From the moment we crossed the border to Colorado, we were delighted. We were only able to explore a small section of the southwestern part of the state, but each day was an adventure. We used our Boondocker's Welcome membership to boondock two nights in Yellow Jacket, then spent six nights at Oasis RV Park in Durango. Part of our stay was spent learning about the history of the area, from ancient Pueblo dwellings (which you can read about in this blog post) to old mining towns from the early 1900's. The rest of the time, we enjoyed local shops, especially our new favorite Animas Chocolates (which you can read about here). We spent a special evening trick or treating in downtown Durango. Dusty is already trying to convince the kids to go to school at Ft. Lewis College so we can retire here. Here's a little taste of our explorations. Durango to Silverton Train RideThe Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has continuously been hauling passengers and freight since 1882, and has won awards for the best scenic train ride in the United States. In it's 141 year history, the railway transported over $300 million in gold and silver. Wow! This attraction is a thing everyone must do in Durango. In fact, you really can't come across anyone local who doesn't recommend it, or tourist who haven't done it. Luckily, we were able to reserve a spot on the steam train on the second to the last day before it closed for the season! The train travels 45 miles from Durango to Silverton at average speeds of 15 miles per hour. Y'all, the scenery was pretty, but this was probably the longest 7 hours of my life! We scheduled to take the train to Silverton and back, as opposed to taking a bus one way. We highly recommend the bus...unless bouncing for 7 hours while gazing out the window at the beautiful scenery suits you. It's highly possible that spending the last three months driving across the country has skewed our opinions on passively riding in any modes of transportation. We also just missed fall foliage by about two weeks, and nearly everything in Silverton had closed down for the winter, aside from very few dingy restaurants and souvenir shops. Thus, our exciting day didn't exactly pan out, but I'm sure it's just as good as people say it is, given other circumstances. Animas Forks Ghost TownAt elevations of 11,200 feet, Animas Forks isn't an easy place to access. But in the late 1800's, someone found gold! The first cabin was built in 1873 and this little burg became the highest gold mining town in the U.S.. Ten years later, there were 450 people, a hotel, general store, saloon, post office, and newspaper. Many people lived in tents on the south side of town, and come fall, there was a mass exodus to Silverton, at a much lower elevation. Some people stayed to brave out the winters, with snow reaching up to 25 feet! By the early 1900's the earth had given all the gold it had to give, and by 1920, Animas Forks was a ghost town. For decades, the Bureau of Land Management and San Juan County Historical Society have managed what's left of the dilapidated cabins, allowing visitors to roam in and out freely. I found out that my Aunt and Uncle's family have been visiting this eerie town since the late 80's. He texted photos from 1988, 1995, and 2006, and it was kind of neat to compare changes over the decades. The Historical Society does the minimum to keep these buildings standing, which is kind of the charm in it. The town is 15 miles down a dirt road. Up to Eureka is well maintained, but as you continue up the mountain, the road gets pretty rough and four wheel drive is recommended, though we've heard people do it in the summer time with 2WD. We hit snow on the roads for the last three miles, give or take, so parts of the drive along steep cliffs became fairly adventurous. Beautiful views, though, and we all had fun creeping through the spooky houses on the eve of Halloween. Million Dollar Highway to OurayWe drove the Million Dollar Highway from Durango to Ouray with a few fun stops on the way, one of which was Animas Forks. We came across Pinkerton hot spring just north of Durango. We were excited to visit Ouray, the "Switzerland of America." One thing needs to be made very clear here: Ouray is a cool little town in it's own right, but it is no Switzerland. It does have a neat history and several outdoor spas with pools fed by natural hot springs. Box Canyon and Cascade Falls are both short hikes with big rewards. We slid along the icy paths to see the waterfalls and the three children got to do some climbing. We didn't have a whole lot of time there, but it's certainly worth a visit and we'd love to explore more someday. Halloween in DurangoWe couldn't travel around the U.S. and miss important traditions like pumpkin carving and trick-or-treat night! We made time to carve pumpkins on the morning of Halloween. Both kids came up with their own designs. Banana made a bear in front of the mountains, which was so fitting for our time in Colorado, and Brickhead created a scary, shaved jack-o-lantern. Main Street hosted Downtown Durango Children's Halloween and the dreamy trick-or-treating was fit for a movie. Shopkeepers dressed up and several of them decorated their storefronts. The police, fire department, and even the town maintenance crew showed up to pass out candy, also blocking the streets to any cars trying to pass by. We walked through the beautiful Third Street, lined with trees of fall colors with mountains in the background. There were churches on nearly every corner and some of them had trunk-or-treats with games and free food. Durango sets the bar pretty high when it comes to celebrating Halloween. After trick-or-treating, we met up with friends from Maryland, as their RV route matched up with ours again. We had a delicious dinner at Carver's Brewing Company and afterwards the kids had a blast playing with their dogs back at the campground. It's always fun meeting new people in our travels, but catching up with old friends feels pretty good! This part of Colorado seems to have everything. It's the perfect combination of high desert and forested mountains. The people are friendly. The air is fresh and there are outdoor activities galore. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and can't wait to come back again. Maybe, just maybe, the Ramseys will find a nice retirement home here in the future.
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During our time living in Germany and traveling Europe, two thousand year old Roman ruins were everywhere. We almost took for granted being able to explore 900 year old castles on a regular basis. Moving back to the U.S. where 150 years was considered "old" was quite disenchanting, and our kids desperately missed the wonder of ancient civilizations. Everything in the east seemed so new. We had no idea that 2,000 miles to the west of our nation's capital was a cornucopia of ancient Puebloan dwellings just waiting to be explored. If you've been following along, you've likely seen a spattering of cliff dwellings and Puebloan granaries in our photos from Utah and Arizona. These sites gave us a little taste of what we should expect when we arrived in Colorado, then traveled south to New Mexico for a large dose of Puebloan history. We left Utah and headed an hour and a half east to Yellow Jacket, Colorado, staying for two nights at Boondocker's Welcome's 5C Cattle Camp. The temperature had dropped 50 degrees the day before, but we were determined to break our brand new Enduro Lithium battery in hard core! The temperature the first night was 21 degrees and the second night we jumped to 30, but between the new battery, a tank of propane, and the generator, we kept warm. The town of Yellow Jacket is close to several government-run Puebloan Ruins: Hovenweep NM, Lowry Pueblo NHL, Mesa Verde NP, Yucca House NM, and Canyon of the Ancients NM. All the sites were on winter hours, and most of Mesa Verde was shut down, either due to winter hours, road construction, or rock slides. We were disappointed that no ranger tours or programs were taking place, and Mesa Verde had closed their archeology museum for renovations. For months we've heard people talk about the amazing ranger-guided tours of the largest and best preserved cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. However, tours need to be booked two weeks in advance, and (as we found out) tours shut down for the winter on October 22. We wanted to cry a little bit when we arrived in the area on October 24. That's ok though...it just gives us another reason to come back. From Yellow Jacket, we drove to Oasis RV Resort in Durango where we stayed for 6 nights. These campground owners honor their military guests with a 50% discount on their stay! From Durango, we traveled south to Aztec Ruins National Monument and Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Having visited five of these major historical ancient Puebloan sites, we thought we would have a good understanding of the culture, but there are still so many more questions than answers. Archeologists lump a very complex Native American history and vast stretch of communities into "Ancient Puebloans" because their traditions seem to be fairly similar, though not the same. What I've gathered from these ancient site visits is that different tribes traded and communed with each other, piggybacking off of each other's ideas, but also developing their own regional cultures. Each society must have had their heydays at different times, much like towns do today. What's baffling about each of these settlements though, is that within 100 years of each other, all of them were abandoned. For many centuries, the Puebloan people were hunters and gatherers. They moved like the clouds, never staying in one place very long. Around 200 A.D. they began farming and settled down, originally in small pit houses, which were one room living spaces dug into the ground and entered via ladder in a hole in the top. Chaco Culture National Historical ParkAround 800 A.D., for reasons unknown, the Puebloans, decided to build--and build big! Ginormous Great House complexes began being built in Chaco Canyon in sandstone masonry techniques that had never been seen before. Pueblo Bonito, the largest Great House, was at least four stories tall, and had 600 rooms and 40 kivas (or circular rooms used for ceremonies and worship.) Each house was built to align with celestial cycles, such as the winter solstice, which was an important part of their culture. A road network was built, connecting Chaco to communities far and wide, allowing for trade of turquoise, copper, shells from the Pacific, and even macaws from Central Mexico. For many years, Chaco was the center of the Puebloan universe and visitors came from far and wide until the 1100's when, within the span of two generations, the magical city was abandoned. BTW: Props to the Rangers at Chaco Canyon. This small park is difficult to get to, as visitors must drive 21 miles down a dirt road that has seen its fair share of recent flooding. Of all the parks we have been to in the area, this is the only one who has honored its Ranger Talk schedule. (We attended a 90 minute tour of Pueblo Bonito.) It's hard to get employees during the off-season, but it was so refreshing to see dedicated employees stick to educational programs. Aztec RuinsFifty-five miles north of Chaco is the Aztec Ruins. No, these ruins aren't Aztec, though early Spanish explorers thought they might be and the name stuck. Puebloans began building Chaco-style Great Houses and kivas here around the late 1000's. They built fast, taking only about 25 years to build Aztec West, a complex that boasted 400 rooms. For 200 years, they continued to build and renovate, sticking to the original blueprint, but adding Mesa Verde-style flair. Archeologists believe this community originally supported Chaco activities, but eventually became a cultural hub in its own right, as people began to move away from Chaco Canyon. Again, after just 200 years, the community was abandoned. HovenweepPeople lived in Hovenweep, on the border of present day Utah and Colorado, as early as the 700's, but the community had a population boom between 1100-1230. This settlement is probably the most interesting to me. Originally, these people lived in pit houses on the mesa tops, close to their farms of corn, beans, and squash. They were skilled dry farmers, building check dams to irrigate. For reasons unknown, they began building houses on the canyon rims, and even on isolated boulders within the canyon. The location of these dwellings made little practical sense, as safety was questionable and they were certainly difficult to access. The best guess for archeologists is that springs or water seeps may have been easy to access from those locations. Side note: Water seeps are formed as water percolates through sandstone rock and comes in contact with a lower layer of shale. Water cannot flow through shale, so it begins moving to a low point. Puebloans would carve grooves in rocks so the water would pour out of it like a spout. This shows their ingenious creativity in collecting this elixir of life. Mesa VerdeMesa Verde was unbelievable, and I'm still a little disappointed that we didn't get to do a cliff dwelling tour. There is just so much to learn here. In 1200 A.D., inhabitants of Mesa Verde moved from mesa-top pit houses to large, expensive, expertly engineered cliff dwellings. With several large complexes within the park, this was a thriving community. There are 4,500 archeological sites on the property, and 600 of those are cliff dwellings. (Let that sink in.) Some of them are well preserved and others have been absorbed by nature, but all are spectacular to see. Again, by the late 1200's, these dwellings were abandoned. If walls could talk...What caused all these people to desert these highly engineered homes has baffled archeologists. Was it a change in climate? Were resources depleted? Were they chased out by another tribe? Evidence tends to lean towards the depletion of resources over time. Each of these settlements had thousands of people living in them, and in the arid desert, maintaining a thriving culture would be difficult. They certainly did not "die off" or disappear though. DNA evidence and traditional oral storytelling prove that these people dispersed throughout the southwest, taking many of their building techniques with them.
So much about these ancient peoples has been studied and hypothesized, and still, without any type of written record, there is just so much unknown. The ranger joked that if you ask five archeologists what happened, you'll likely get twelve different answers. These walls can tell us about the what, when, and how, but there are so many whys and actual stories of these people that lived here that will likely never be answered. It kind of makes you wonder if that was the intention. When was the last time you walked into a coffee shop where you were greeted by a sweet hostess and offered a sampling of delicious hot chocolate, then referred to a master taste technician (I'm not 100% sure that's the correct job title) who finds the perfect mixture of ingredients to make the best tasting cup of joe (or hot cocoa) you've ever had? Oh--that's never happened to you? Well, us neither...until this week! While strolling the streets of Durango, Colorado, a passerby recommended Animas Chocolates & Coffee. We stopped in, planning to pick up a coffee and some hot chocolates and be on our way, but little did we know what a treat we were in for! The hostess welcomed us, explained their hot cocoa types and flavors, and provided us with samples in cute little ceramic mugs. The taste technician (which is what I'm calling him), joked around with the kids and made sure each one of us had just what we wanted. We ended up dining in for the full experience, every moment being dazzled by these employees who were going above and beyond to make each guest feel like a VIP. When we met the owner and heard how this shop came to be, we knew we had to tell everyone we knew about the experience. Buckle up. This story is too good to be true: Years ago, the owner, Carley, was working at a resort on the shores of the Animas River. One day, she was out exploring the resort wilderness around some abandoned mines and stumbled upon an antique book containing hundreds of recipes for chocolates and other confections. (Not even joking. The book is framed on the shop wall.) She started experimenting with some of the recipes, adding or changing a bit here and there. Long story short: people loved the treats. She started a chocolate business, naming it after the river where she found this life changing book. She honed her techniques, experimenting with flavors and creating state of the art truffles with superior craftsmanship. She decided to name her truffles after the rapids on the Animas River. Class I is nice and easy like salted caramel, Class III and IV adds some flair like rose infusion, lemon, or sour jelly beans found in the Tacoma Power Plant. Class V gets a bit riskier, made with rum, whiskey, or absinth, like my favorite Crazy Woman Creek. They began making hot cocoa with chocolate leftovers, and from there, this chocolate cafe was born. The kids loved the peppermint flavored Miner, and Dusty and I enjoyed The Smokin' Bandito, laced with mescal. Today, the goal of this phenomenal staff is to provide each customer with a one-of-a-kind experience. And boy, do they! We enjoyed this cafe so much that we came back the next night! As soon as we walked in, the guys shouted out a big hello from behind the counter and immediately picked up where we left off from conversations we had the night before. Marc, Carley's husband, showed us around the room where they make their own chocolate. No, I didn't say where they make chocolates. I said they make their own chocolate, as in roast the cocoa beans and grind them and do all the steps so that (some of) their product is 100% made in the store, "bean to bar." (As a small shop, they can't keep up with volume, so some of the chocolate used in their products is imported from Belgium.) Marc taught us about the process and let us taste some cocoa beans--which the kids decided didn't taste at all like chocolate, and he gave the kids free truffles for finding the answer to his favorite question: Why is their motto "lose your soul to chocolate"? Everything about Animas Chocolates was top of the line: the atmosphere, the chocolate, the drinks and the people. We left there the second night feeling like we had made friends that were hard to say good-bye to. We cannot recommend this shop and it's chocolates enough. If you ever find yourself in Durango, be sure to stop (and if you do, tell them we said hi!) If you want to try their chocolates, you can order them online from their website. They even do corporate gifts!
This rugged terrain of red, orange, and brown is a utopia for hikers, bikers, climbers, and outdoorsmen in general, but one thing to keep at the forefront of your mind is who this land belonged to. We know Moab as a bustling tourist destination. In the 1950's it was a uranium miners' jackpot. In the late 1800's it became a cowboy's open pasture. But the story of this land goes far beyond these last 140 years. Archaeological evidence supports people living in this area for 10,000 years, while Native histories will tell of people occupying this land for time immemorial. While each time period is different, all of them left their mark on the land. Quite literally. From Lava Beds NM in California to Kanab, Utah to Sedona, Arizona to the Four Corners area, petroglyphs (carvings in rock) and pictographs (paintings on rock) are everywhere! Even two thousand years ago, people had the urge to create--whether to say "I was here," tell a story, give direction, or celebrate a rite of passage, no one really knows. But thankfully, in many places, the artwork still stands. All of my life I've been fascinated by ancient artwork, but never in a million years would I have imagined traveling out west and getting to witness the prevalence of these historical fingerprints. On our last day in Moab, the weather did a complete 180. It had been sunny and warm, but before we left a front rolled in, leaving the desert soaked with rain and covered in a slight blanket of slush and snow. It was cold outside, but not cold enough to stay inside all day! Our interest was piqued by a campground brochure titled Moab Area Rock Art Auto Tour, distributed by the Moab Information Center, so we took off in the late afternoon for a scavenger hunt around Moab, searching for native cliff art. To our surprise, most of the artwork could be found on the side of roads. Some of it was protected by low fences in hopes to deter disrespectful vandals from leaving their own marks, but for the most part, it's just "out there." Artwork is usually found on desert varnish. According to the National Parks Service, desert varnish is thin red-to-black coating found on exposed rock surfaces in arid regions. It's predominantly composed of clay minerals, oxides and hydroxides of manganese and/or iron. Bacteria take manganese out of the environment, oxidize it, and cement it onto rock surfaces. (How's that for some fun chemistry?) A complete coat of manganese-rich desert varnish takes thousands of years, so it is rarely found on easily eroded surfaces. When these ancient humans chose this dark desert varnish to draw on, they, likely unknowingly, ensured the survival of their work for centuries to come.
This adventure was one of our favorites during our time in Moab. Getting off the main thoroughfare gave us a little taste of what local life was like, and was a great testament to how much there really is to see and do in the area. We felt blessed to be in the desert after the storm. Rain doesn't come often, but snow in October was certainly unexpected! It was neat to see the waterfalls sliding off the slick rock cliff faces and snow hugging the prickly pear cactuses. Most importantly, I loved living out my childhood dream of finding ancient rock art and sharing the experience with my favorite husband and kids. When we read the #1 tip for enjoying Arches National Park was to "pack your patience," we were a little worried about the number of people we might encounter. When we checked the park's website and read that they stopped timed entry requirements for the season, but were shutting down the entry points for anywhere from 3-5 hours per day because the park was so full, we were about to just take Arches off our list. On our first day in Moab, Dusty had a morning interview. Since we were getting a late start, we knew Arches was out of the question, but since it was close, we stopped by to pick up a map and hiking guide to plan our visit for another day. You can imagine how shocked we were to find only five other cars in the entry line! Turns out it was the perfect day to visit the park. We even found ample parking spaces in every lot! All of southern Utah has been a wonderland of rock formations. It's hard to put into words how amazingly beautiful this country is, and photos don't do justice to the panoramic views of geologic eye candy that often overwhelm the senses. Arches stole a spot in our top 5 favorite national parks with its over 2,000 arches--all formed without water running through them, turquoise and green petrified sand dunes, certified dark skies, and rock formations that can only be found in southern Utah. We covered the full 21 mile long road (several times) by car, and clocked over 16 miles on the trails in the two days we spent in Arches, and we could still go back and enjoy more. Our itineraryWe spent day one in the southern part of the park, enjoying sights in the Windows and Delicate Arch sections. Our GyPSy Guide* faithfully escorted us to the best viewpoints and told us fun history and geology facts about the park as we navigated through the park roads. I know I've said it a million times, but we seriously don't know what we would do without this amazing app to guide us around our nation's parks! In the Windows section, there were several short hikes out to arches where the kids (including the adult one) enjoyed climbing to get inside. Note: park rules say you can NOT climb on top of an arch. However, climbing to and through is a favorite past time for visitors at Arches, as long as you stay on the path or solid rock surfaces. (Very important not to Bust the Crust! Stay tuned to a future blog post to explain that phrase!) Up the road a bit is a three mile trail that leads to Arches' most famous Delicate Arch, which can be found on the Utah state license plate and just about any Arches/Moab memorabilia. The hike is labeled as difficult, but if you are physically able, we highly recommend it. You won't get views like those from the Delicate Arch viewpoints, that's for sure! The trail is also the site of the late 1800's Wolfe homestead and petroglyphs from the Ute tribe, likely dating to the 16-1700's. We got up early on day two to hike the 8 mile Devil's Garden Loop trail, where hikers can get up close to seven arches. It's a difficult trail, labeled as "primitive," with lots of rock scrambling, but it has the biggest bang for the effort you put into it. My breakfast didn't seem to agree with me that morning, so the kids and Dusty went on the full loop hike, while I hung back until I felt better. Later I made it out to all the major arches, like Landscape, Navajo, and Double O before turning back to meet them at the trailhead. At the end of our adventure, we stopped at the visitor center so the kids could get sworn in as Junior Rangers. The Ranger just about fell out of her chair when the kids told her they hiked Devils Garden that morning! They're becoming pros at this Junior Ranger stuff! We finished our hiking around 2 p.m., we had the afternoon to get some tasty ice cream in town and do a bit of souvenir shopping, then the kids and Dusty played in the campground pool while I did laundry. Spanish Trail RV Park is just 15 minutes from Arches, so after a late dinner, we went back to the Certified Dark Sky park around 9 p.m. to stargaze. Timing was perfect as the Orionids meteor shower appeared that night! As Earth passed through the dust remnants from Halley's Comet, we saw at least ten meteoroids zipping through the atmosphere in the direction of the Orion constellation. The dim waning crescent moon left a perfectly dark sky to see the Milky Way and billions of stars. Arches was absolutely gorgeous and a great experience for adventure seekers. We didn't get to do the Fiery Furnace, which is a popular hike requiring a permit that you can reserve 2-7 days in advance. By the time we went to make our reservation they were sold out, so if you plan to go, get your tickets at recreation.gov seven days before your hike. We hear it's a very primitive trail that is easy to lose your way on, which is why you can opt to do a ranger guided tour during the peak season. With a ton more to explore, we look forward to returning to Arches someday.
At 337,598 acres of land, Canyonlands covers a lot of ground, yet the majority of visitors only get to see one of four districts of the park. Most popular is Island in the Sky, the northernmost section and most easily accessible from the recreation hub of Moab, Utah. We stayed at the Spanish Trail RV Park for six nights exploring the Moab area, and Island in the Sky was about 45 minutes from our campground. The Green and Colorado Rivers (considered a district in itself) separate the three other districts, and there are no connecting roads, so a visit to The Needles or The Maze will take a 2-6 hour drive from Moab. If it weren't for our GyPSy Guide*, we never would have noticed why the section is called Island in the Sky. Just after the Visitor Center is a segment of road called The Neck. This portion is just a few feet wider than the road (40 feet to be exact), and is the only connection of the mainland to the plateau that makes up this area of Canyonlands. In fact, early homesteaders used this grassy plateau to feed cattle, using the surrounding canyons as natural barriers to contain any wayward bovine. Early settlers reported the grass was "up to a horse's belly," but by 1964 when the plateau became a national park, the grass was nearly gone, having been over-consumed for decades. Very slowly, the native grasses are returning to their natural state, but this process takes much longer in the desert than it does back east! Currently the sparse patches of grass are about knee length. (Thank you GyPSy for that tidbit of history!) We spent the day stopping at viewpoints and doing short hikes at Mesa Arch, Aztec Butte, and Whale Rock (the kids' favorite.) The views were out of this world! Before heading back to town, Dusty decided that he just NEEDED to drive Shafer Trail (because some drunk guy at the campground told him it was the best road ever!) In the days of cattle ranching, crazy white men who needed to conquer the canyon made a one-cow-wide trail that zig-zagged down the side of a cliff into the depths. These days it's a little wider than one vehicle, but still a dirt road that could use some maintenance. And even today, crazy white men need to conquer it. I was ok until we started on the switchbacks descending 1500 feet into the canyon, at which point I was certain we were going to die. Absolutely terrifying. This "road" might be ok in a Jeep made for the backroads, but a Ford F350 with tires aired up to 80 PSI was not made for bouncy gravel roads and hairpin turns on the edge of a cliff. Thankfully, Dusty gave up on his dream (likely because he got tired of listening to his wife and daughter shrieking in fear) and found a tight turn to maneuver back around and up the mountain. So. Scary. Canyonlands Island in the Sky was beautiful...definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. The other sections of the park are more primitive in nature and great for high clearance four-wheel vehicles, backcountry backpacking, and mountain biking, and I'm sure they'd be worth a visit as long as you're prepared for your time there. Whether you're into some serious outdoor adventuring or just a beautiful scenic drive, Canyonlands has something to fit everyone. **Correction: Shafer Trail was not formed by crazy white men. Originally, it was a Native American trail used to access resources on the mesa top. Later it became a trail for sheep herders moving their flocks. In the 1950's it was widened to fit trucks that were used to move uranium out of the canyon. It was named after John Shafer, who used the trail to move his cattle. But, even so, crazy white men still feel the need to conquer it. Case in point: *Contains affiliate link
On our drive from Flagstaff to Moab, we stopped at Monument Valley, which spreads across the Navajo Reservation in northeast Arizona into southeast Utah. Ten minutes after rolling in to our KOA and unhooking the rig, we were ready to hit the road for some more exploring. On the way out of the campground, we ran into some friends from Maryland who were just getting checked in! Our one night in Monument Valley was shaping up to be a fun one! Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is completely run by the Navajo Nation. There is a charge of $8 per person for entry. The park has a hotel, restaurant, and large gift shop with native crafts and souvenirs. Upon entry, it's clear that the park doesn't have the conveniences of national parks, but I respect that the Navajo do things their own way. They welcome outsiders to this spectacular piece of land, but expect that rules be respected and followed. Since the Navajo Nation was hit particularly hard with COVID, one of these rules includes wearing a mask both indoors and outdoors while on the reservation. Tribal members offer guided tours by Jeep, which would be very beneficial. Since we blew our budget already this month, we elected to do the self-guided driving tour on the 17 mile dirt road loop. The problem with the self-guided tour was that we didn't have a map. The visitor center had run out of them and suggested you take a picture of their map. Numbers on the map suggested there were viewpoints, but there wasn't a key to name or explain any of the viewpoints. Lack of explanations left my knowledge cup feeling a little dry, but after I got over it and started to just enjoy the scenery, the drive was absolutely beautiful with rock formations and vegetation that can only be found in Monument Valley. If we did it all over again, we probably would have opted for the tour so we could learn more about what this land means to the Navajo people. After returning back to the RV, we spent the evening sitting by the campfire catching up with friends. Banana got her canine fix, playing with their two dogs, while Brickhead had us on the edge of our seats with a horror story he's been working on the last week. It was nice to have a bit of familiarity while out in the middle of nowhere in strange lands! The next day we took off for Natural Bridges, but not before making a quick trip to Forest Gump Hill. Here, the Navajo had to put in a speed limit reduction, flashing lights and pedestrian crossing signs on the main highway to protect all the crazy tourists who stand in the middle of the road for the iconic photograph of where Tom Hanks, posing as Forrest Gump, stops in the middle of the road and says, "I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now." The multiple pull-offs can be filled with vehicles all hours of the day. There are two ways you can travel to Natural Bridges from Monument Valley. Rt. 261 is a dirt road with a 10,000 lb weight limit. If you're pulling a trailer, you need to take 191 to 95 through Bears Ears National Monument. Thankfully we saw the signs before any major mishaps! We dropped our trailer at the Blanding Visitor Center and just took the truck the 35 miles to the monument. Bears Ears National Monument deserves a shout out while we're at it. According to Wiki, this national monument was made official by President Obama in 2016, but President Trump reduced the 1 million+ acres by some 200,000+ in 2017, later to be returned to government property by President Biden in 2021. The land is co-managed by the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and a coalition of five Native tribes. The park boasts some 100,000 archeological sites, some of which are 3,500 years old. Aside from driving through, we didn't get to do any exploring. I don't believe it's a very established park at this time (likely due to political drama), so visitors would likely have to plan accordingly. We'd be interested in coming back another time, with a tour guide if possible. Natural Bridges National MonumentNatural Bridges became Utah's first national monument back in 1908. These bridges were formed by water cutting through rock, which is different from the arches formed at Arches National Park, which have been eroded away by wind over time. Our visit there is best told in pictures, but I will note a few details:
The Visitor Center is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in winter. Winter hours begin November 1 according to their website, but due to staffing shortages, winter came early. They were closed on October 18 when we arrived. We're finding this to be a common trend as we travel. The scenic drive is a nine mile, one-way loop with several short hikes and one long loop hike connecting all the bridges. The hike to Horse Collar Rim led to a 700 year old Puebloan cliff dwelling. You could hardly see the structures from the lookout point. How people lived there is a wonder in itself! I'm just going to start off by saying this area was not what I expected. I anticipated small tourists towns with beautiful views and peaceful hiking trails. I'm sure at some point in recent decades, that's exactly what it was. However, Flagstaff is now a sprawling metropolis. Sedona is such a hot destination that open parking spaces are few and far between, whether you're looking for a restaurant or a trail head. Jerome is advertised to be a ghost town, but I can assure you that while this once sleepy little town may have ghosts, it's streets are now very much alive and booming with enough restaurants, shops, and art galleries to keep visitors content for hours. Despite all the people (of which I am one--that point is not lost upon me), the area still has its charm. The popular hiking trails are no joke--a few of them really kicked my butt--but the red rock formations and views were well worth it. In the Coconino National Forest alone there are over 100 archeological treasures of ancient native tribes, compelling evidence that ancestral connections run deep. Navajo operated stands line appropriate parking lots sharing handmade jewelry, rugs, and traditional crafts with visitors. With something for everyone, it's easy to see why people flock to this area. We stayed at Ft. Tuthill Recreation Area, affiliated with Luke AFB, for five nights. The price was cheap, being a military family camp, but the stay was kind of rough. The roadways were tight for bigger rigs and the sites were super uneven, so much so that our rig rolled back 6 inches into a tree as we got parked and we broke a light. The campground is right next to the Pepsi Amphitheater, so we listened to the thumping bass of midweek concerts by GWAR and Jelly Roll at bedtime. Fortunately, we were able to get our new Enduro lithium battery delivered, since our battery died, and Flagstaff had everything Dusty needed to get it installed. Now we should be able to boondock for two nights without having to worry about dragging out the generator or connecting the truck power to recharge the battery before we hook up. We're excited to try it out! We filled our days with lots of fun, including hours and hours of driving to different sites and quite a few activities skipped because parking wasn't available. We did several short hikes with big rewards. Sedona's VortexesSedona boasts four vortexes, or places where sensitive people tend to feel energy. I can't say that we were recipients of any tingling feelings, but we hiked three of them and, if nothing else, I did get short of breath! Aptly named, Bell Rock is shaped just as its name suggests. It was advertised as a one mile rock scramble, which sounded like a perfect fit for our family! It was much more of a challenge than I anticipated! Dusty and the kids made it up a steep sandstone slide, but with no hand holds or foot holds, I had to find another way up. During our time there, two different couples soaked up the rock's warm energy during their wedding ceremonies and a gymnast was there doing tricks with hula hoops. We arrived at Cathedral Rock at sunset. Dusty and the kids made it to the top as darkness set in. Thankfully they were prepared with flashlights. It's probably safe to say that most of the hike was a rock scramble. Coming back down in the dark was an adventure! Our GyPSy Guide* told us that Boynton Canyon was not only one of the most popular trails in Sedona, but it's also where visitors can find the Subway, a popular hiker attraction with rewards of beautiful views, an ancient cliff dwelling and native pictographs (paintings). The problem was, we couldn't find The Subway on any maps. Fortunately, we ran into a Friends of the Forest volunteer who pointed us in the right direction. After speaking with him, though, we learned more about the problems Coconino National Forest is having with this hike. As it turns out, unofficially, the Forest Service doesn't want people on that trail. But, in his words, "it's on the internet, so everyone wants to come and we just can't keep people out." And he's right: Likely 95% of the people we passed were either coming from or going to that location. With over 100 archeological sites in Coconino, there just aren't enough employees and volunteers to keep these areas safe. Not long ago, they found someone trying to remove the ancient pictographs because they thought it was graffiti. I mean...if people aren't adding to it, they're taking it away. SMH Currently though, without any signs asking people not to hike to The Subway, it seems the Forest Service is neither encouraging or discouraging adventurers to make the trek. So, we followed the crowds down the sunny, 3 mile, sandy trail. Along the way--get this-- we ran into a boy from Boy Scout Troop 429 (Dusty and Brickhead's troop in Calvert County, Maryland)! Talk about a small world! When we arrived at the cliff, we climbed up a rock slide (really...a slide made out of sandstone) into what looked like a keyhole carved between two cliff walls. From the keyhole, we had beautiful views. Adventurous climbers could carefully maneuver around a short drop off to a ledge that went around to the ancient cliff dwelling (which likely dated back between 500-900 years) and pictographs. I sat that one out, staying back to enjoy the views, but Dusty and the kids went around. Remnants of the PastThroughout the area are numerous signs of ancient tribes. Most remarkable are the cliff dwellings. The Sinagua people began building their homes in naturally occurring cliffs around 1050 AD. These wood, stone, and mortar homes were small villages in themselves (similar to apartment buildings), complete with common areas for social gatherings and storage rooms for shared food and supplies. The largest pueblo in the area contains 100 rooms. Many people wonder why these ancient tribes would have built communities in such precarious locations, and there are several theories that make sense. Some buildings, such as Montezuma Castle, face south, making it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Of course using the structure of the cave as part of the building used less resources, which were scarce in the harsh desert environment. The high placement also protected them from flooding or approaching outsiders. We were able to see several of these cliff dwellings in the Verde Valley area, including Tuzigoot, Montezuma Castle, and Montezuma Well. These three were just the tip of the iceberg though. The southwest is dotted with hundreds of these archeological structures. So much to do, so little timeThe amount of things to do in the area was overwhelming...as was the amount of people. We enjoyed other activities like sliding down the waterfalls at Slide Rock State Park (so cool--and cold!), climbing through an old lava tube at Lava Cave Trail (which was packed with people), and moseying around the streets of Jerome, an old copper mine that literally lost part of its town when an excess amount of dynamite was discharged, causing a major landslide.
There is certainly something for everyone in the area, and whatever your pleasure, you're likely to find enough of it to keep you entertained for weeks. Just keep in mind that there is plenty to keep thousands of other people entertained as well. And you'll find them...tens of thousands of people...all doing the same things you are. So be prepared to practice the art of patience. *Contains affiliate links Sometimes life is about taking advantage of unexpected changes in plans. We knew that sometime this month, Dusty would be flying to Georgia for a job interview, but we just didn't know when. Last week we got notification that his possible future employer wanted him there in five days. Five days put us in Flagstaff, Arizona, so that meant he would have to fly out of Phoenix. Fortunately we were able to shift some dates around with other campgrounds so we didn't lose any time sightseeing in Flagstaff. Then there was the question about what to do with his flight schedule. The two hour drive to Phoenix meant that it was best to stay a night in a hotel so we could get him to the airport in time the next morning. But spending 8 hours traveling the same roads to drop him off and pick him up didn't sound too enticing. We decided that if we could just travel two more hours south to Tucson, the kids and I could mark one more National Park off our list. Onward: To Saguaro National Park!
There are two sections of Saguaro National Park, an east and west, with the city of Tucson sprawled out all around. It was actually kind of bizarre to be in a scenic national park surrounded by city. We arrived to the eastern Rincon Visitors Center just ten minutes before the two hour guided ranger tour around the 8 mile loop road began. We caravanned around to a few major stops and listened while the Ranger discussed the park and the importance of maintaining balance in the ecosystem. We learned:
I'm in enamoured by the flora of the Sonoran Desert. The saguaros are cool, no doubt about it, but I'm also impressed by the Palo Verde tree, which has adapted to have green limbs (with chlorophyll) so it can photosynthesize with its bark. Similarly, the Ocatillo is a succulent with multiple long, straight stems that reach ten feet in the sky. It grows leaves approximately three times a year (after monsoon rains), then drops them during dry periods to conserve energy, while it's green stems help produce food from sunlight. In the spring, the ocotillo grow flame orange blossoms on their tips, giving them the name "candlewood." We hadn't planned on coming this far south, but seeing the Saguaros was a fun surprise that came with the change in plans. The kids and I will be spending two nights at the Embassy Suites in Tucson while we wait to pick up Daddy. We're very thankful for Hilton Honors points, made to order breakfasts, high pressure showers, and a little more room to spread out in. I have to say though, after two nights gone, I'm already missing our little RV home. We're looking forward to getting back to adventures in Flagstaff and surrounds. Toss us your recommendations if you have any suggestions for things to do!
Kane County, Utah is bursting with so many treasures that tourists need a local to show them the ropes. The visitor center is a great place to start, but we were fortunate to stumble upon Kanab Tour Company, who offers UTV, hiking, and canyoneering tours. Their specialty is personalizing tours to the interests and abilities of their clients. We decided to do an 8 hour personalized UTV tour, which seemed pretty spendy at first, but it was a great gift for a deserving husband! After the tour though, we decided it was clearly well worth every penny. We started our tour at 8:15 a.m. with Dan, who has been a guide for three years. We received all the gear we needed for two adults and two children, and brought lunches, backpacks, sunscreen, and water. (The tour company provided a cooler full of water for cold refills.) Dan was great about checking in with us at the beginning to find out what interests we had and if there were any specific sites we had in mind. He tailored a tour that gave all our family members what they wanted. Our first destination was Hog Canyon, a UTVers paradise of technical rock climbs, steep inclines, deep sand, and narrow passages. I held on to the "oh shit bar" for dear life while Dusty expertly handled the trail like he operated the Polaris RZR Turbo-R every day. Next we headed out to the Mansard Petroglyph site. These petroglyphs are guessed to be 870-1,070 years old. The carved depictions on this sloped rock floor were pretty interesting, and archeologists aren't really sure what they mean. Can you figure them out? The Great Chamber is a huge sandstone alcove (and Instagram sensation.) Funny story on this: Locals call this site Cutler's Cove. A short while back the company started getting calls from potential customers asking for tours of the "Great Chamber." The tour company had no idea what they were talking about until they found out someone posted a photo on Instagram under the wrong name. The Great Chamber stuck, so now the Visitors Centers have started calling it by that name. Good ol' social media. Along the trails we rarely saw anyone else. The benefit of being escorted by a local meant he knew the back country like the back of his hand, and he knew the best sights to go to-- often ones the tourists haven't discovered. He prefers not fighting the crowds, just like we do! We stopped for lunch by some really neat hoodoos and the kids got to do some rock climbing before he hit the trails again and headed for Peek-a-boo Canyon. Having a guide also helped us understand the dangers of the area, which are often underestimated by people passing through. Slot canyons in this area have seen a huge influx of people in the last few years. Places like Antelope Canyon or The Wave have wowed the Instagram world with vibrant photos of curvy, narrow striped sandstone walls. Everyone wants to go to one (including us), but locals have had to do plenty of damage control with this influx of tourists. This country is straight up rock with no soil to absorb rain, so even with a short rain shower, water runs off the high plateaus into these slot canyons, creating treacherous flash floods without warning. Just a month and a half ago, four women were washed down stream at The Narrows in Zion and one lost her life...and this is a fairly common occurrence. When rain isn't in the forecast, it's important to remember that sun typically is, and there is a high chance for dehydration. Often, tourists think that since these canyons are popular destinations, there isn't much danger. Our guide, who volunteers with local search and rescue, said 35% of the squad's rescues come out of North Coyote Buttes where The Wave is found. Because of this, hiker restrictions have been put into place. Antelope now only offers entrance by tour reservation, and a limited permit system (with in-person safety brief) has been put in place at Coyote Buttes. If permit holders aren't comfortable doing Coyote Buttes on their own, they can hire tour guides from Kanab Tour Company. Peek-a-boo Canyon is a hot local tourist stop because, unlike Antelope Canyon and The Wave, you don't need a tour guide or a permit. However, you do need a four wheel drive vehicle. We personally met two people who have attempted to drive their personal vehicles back there and got stuck. We were thankful to have some high power UTVs and a guide who knew the best route. We finished our day zipping around on some sand dunes, then began our hour drive back to Kanab, stopping at some overlooks and going back through the Hog Canyon trails on the way. By the time we arrived back to the office, we had spent almost nine hours out and covered 71 miles.
We highly recommend Kanab Tour Company. They offer UTV rentals (without guides), but if you're not familiar with the area, a rental just sounds like a waste. There were many roads we drove the with guide that we NEVER would have attempted on our own! His expertise made for a great day, taking carefully managing chances in safe ways, and seeing wonders of history and nature that we wouldn't have known existed. When we come back to Kanab someday, we would love to do a guided canyoneering tour with Kanab Tour Company, and we highly recommend them to friends and family! Tucked between striped plateaus of bright orange, Kanab, Utah is a home base for people traveling to Zion and Bryce National Parks and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. These desert plateaus aren't just beautiful; the area is also a hotbed of history, geology, and adventure. A short visit to Kane County Visitor Center is a testament to just how much there is to do in the area. We stayed eight nights in Kanab and we only scratched the surface. In addition to our "big" days at Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, including Angels Landing, and our four wheeling tour, we took a few short hikes and short day trips. This post is a fun reminder to us of all the fun we had there and also a travel guide for anyone planning a trip to Southern Utah. Southern Utah is like nothing else in the world. The orange mesas and plateaus are stunning, which is why we were quite pleased to pull up into our reserved spot at Grand Plateau RV Resort and find ourselves right between two beautiful mesas. This brand new campground truly is the finest in the city. With reasonable rates, level sites, and an excellent pool and hot tub, this is a place one could stay for a while and not get bored or tired of the scenery. Kanab is a tourist town and the Kane County Visitors Center is one of the best I've seen. The area is packed full of amazing hikes, and the county provides free fliers with descriptions of each hike, including a map and safety tips. We picked a few top rated trails that fit our schedule. Dinosaur Tracks TrailJust outside of Kanab is a short mile long trail that takes you up to the top of a mesa where you can find 1.8 million year old theropod dinosaur footprints! Kanab Sand CavesDriving into town from the north you pass the Kanab Sand Caves just off the side of Highway 89. They're up fairly high and you wouldn't think you could get into them, but of course people have found a way. Apparently these man-made caves were formed when they began mining for sand in the area. Now, visitors climb a fairly steep slippery sandstone cliff to get up to the trail that leads to the caves. Coral Pink Sand DunesLeaving Kanab, you'll find Hancock Road, which will take you to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. It also takes you down a sand road to some pictographs made by the Basket Maker People between 452 AD and 62 BC. We attempted this 5 mile drive to South Fork Indian Canyon, but chickened out two and a half miles down the road when we came upon an area of deep sand at the base of a dune and saw lightning in the distance. It was a fun drive bouncing along the road in Archie, but we decided it might be best to stick to the asphalt roads to the state park instead. For a fee of $10 (or $5 with military discount), patrons can visit Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. With so much sandstone and so little water, the winds pick up sand and carry them between two mountains, dropping them when they become too heavy to carry above the mountain. We were able to get a sled from our campground and sled down for an evening of fun. We watched a storm roll in from the south and the sun set in the west. Toadstools HikeWe Ramseys (or at least some of us) like to make the most of every hour of daylight, so one evening around 6:00 (before dinner), we drove 45 minutes south of Kanab to do the two mile Toadstools Hike. We followed a wash bed trail to a bizarre environment with orange toadstool formations in otherwise white limestone scenery. Toadstools are born from the uneven erosion of sedimentary rock. When a harder layer forms atop a softer rock layer, the lower rock gets eroded away more quickly than the harder layer on top, creating these toadstools, or hoodoos, that are common in this area. Say it with me: "Geology is SO COOL!" These were four short trails with big rewards, and we have a file folder full of other hikes we didn't even get to. This area of southwest Utah is a hiker's paradise! Have you ever been? And if so, what are your favorite hikes or things to do?
Southern Utah was the part of this extended vacation that we were most excited about. With five national parks and eleven national monuments and historic sites, there is no doubt that this section of our country is something special! We spent eight nights in Kanab touring the southwest section. You can read more about our adventures in Zion, four wheeling around Kane County, and short hikes around the area on our blog. We spent our first day at Bryce Canyon National Park. I've been trying to think of the best way to describe the wonders of Bryce Canyon, but honestly, I feel like this post is best described in pictures. Unique erosion has created one of the most awe inspiring landscapes that our earth has to offer. We spent a few hours driving through the park, guided by our trusty GyPSy Guide*, and stopping at all the overlooks. By the time we got back to the amphitheater, the most famous section of the park, we were ready to get out of the car and really see things. We descended the canyon and hiked the Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop trail, approximately 3.5 miles. With that, I'm going to leave you to a slideshow...because a picture is worth a thousand words. * Contains affiliate link.
Zion is a beautiful place, but in our opinion, it's almost impossible to enjoy without getting into the "back country". At most parks you can typically see lots of sights from inside your car or stop at overlooks for beautiful views, but Zion is not the place to do that. (You're more likely to be looking at the back of someone's head as you're crammed into standing room only spaces on the shuttle.) There are two main hikes that are world renowned: The Narrows, which is wading upriver through a narrow slot canyon, and Angels Landing. Preparation for the HikeIn the past, Angels Landing was seeing up to 4,000 climbers per day. All those people climbing up and down a narrow two-way sandstone mountain fin with drop offs on both sides is a recipe for disaster. In both 2019 and 2021, one of the 300,000 hikers per year died from falling off the mountain. Yes, I know...I didn't like those odds either. Fortunately, the national parks system is working to remedy overcrowding. In 2022, they began a lottery system at Recreation.gov for hiking Angels Landing. Visitors have two options: enter the quarterly lottery (if you know preferred dates for your hike) or enter a lottery between 12:01 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. the day before you hope to climb. A maximum of 900 lottery winners are spaced in three time frames throughout the day. We entered the lottery Monday afternoon and found out at 4:00 p.m. that we won!! We had reservations for Tuesday afternoon. Before we considered taking our kids on this hike, we talked to multiple people who had previously reached the Angels Landing summit. We read blogs about doing the hike with children. None of the people who had done the hike before said it was something we should not do. We knew our kids had the stamina, balance, and the technical skills to climb, but our concerns had nothing to do with their abilities. Crowding on the mountain was our worst fear. We conferred with rangers and read reviews on All Trails to get the timing right. Next, we had to be sure the kids were mentally prepared--and wanted to go. We showed them video footage and photographs and explained the trail to them. They were more than excited for the climb, but we also emphasized to them that if at any point they decided they didn't want to go forward, all they had to do was say the word and we would turn around. (We also threatened Brickhead that if he pushed the boundaries one time he wouldn't be allowed to continue.) Lastly, we checked the weather (perfect sunny 80 degrees) and made sure everyone had the right gear. Sturdy hiking boots were a must, as was a backpack with plenty of water, snacks, and sunscreen. (And of course, don't forget a first aid kit just in case!) Our ExperienceWe left The Grotto shuttle drop off point around 1:00 p.m. in hopes of avoiding any major crowds. As we ascended the 2.2 miles up switchbacks on West Rim Trail, the sun beat down on us. We continued through a canyon, which allowed for a little more shade, then on to Walter's Wiggles, a series of 21 steep switchbacks that lift the hiker up 1,000 feet in elevation. From there, hikers can take a break at Scout Lookout where the Rim Trail splits into the optional, and permit-required Angels Landing. We sat at Scout Lookout for a while debating if we were going to take the plunge or not. A view of the trail is quite daunting. Hikers were describing the next half mile section where you gain another 500 ft in elevation as two narrow "humps," or sandstone fins, with 1,000 foot drop offs on both sides. Many people turned back after the first hump, saying it was "too sketchy," but quite a few who did the whole trail said it was great, well worth the trip, and not near as dangerous as photos (and views) made it seem. It seemed more a mental battle than a physical one. We decided to give it a try. After all, the crowds had died down by 3:15, and we figured we could always turn around if we needed to. The kids reminded us to always maintain three points of contact, so we continued through the trail, holding on to the chains at all times. Fortunately the many hikers who came before have eroded footsteps and handholds along much of the trail. There were plenty of spaces to step aside and allow others to pass, and everyone was really supportive of the kids braving out the trek. Brickhead followed all directions and did what he was supposed to do, and Banana was super encouraging, making sure I knew where I should step in any tricky parts. Both of them said repeatedly that the trail wasn't near as scary as the photos made it seem and it was much wider than they thought it would be. We're just so proud of their excellent climbing skills and hiker etiquette. It took about an hour to climb the half mile to the top, mostly because we would stop and wait for any hikers coming down before we attempted any narrow passageways. (It's important to not be in a hurry on this trail.) The views from the top were gorgeous and we had good company, sharing lots of laughs with strangers and celebrating our victories. Then it came time to go back the way we came. Let's just say the kids, with their strong, young bodies, did much better than I did. All together, the adventure took just short of five hours from start to finish. Should You Do It?I wouldn't say that Angel's Landing is a "Bucket List" item--it's more of a bragging right. The views are cool, but you can get better views on safer hikes. You need to be in good shape, and if heights scare you, this likely isn't the hike for you. Having just the right amount of confidence in yourself allows for a safe trip: overconfidence can kill you, and lack of confidence can cause you to freeze at inopportune times. Bring plenty of water, because you're going to need it, especially in the hot summer months. Most importantly, be prepared. Should you take your kids? You know your kids better than anyone else. We talked to three park Rangers before starting this hike and none of them batted an eye at us taking our ten and twelve year old up. Kids do this hike. But kids need to have plenty of hiking experience: they need the endurance to climb to such elevations in a short distance and they need to be sure-footed and have good balance. Most importantly, they need to be able to follow directions and practice the "three points of contact" rule. Parents need to be willing to turn around if the task seems too difficult for the child. We all said the hike wasn't as difficult as we thought it might be (aside from those 21 switchbacks! Those were killers!) I personally don't know that I'd do it again, but not because Angel's Landing was scary or difficult. At the risk of sounding redundant, I just didn't find the switchbacks to be worth the reward! Plenty of other hikers said the views were top notch though, so don't listen to me. If it's something you're interested in, give it a try! We're glad we did it...even if it was just for bragging rights. |
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