Home sweet home

Just a quick post that we made it home safely and easily today. Sorry about not posting for a few days... Will put some up soon with pictures. We were in Las Vegas with family and friends so it was very busy but fun!

Lenny and Hanna on the drive home today. 

The wetlands visitor center in Las Vegas

One crazy kids playhouse!

Zion: a few pictures of the kids

Here are a few pictures of the kids on Zion. 

Gooseberry Mesa mountain biking

Robert explored a few trails near Zion today, here are some photos. In the first one, look for the bicycle:

2 photos

Just two cute photos from our day... Waking up in Bryce Canyon and then ending the day in Zion. 

We arrived in Zion...

...and needed to cool off. 

Escalante and Bryce photos

Here are some more photos from Bryce and Escalante. 

Here are a few pictures from Robert's solo hike to Bighorn Canyon. 

Here are pictures from a family outing to the Peekaboo and Spooky Canyons

And here are more photos from Bryce. 

Camping in Bryce canyon

We drove from Escalante today to Bryce Canyon National Park. Stopped for lunch at Mossy Cave where there is a waterfall. Kids played in the stream for an hour and got thoroughly dirty!  In Bryce I did a 1 mile hike with Hanna in the ergo carrier to get her to nap while Lenny slept in the car. We went to see 1600 year old bristlecone pines and I scored a 45 minute nap out of her!  Weather is warming up - 80 today. Tomorrow on to Zion.  

Upper calf creek falls

Today we had pancakes at our Escalante rental house (including an excellent cow shaped pancake requested by Lenny and created by me), then hopped in the car and drove about 20 minutes east to drop off Robert and his mountain bike at a trailhead.  For his "Dad's day off" he hiked two canyons and then biked home... look for his post with pictures soon!

The rest of us drove another 15 minutes to another trail head to hike to Upper Calf Creek Falls.  We had heard about the lower falls, but that was a 6 mile round trip hike, so we thought the 1 mile hike to the upper falls would be easier.  Unfortunately we did not check the elevation changes first...

With Hanna in the baby backpack and Lenny hiking in tow, we dropped 750 feet down a steep trail (first photo) and after about an hour, reached the falls. It was beautiful and we found a nice spot to splash for an hour.  Then, since it was about 80 degrees, I soaked our shirts and hair in the cold water (much crying from the babies followed) to keep us cool on the hike up, and we made it back up.  It was Lenny's best hiking effort ever and I was very impressed with him!

When we got home, Robert was already there.  Our hosts (who live next door) came over to tell us that they were having a "cowboy cookout" for a tour bus group this evening and invited us. So we went over for BBQ chicken and pork, which we ate at our table at the back of the house.  Then there was some country music for the entertainment, which Hanna loved, dancing unabashedly in front of the tourists!

Tomorrow morning we pack up and head to Bryce Canyon national park for 1 night then Zion National park for 3 nights, all camping. We will post when we get cell phone signal!

Lenny splashing by the falls, just above the main falls

The main waterfall drops off left a hundred feet into a dark canyon.  Didn't let the kids anywhere near this!

Tired hiker heading back up. 

Tired hiker eating pasta on our porch

entertainment on the patio next door