Utah Road Trip--Day 9

Day 9–Home

We hit the road shortly after 6am, gearing up for the 11 hour drive home. A couple hours later, we stopped for breakfast at Mollie’s Cafe, a 100-year-old diner in Snowville, UT (population 159). It was an experience—ginormous pancakes, tons of vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia, and witnessing the servers’ laughter after their discovery that a “regular” had consumed more than his usual 2/3 of a sugar dispenser’s worth of sugar in his coffee that morning.

Greg, Joel, and Kari took turns driving today. I sat back, relaxed, and listened to a whole audiobook! (Bonine worked wonders for me and the girls—very little carsickness this last week.) Greg listened to the book with me, while everyone else listened to/watched their own content and music. It was a pretty quiet drive. 

I have to give Greg a lot of credit for making this trip go smoothly. We make a pretty good team on vacations, but he was our primary driver, our early-bird rouser, our ice-fetcher/water bottle-filler, our luggage/van packer, and our time-keeper—all so we could do it “right” and enjoy the parks when crowds were smaller (or nonexistent) and temperatures were low, they way we prefer.

This vacation has exceeded all my expectations. While excited, I had some trepidation about nine days in the minivan and hotel rooms with our four big “kids”—3 teens and a 20-year-old. Our time together was delightful, though (mostly)! I’m proud of our kids—who they are, the way they treat others, the way they love each other, the laughter they share (often at their “old” parents’ expense)—melts my heart. It was a joy to be with them this last week. At home, we’re rarely all together in the house at the same time anymore—college, sports, work, friends, etc., keep them busy and home at different times. This trip was a gift. It wasn’t perfect—one icky hotel room, minor irritations with each other, foot pain, knee pain, blisters, terror and panic (in me) every time a kid neared a ledge or drop-off—but the positives far outweighed the negatives. Seeing new places, experiencing the uniqueness and beauty of God’s creation, and doing it with my husband and kids is something for which I will always be thankful. What an adventure we had!

I write and take photos to document life and remember, as I have a terrible memory. It’s nice to have this trip thoroughly documented already for when I catch up on my blog book in the coming weeks. It’s been fun for me to write and share our photos and stories each night.

And now to unpack, start the laundry, and make a grocery list!

Utah Road Trip--Day 8

Day 8–Canyonlands & SLC reprise

It was a beautiful, clear morning, following last night’s severe storms. We explored the “Island in the Sky” section of Canyonlands before heading back towards Salt Lake City. Mesa Arch, the rim viewpoints, and Upheaval Dome were our favorites.

We officially made it to all Big 5 National Parks of Utah! They are each beautiful in their own ways. Zion ranks as our favorite because of The Narrows. I liked our close proximity to the park and that I could see the beautiful rock formations as soon as I stepped outside. I also loved talking with other people in the park and on the shuttles, learning where they were from and what they’d done and seen.

We are undecided about which park ranks second. Bryce Canyon had the most interesting rock formations, and I absolutely loved the Queen’s Garden trail. Arches had so many things to see, and I really enjoyed taking photos and watching the kids run around and have so much fun exploring.

Canyonlands and Capital Reef tied for 3rd or 4th place, because Capital Reef had pie and apricots.

We visited the Great Salt Lake today and pronounced it gross. Greg and the kids went down to the water to put their feet in (I was still reading in the visitors center), and when I came out, they were all walk-running back up, shaking their heads and swatting at the swarms of brine flies that surrounded them in a thick haze. We didn’t stay long. This evening we made our way to Twisted Sugar (thank you, Tara M. for that recommendation) and taste-tested their soda combos and cookies. Delicious!