dry. Paul lost his balance a few times going down stream, and Big D just enjoyed letting the current take him down river. Miss M remained balanced all day.

As we walked out of The Narrows to catch the shuttle bus, there were streams of people coming in. The best time to visit these sites is definitely first thing in the morning!

By 4:30pm we were back at the hotel ready for the pool and hot tub.

If I was going to do The Narrows again, I would wear old sneakers versus water shoes since the water shoes provided some protection from the rocks, but sneakers would have been sturdier. And I wouldn’t wear a bathing suit under my dry fit clothes — just the dry fit shorts would have been fine. Live and learn!

I think it’s a record – a third blog post in one day. We knew going into the trip that this would be a marathon day, and it didn’t disappoint.

We had lunch in Kanab UT at Wild Thyme Cafe and the food was excellent. Wish I took a pic of my curry dish.

We crossed back into Arizona and then back into Utah again, about 45 minutes outside of Zion National Park for our final stop of the day.

At Sandy Hollow State Park we met Rob from ATV & Jeep Tours for a four hour sunset drive through a protected section of the Mojave desert reserved for off road vehicles. Established in 2003, there was twenty thousand acres of sand dunes, hoodoos, and rugged terrain. It. Was. Awesome.

With Big D as my copilot, and Miss M riding with Paul, we diligently followed our guide who took us speeding over rocks and up and over sand dunes. We stopped a few times to take in the scenery — at one point the kids climbed the hoodoos, at another spot we could see as far as Arizona to the right and Nevada to the left.

At points it felt like we were exploring Mars. Miss M spotted two jack rabbits, Big D saw a lizard, and I’m happy that we’ve made it through the trip (so far) without seeing a snake. (Yay no snakes!)

Miss M loved today (with the exception of waking up early) and exclaimed she loved walking through Antelope Canyon but the ATVs were her favorite part of the trip.

Big D loved everything about today too, but it’s now 10pm and we’ve been on the go since 4:15am, so he’s exhausted!

In another 30 minutes, we’ll reach Springdale and can finally check into our hotel — tomorrow begins the fourth and final part of this summer adventure.

Today, July 2, we took a tour of Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ. Antelope Canyon got its name from the pronghorn antelopes that once roamed the area, and was created by compacted sandstone. A single striation represented 60 years of the sandstone being compacted.

There are many slot canyons in the area, but this one is maintained by Navajos for visitors (ladder in and out of the canyon versus a rope; they clear out any snakes and mice in the morning, maintain a pathway through the canyon cleared of brush, etc.) Two Navajo companies own/manage Antelope Canyon, so we went with Ken’s Tour of the lower canyon which was great. Our guide, Roc, was very knowledgeable and knew the right settings for iPhones and digital SLRs to get nice pics.

It was so neat to walk through the canyon, looking at how the light accentuates the curvature of the stone.

This morning we woke up at 4:25 to catch the sunrise over Horseshoe Bend at Glen Canyon national recreation area. The sunrise was pretty, but it didn’t rise over the canyon. The visitor viewing point faced horseshoe bend (west) and the sun rose over the plain to the east. So after the sun rose, we watched the colors of the rocks at horseshoe bend light up a pretty pink. To watch the sun light up all of horseshoe bend would take at least another hour, so we bailed.

Big D went back to bed while the rest of us had breakfast.

This afternoon we relaxed by the pool enjoying the sun and the hot tub. We took a break for a quick lunch, including another first for the kids – a trip to Walmart. For dinner, we went to Big Johns – a Texas style barbecue spot. They had live music outside and peanuts on every table! Paul enjoyed a rack of ribs, I had a pulled chicken sandwich, Big D got a pound of pulled pork plus a ceasar salad, and we all know how much Miss M likes meat, so she had a garden salad.

After dinner, Big D expressed that he has “meal fatigue” and wants to go back to Vegas for a wedge salad. We’ve had a lot of meat on this trip!

Each stop on this trip has been unique in its own way, and Page is no exception. The largest coal plant in the west is visible from most points in town, and if I read the local news correctly, it will be shutting down soon which will make a major impact on the local economy / jobs. It’s a young town, established in 1957, so it’s obvious a lot of thought went into the design. All of the hotels are grouped together, with a pristine green golf course across hotel row. And there is a row of churches — nine to be exact….Methodist, Catholic, Latter Day Saints, Baptist, Lutheran, you name it and it’s here (except Armenian.)

This morning we went paddle boarding on Lake Powell. Thumbs up to Max from Lake Powell Paddleboarding who patiently taught some of us (me) the basics while giving space to more experienced borders (Miss M) and allowing energetic boys (Big D) to fall deliberately off the board into the cool water over and over again.

We had a 6am reservation which worked out perfectly – the canyon was serene and without the sun beating down on us yet, the weather was ideal.

Max told us that Antelope Creek is about two miles long, and we paddle boarded about halfway in. It’s about 450’ deep in the center.

We arrived back at the hotel just as they were putting away breakfast, so the timing worked out on that end as well.

Here’s a quick pic courtesy of my cell phone in a water proof case (in case I fell in!)

Yesterday we began the third leg of the trip – we left the Grand Canyon driving east through Navajo country before ending up at Monument Valley a few hours later, which is on the Utah / Arizona border.

I honestly don’t know how long it took us to drive there since all of our phones and the car said different times since Arizona doesn’t observe daylight savings, Utah is a different time zone and I think the American Indian properties are different as well. Plus cell phone towers on the Arizona and Utah border are in Utah which means even if you are in AZ your phone may think you are in Utah. Totally confusing.

In Arizona we stopped at a Native American road side stand that sold jerky, weapons and jewelry where Miss M bought two bracelets.

Lunch was at Sonic twenty minutes outside Monument Valley – the first for all of us after seeing their commercials on ESPN for years. Monument Valley was beautiful. We let Big D and Miss M climb in and out of a few ditches, but since rock climbing is prohibited we had to keep them at bay. Here’s a pic of the kids climbing in front of Spearhead Mesa.

Fifteen minutes north of Monument Valley (further into Utah) is an iconic spot from the movie Forest Gump where he stopped running across country. We tried to recreate the moment along with a dozen other tourists.

Ninety minutes later and we arrived at Page, AZ. Dinner and a dip in the pool capped off the day

Woke up early Saturday morning to get some hiking in before it got too hot. Before 8am we were heading down Bright Angel Trail, dodging piles of mule poop and geckos and flying bugs. By 9:15am Miss M and I were done; she had enough of the bugs and while I kept wanting to walk down, I was concerned about how strenuous it would be to hike back up. Along the trail we met hikers on their way back up the canyon after spending the night at the bottom, and a couple introduced us to eating fresh currants. Paul and Big D returned to the rim 90 minutes later having made it down to the layer where the rocks turn red.

After a brief ice cream and water break, we hopped on the bus to explore other viewpoints. Powell Point which gave a view of Bright Angel Trail, The Abyss, Mohave Point, and then we walked two miles from Monument Creek Vista to Pima Point before ending at the most western point on the shuttle bus route, Hermit Trailhead. We loved the walk from Monument Creek Vista to Pima Point — no people, no buses, just quiet.

By 3:30pm we were back in the room to relax, but shortly afterwards Paul and I took off in the car for Desert View. Thirty minutes later and we reached the Desert View watchtower with gorgeous views across the canyon. The national park look out points outside of the tourist-accessible shuttle bus stops were really lovely, especially as the sun began to set turning the canyon into a beautiful pink.

Dinner tonight was at the Yavapai Lodge. All week we’ve had mediocre meals (except for our last day in Vegas and the diner in Kingston.) Miss M remarked earlier in the week that this summer she wasn’t going to eat well, between all the crappy meals on this trip and sleep away camp dining. She’s longing for meals of past summers in Italy, France and Spain.

At night, Paul and Big D caught the last night of the Grand Canyon’s star party, one of the activities held in celebration of the canyons 100 year anniversary as a national park. There were astronomers giving talks and telescopes set up to enjoy the night sky. They could see flickers of light in the canyon from campers.

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Early Friday morning we left Las Vegas and began the second leg of our trip. The scenery changed dramatically as we headed to Boulder City. Big D remarked on the color of the soil, how much he loves palm trees, the juxtaposition between “Boot Barn” and “Foot Locker”, the sand dunes, how he’d love to climb the mountains, and more.

We had an excellent tour guide at the Hoover Dam (I didn’t take pics) and by 11:30 we were on the road again.

For an hour the scenery was beautiful – red rocks and desert. Cows baking in the sun and the occasional home or broken down vehicle. We stopped for brunch along Route 66 at Rutherford’s family diner in Kingston. If you are ever in the area, it’s worth a stop! (See pic of my huevos rancheros.)

After Kingston, the scenery changed as we went higher in elevation. Greenery dotted the mountains followed by dense pine trees. We took another pit stop in Williams (again Route 66) to stock up on snacks and gas before making our way to the South rim of the Grand Canyon.

Right before entering the park, we spotted a moose at the side of the road. We slowed to catch a closer look and the moose stood up and walked behind the car crossing the street. It was then followed by a second moose! (Or maybe they were elk?)

We entered the park and saw dozens of deer at the side of the road as well.

By 6pm we had checked into the hotel and made our way to the South rim to take in the beautiful view. Just seeing the view from the visitor center as the sun was beginning to set was breathtaking.

We then took the shuttle bus that travels along the rim to Hopi Point to watch the sunset which was beautiful.

Once it got dark, we hopped on the shuttle back to the lodge for a quick cafeteria style dinner and called it a night!

Today we all slept in. In the morning I joined Paul at the expo center at the convention while the kids were on their own for breakfast and went to the pool. We spent the entire day at the pool, moving from the Delano pool, to a grotto at Mandalay Bay, to the lazy river, back to the grotto, with multiple stops at the hot tub.

We spent the evening shopping at some of the mall stores, and grabbing a bite to eat.

A pretty uneventful day. We’re ready to leave Vegas, the kids perfectly content to watch TV in the hotel room and forgo exploring more hotels. We’re done and ready to get started on the next part of this adventure.

After spending the day at the pool, we explored part of the Vegas strip: Luxor, Excalibur, NY NY, popping in and out of stores and casinos and hotels. The kids ate at their first Hard Rock Cafe and we capped the night with a ride on the coaster atop the NY NY hotel.

Spent the next day by the pool and the night exploring the other end of the strip. Tried to see the white tigers at Mirage but missed the last entrance. The volcano doesn’t erupt til 8p and we had other plans, so we explored other hotels. The kids were both amused and disgusted by the Venetian and Cesar’s Palace. Walked through the Forum Shops, food courts and watched the fountain show outside The Bellagio a few times. To end the night, we enjoyed a performance of the Cirque du Soleil show O. It was amazing!

Yesterday we began our annual summer holiday – 12 days in Nevada, Arizona and Utah. It’s the first time west of the Mississippi for the kids, and their first time on JetBlue (they loved the movies on demand and access to live TV, and the fact that Logan terminal C had banners of all the Boston championships).

One hour in Vegas and Big D was commenting on all the smells — the airport, the taxi, the hotel. A medley of cigarette smoke, cigars, cleaning supplies and also forced sweet fragrances to mask the ugly. Miss M commented on the pervasiveness of alcohol and the crowds of people. People walking out of hotel elevators with beers in hand, stands which look like they sell kids slushees but they are really frozen alcoholic drink dispensers — people everywhere drinking.

We intended to stay at Mandalay Bay but they upgraded to the new Delano hotel — all suites which meant more space, two bathrooms and a view of the city sprawl, mountains in the distance, and new stadium being built for the LA Raiders.

The next morning, Paul headed to his conference and we hit Mandalay Bay’s wave pool and lazy river. It reached 102 today, but it was tolerable, especially in the early afternoon when there were clouds and a lot of wind. Seating poolside with an umbrella is only available for an additional $150/day so without shade I wasn’t sure how long we’d last! After 7 hours of swimming the kids were done and we called it a day!