One of the benefits that we hope will come from the trip is that our research will help others if they ever decide to come to any of the destinations we have visited. For example, in each campsite we take note of all of the best campsites.
We had a good one in Arches. It was nestled in between some large rock formations and near a trailhead to a hike that takes you to two arches. There was also a huge sandstone boulder some 50 yards away. Here is the sunset from that vantage point.
The Southwest is effectively a cellular wasteland. We have not had consistent service for days, which is the reason for this flood of updates.
Arches National Park was a surreal as Yellowstone was beautiful. The second you drive through the gate you are hit with a flood of landscapes that literally take your breath away. The campsite was tucked in between huge sandstone fins in the middle of Devil’s Garden and was worth the trip just to be one of only 50 families that got to sleep under the stars inside the park. The trip here was short, but it was certainly a highlight for a variety of reasons.
For example, we learned where Kellan’s true breaking point is. If you want to push him to the limit, all it takes is equal parts of 100+ degree heat, a 10:45pm bedtime and a 6:30 wake up call to go on a hike to look at rocks! It was not yet 8:00am when he declared, “I AM GOING TO BUY MYSELF NEW MOMMIES AND DADDIES (plural for some reason…) THAT ARE NOT LIKE YOU GUYS!!!” I don’t remember exactly what we did to set him off but I think our transgression was asking him to put on his shoes for the 6th time.
Thankfully there were some happy moments as well. The highlight for me was a late afternoon hike with Greta near our campsite. We explored, scrambled up massive rock formations and sat in the shade just to look out across the desert and be together. Here is a short video from that hike.
July 7 – Arches, UT – At Arches there wre crazy rocks! I saw lizards, doves and rabits. There wre mazes of rocks. There wre efen arches. Next we are going to the Grand Canyon.
I also got a new camra! And I took lots of cool picshures. And here thay are.
We had a wonderful stop in Estes Park with the grandparents. The kids got their Jr. Ranger badge for Rocky Mountain National Park and Hilary and I got a rare chance to play a round of golf together. I even managed to shoot my career low of 83.
It was a welcome break from Messi and a chance to sleep in a real bed for three whole nights and a chance to wake up to pressurized hot showers every morning. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins and watching 4th of July fireworks. Greta managed to catch (and land) another trout.
Another unsolicited parenting tip – if you have a son who loves sparkly jewelry, don’t get him a $1.00 icy hot grill from a toy dispenser because you think it will make a funny picture. He may very well become extremely attached to it, to the point he can’t be without it.
When we left this morning, Grandma Smith had made each kid detailed travel packages filled with activities, craft projects, books and games. They actually managed to spend the time on the road today doing something other than staring at their iPads!
The hospitality of the Smiths was overly generous as usual and we are sad to leave. But the road (and more importantly our campsite itinerary) calls us and so we are off again.
I have been meaning to mention that we are reading and enjoying the comments. Hard to hold a comment conversation when we only get Internet once every few days, so we don’t reply. But we do appreciate them!
So every national park we go to, the kids are able to become a Jr. Ranger and earn a badge by completing a few educational tasks relevant to the park (go on a hike, answer trivia, etc.). To say Kellan is really starting to get into this Jr. Ranger thing is a huge understatement.
We took a ranger guided hike at Dinosaur National Monument and Kellan stood next to the ranger facing the guests at every stop. At Grand Teton National Park, he took a pledge that included something about picking up trash that others leave behind in order to protect the park. So now every time Kellan sees trash he collects it. This is usually great except when we stop at a scenic point and he runs into the bushes and brings back used oil containers.
Dinosaur was incredibly cool by the way. Originally it was just a stop along the way to break up the long traverse through the Rockies. But the campsite was beautiful (and only $12/night) and the museum was awe inspiring. The area was a river bend billions of years ago and it collected dinosaur carcasses that washed down the river. So dinosaur bones are literally piled on top of each other. They left many of the bones intact and built an enclosure around them so you can see them unexcavated.
Leaving Stagecoach State Park now and heading to Estes Park.
We spent the night inside Dinosaur National Monument Park at the Green River campground. At only $12/night it is one of our cheapest campsites. But it is a beautiful area nestled in the foothills of some amazing rock formations.
It was a lovely night and the first time that we could really see some stars (too far north until now). We stayed up late and stargazed around the fire.
Don’t look now but we might actually be getting the hang of this. It still takes us 1-2 hours to shower/eat/pack and leave camp, but we have mastered arrival. We can get into any spot, level Messi, set up the pull outs & tables, set up camp and have a fire and charcoal going in under 20min.
Life with Messi is actually more comfortable than we expected. Hilary dislikes the bed, but the interior is roomy, the fridge runs on propane so it never turns off and we are getting used to driving her.
Even long travel legs are manageable provided the iPads are fully charged. Radio stations are few and far between, but Kellan keeps us entertained with his singing. It is a unique mix of interpreted lyrics, made up lyrics/words that sometimes rhyme and occasional spouts of pure gibberish where he appears to be speaking in tongues.
The kids put together a little interior tour and I also included the sweet sultry sounds of Kellan.
June 29 – Yellowstone, Wyoming – We are leaving Yellowstone. I saw lots of ANIMALS! I saw elk, bear, deer and bison. I went fishing in a river. I did not cach enything but I had lots of fun! Ther wre lots of birds to! There wre geysers, mudpots and lots of steam.
I rarely give parenting tips, but if you have little kids and are like us, bribery (and sometimes threats) is used frequently. We took the kids to the gift shop when we arrived at Yellowstone and had them pick out a gift to be given to them at the end of the time in the park IF they are good. We definitely got the most out of that $6 collapsible camping cup that Kellan picked out. I highly recommend this approach.
The park has been an amazing experience. It has rained way more than usual so the entire area is green and lush. The wildlife viewing has been spectacular. We saw tons of bison (one a little too close), deer, elk, pronghorn and a grizzly bear (from a far).
The kids really embraced the experience and managed to get their first Jr. Ranger badge. The highlight for Kellan was flirting with a cowgirl on one night and a pretty blonde park ranger the next day. Unclear if he was attracted to them or wanted to be them.
We also had a chance to hike through forests, bike through thermal features and fish in beautiful winding rivers. The pictures do not do the park justice as it is probably the most scenic and exciting area I have ever been to.
Off to Grand Teton in the morning…
The Great Doroski Road Trip 