I am just loving this report! I want to duplicate it exactly some day, minus the aches and pains, of course.

I'm still with you, scraphappy. I was wondering...you're close to a week into your trip, how is everyone feeling? Are you sticking to your plan, is the pace working for everyone? Is everyone still energetic and excited to be on the trip. I've planned 15 days/16 nights for next summer and I'm worried that I might end up with complete exhaustion when all is said and done. Not to interupt your trip report or anything like that, but I'd like to get some insight on this aspect of your trip, if you could.

Hi again everybody - My sister and her family came and I was interrupted mid-sentence on my last post. When I came back to my computer my sister had been using it and the fodors site was closed - I'm happy to see that my whole post was not erased - just interrupted!

FLMom - thanks for your interest and that is a great question you asked. We are still loving every minute of this vacation and are lamenting each day that passes. "Oh no, we've almost been gone a week already." We were all trying to cling to everyday. The kids were happy and content, just enjoying all of the activities and getting along wonderfully. No fighting, no whining, no fatigue. Again I want to say that a lot of this had to do with the mild weather that we had been having. They never got hot & tired (except for one of the days that is coming up - I'll be getting to that!) Overall, our two families were together for 11 days and were sad to part ways at the end. Our total trip was 18 days and all of us were sad when it was over. I think the kids were glad to be home with friends and certainly my husband was anxious to get back to work because he owns his own business and 18 days is a long time to be away. But we would have never shortened the trip by any means. The pace was one that we really enjoyed. We could've stayed in Bryce another night but other than that we felt that we really had a decent amount of time to explore each destination. Of course at any of these beautiful parks, you could spend months and still not take them all in. But time is an issue, and you want to see as much as you can. We were happy with our itinerary and it felt like a nice pace for both of our families. I was getting compliments from our friends every step of the way and I kept telling them that it was all of you at Fodor's that helped me with this trip!

I hope that answers your question. I'm glad you asked it because I will continue to address that as I write about subsequent days.

OK back to Day 6 (continued) -

We spent at least an hour there and we had to drag the kids back into the vans to get on our way to Moab. We timed the trip back to Route 24 and do you know it only took 15 minutes to get back onto the highway. That means that Goblin Valley State Park is only 30 minutes total out of your way if you are traveling along Rt. 24! It is a no-brainer to include it if you can! Our kids are literally still talking about it. And out of all of our pictures, they love to show Goblin Valley off to their friends the most!


By this time in the afternoon we are way over due for lunch and we were happy to find fast food in Green River. We ate at Burger King which again made the kids happy. In less than an hour from there, we were in Moab!

Now Moab's main street is under construction right now and I've never seen so many orange construction barrels! This was unfortunate because it really did give the town a "torn up" appearance. But no matter, we were excited to be here!

We pulled into The Gonzo Inn and were greeted warmly. We had booked three suites here for four nights. The rooms were great - very roomy, with a king bedroom, living room with a pull-out sofa, kitchenette, and lovely balcony. We put the four boys together like we did at The Desert Pearl which gives us parents lots of peace and quiet!

Susan and I spent the rest of the night doing laundry. This was our first chance to do it and we badly needed it. The laundry room was convenient to our rooms and a couple of glasses of wine later, our clothes were clean and folded! It wasn't that painful!

We got everyone settled down early because we have a big adventure planned tomorrow!

To be continued....

Day 7 - Canyonlands

We woke up early because Tag-a-long Tours was picking us up at our hotel at 7:30 for our all day Canyonlands tour.
They took us by old school bus down Potash Road to the rafting put-in spot on the Colorado River. Along the way we stopped to see some Petroglyphys. I'm fascinated by petroglyphs and loved seeing them in various spots during our vacation! We boarded an old jet boat that was outfitted with old airline seats. Am I using the word "old" too often? I was a bit leary but it did get us down the river! We had a long trip down the Colorado with very scenic views. Our guide was not the best - he was a nice young guy who was more than willing to answer our questions but did not offer a lot of information on his own. At one point we stopped along the river and got out to take a short hike. He took us to an area with petrified wood and many fossils. That was very interesting and it was great to get out and hike way off "the beaten path" so to speak. Although when we got back into our jet boat it wouldn't start. Our guide had to spend about a half an hour or so working on the engine before it started! We were a bit worried! Finally we got back on our way and entered into Canyonlands via the river. We also saw Dead Horse Point way up high in the distance - it was neat to see it from the river, looking up. The cliffs were rising 1,500 feet above us - just spectacular!

We stopped for lunch along the bank. The sandwiches, fruit and chips tasted good to us as we were very hungry! The rest of the trip would be in a Ford Expedition. We climbed 2,000 feet up from The Colorado River to the top of Island in the Sky.

This was the part of the trip that was a white-knuckle ride for Susan and I! We climbed up through Lathrop Canyon to meet the White Rim Trail. As we followed this trail, the scenery was amazing. Canyon walls rose above us everywhere we looked! It was an extremely bumpy ride and by the end of the three hours, we wanted out of that vehicle! But along the way we made several stops to take in the vistas that are just unbelievable! We stopped at Musselman Arch which you can walk across if you dare! Of course the boys all wanted to do it but we wouldn't let them. The arch is about 6 feet wide and spans across two points with a 150 foot drop below it. Even though it was fairly wide, I didn't want the boys to risk it! You would not believe the number of people who were walking across it! Even young kids! Mike walked across it and I nearly had a heart attack. He was even dumb enough to video it as he was walking. Now my husband can be a bit clumsy so I did not think this was a wise decision on his part to film it while he was walking! I also didn't think it was fair to the boys that he walked across when we weren't letting them do it! I was trying not to be angry at him but he did scare me! The guide told me that no one to his knowledge had ever fallen off of it and he had been doing this for 15 years. Oh well, I guess I'm just a big fat chicken!

We got back into the vehicles and eventually got onto the Shafer Trail. This was a nailbiter for Susan and I as it has very steep drops and is not very wide. Susan was having a particularly rough time because she had gotten a migraine. To make things worse, along the stretch of The White Rim Trail, she had to go to the bathroom so badly that she had tears in her eyes. I won't go into any more details but she was having a very rough time of it during this four wheel drive trip. Luckily she had her migraine medecine with her so eventually her vision cleared and the headache dulled. I felt so badly for her!

After stopping to see some petrified dinosaur bones (very cool!) we were finally at the top and got to take in the views and see where we had come from. Island in the Sky is very awesome and quite a sight!

This tour was a great way to see this part of Canyonlands. But all in all our kids didn't really enjoy it. They thought the boat ride was a bit boring and weren't too excited about the four wheel drive trip either. I think being in a big Ford Expedition with the windows closed and air conditioning going was less of a true four wheeling experience than if we had been in jeeps. Believe me, I was happy with the Fords, but to our kids it wasn't very thrilling. Probably because they couldn't see as well sitting in the back seats too. It was a very long day, too long for them for sure. I think our kids are more the white water rafting types than the jet boat types.

It is a wonderful tour and I really felt that I got to experience Canyonlands Island in the Sky district. We saw it from the river and then drove straight through to the top. Our guides were a bit dry as well and we all agreed that the right guide makes all the difference.

Utahtea had recommended I do the Shafer Trail, and the only way I wanted to do it was with a guide. We saw a lot of people going down Shafer Trail in vehicles that may have been 4 wheel drive but didn't have the clearance to really do it. Our guide stopped a coupld of cars and told them to turn around! One guy was trying to go down Shafer Trail in a mustang - you gotta be kidding me! Our guide just kept on shaking his head saying that so many people drive the wrong types of vehicles down this trail and put other people in danger because they get stuck! One car that we met way down in Lathrop Canyon was surely not going to make it back it out he said. That particular part of the trail is not maintained and had gotten much worse because of the recent rain storms.

I thought this tour was quite the adventure overall but I was disappointed that everyone didn't love it. Well, I can't expect everything to be perfect and so far this trip has been very close to perfect! At least the weather had been nice and we had gotten out of those canyons without a big storm. Susan and I would've needed valium if it had started raining during that trip! I can't imagine those steep drop-offs in the rain!

When we got back to Moab, we took a dip in the pool and ate dinner at the Moab Brewery. The drinks and food were good. Homemade Rootbeer was a hit with the kids. The ambiance there is a lot of fun too. But we were all exhausted from our long day so we got back to The Gonzo Inn and fell into bed.

It's always at night that I take stock of how I'm feeling. I tend to try to ignore it during the day because no one likes to hear someone complain constantly while they are on vacation. Each night I give Mike the report and tonight I'm happy to say that the pain is continuing to wain. Not only can I survive without the ibuprofen to sleep but during the day I'm not popping them like candy anymore. As my joints are finally feeling better I'm realizing exactly how much pain I had been in. I've been on the anitibiotics for over a week now (three times a day without missing a dose!) I have almost full mobility of my hands and my ankles are almost back to normal! I feel 100% better. After this, I'm really able to empathize with those who have long-term Lyme Disease. It must be awful! Luckily it looks like I caught it early enough and I'll be fine.

To be continued...

Thanks for the great report! My sister and BIL just returned from a very similar trip and just loved it, including their white water raft trip in Moab. I'm now inspired to start planning another trip for ourselves!

What a wonderful job you've done with this trip report, scraphappy! (And I was so relieved to get to the part where you are feeling better from the LD. Hope catching it with the antibiotix will mean no long-term effects?)

The Utah parks have been near the top of 'our list' for a while now - an area we have yet to explore at all. And your report is making me move it right to the top! Thanks for all the excellent description and details.

Scraphappy,

Really enjoying the rest of your adventure. Glad you enjoyed Goblin Valley! It's a bizare place, isn't it? I thought it looked like another planet - perfect for climbing kids.

Hi everybody - I'm working on getting my pictures uploaded and so far I've got through day 6 of our trip. Day 7 didn't upload correctly so I will be adding to that album. The photos are not in order within the albums because we were using three different cameras. I will try to continue to keep up with the photos as I write the trip report. Again, they are not that great but hopefully will add a visual element to the trip report. Here is the link http://public.fotki.com/scraphappy2/

Thanks again for reading - I find everybody's responses to be very encouraging and they move me to type more...

OH WOW!! The pictures are stunning. I so appreciate all the effort you've made in sharing your vacation with us! I knew I was really looking forward to my trip...now I'm blown away and can not contain my excitement. I shared the pictures with my DD and we just looked at eachother in amazment of all that beauty.

Thank you so much, scraphappy, you've really done a great job here.

Regarding Skyridge Inn, my husband and I did not feel comfortable during our stay there a year ago - WITHOUT ANY CHILDREN. I also returned dishes to the kitchen and immediately sensed that I had done something very wrong.

I agree that the Inn is lovely. It is well organized. The amenities are well thought out. The food was wonderful - both appetizers and breakfast. However, the hosts did not seeem to enjoy having guests. It was not a welcoming atmosphere. Conversing with them was awkward. We travel extensively and usually enjoy the personal contact that B&Bs provide, especially during long trips.

Re the hosts of the Skyridge Inn, don't you think that sometimes people think that running a B&B would be so fun and cute and charming and, etc. etc. I think they don't always know what they are getting into. Plus, not everyone is the right type of person to do it! I'm sure we have all taken a job at some point where we realized, oh oh, big mistake!

The problem with a B&B is that it's a sizeable investment and not always easy to sell if necessary. Maybe they would be given the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes there are awful things going on in people's lives that affect their outlook!

Travelottie - it's interesting that you had a similar experience at the Skyridge. I'm on the same page with you - even our husbands remarked that they were uncomfortable at the Skyridge and felt like we were intruders and not guests. At any rate, I think it's important to give our honest opinions and I appreciate you giving yours too!


Day 8 - Arches

We awoke leisurly this morning because of our early morning wake-up yesterday. After all - we are on vacation! Breakfast is complimentary at The Gonzo Inn and it had enough choices to keep us all happy. The yogurt is delicious with the granola added to it and they also have hard boiled eggs, several types of cereal, bagels, and muffins and good coffee!

After breakfast we headed out to Arches. It really is only a five minute drive outside of town. We snapped a picture of the kids at the national park sign and then went onto the visitor center. The visitor center is new having opened in September 2005. It's beautiful with a viewing area of windows all across the back. The film shown here is on Canyonlands and Arches and was done by the Discovery Channel - we really enjoyed it and found it very informative. What I have yet to mention also is that we have found that all of the national parks thus far into our trip have not been very crowded. Susan and I were by ourselves at Sunrise and Sunset points in Bryce and now the visitor center here was not too crowded either.

We drove into Arches after gathering our maps and info at the visitor center and decided that our first stop would be at Balanced Rock. We got out of the car and it seemed very hot. The sun was beating down and it felt hotter than it had been so far on our vacation. As we approached Balanced Rock for a closer look we saw little stacks of rocks everywhere - rock cairns. The kids eyes got wide and of course they went to town searching for various sized rocks to balance and stack as high as they could. This was another one of those "national park moments" for me - a wonderful activity that was not anticipated! When all of us get out into nature, oh what fun can be had! Even Mike started making his own rock cairn! Susan and I kept busy snapping pictures. There was no rush, we had all of the time in the world for the kids to create their own little balanced rock towers! Finally they each were satisfied with what they created so we climbed back into the mini vans to go to Delicate Arch Viewpoint. The air conditioning in the vans felt great. I think we were getting a little taste of the heat that I had heard so much about!

At the viewpoint which was a short walk from the parking lot, we could see Delicate Arch in the distance. In this heat, none of us would ever make it on the actual 3 mile round trip hike. It was a tease to see it from so far away. The only way I would be able to do the Delicate Arch hike would be first thing in the morning or in the evening. I was wondering whether I would be able to pull that off on this trip.

We doubled back to the Windows section which had a number of arches that we could see without really hiking. As we started out up the trail to North and South Windows I noticed that everyone was very irritable. Jamie was cranky and my little hiker girl Faith was complaining about walking already - and we had only been out of the car for 5 minutes! It was the heat! It was amazing to see all of us melt down. We had plenty of water with us but the sun was just beating down on us so much that it was hard to enjoy ourselves. Once we reached North and South Window, we could sit under the arches in the shade. Ahhh, that felt really good and the vistas were beautiful. I could gaze at this red rock country forever. And with the LaSal mountains in the background, it really is gorgeous.

The boys wanted to walk over to Turret Arch and I did too. The rest of our group went back to the vans and were happy to wait for us in the air conditioning. We hiked through Turret Arch and on the other side were some great climbing spots for the boys. I reminded them that they had to stay on the slickrock. The cryptobiotic crust on the ground here is extremely fragile and cannot withstand people walking on it. Throughout this trip we made sure that if we were off-trail that we stayed on slickrock so as not to damage the environment!

At any rate, the boys climbed to their hearts content, being dwarfed by the beautiful red rocks! This is a great park for kids! The temperature was more tolerable now because a storm was moving in and the clouds covered the brutal sun. The boys and I made our way back to the car and we all went back to Moab.

We were hungry and tired and needed to eat. The kids wanted to eat at Burger King (yuck!) but the adults wanted "real" food. We took the kids to the drive-through and then we ate at Zax pizza where I had the best BLT sandwich ever!

We had heard from our guide at Tag-a-long Expeditions that The Rock Shop has anything and everything so we decided to check it out. Each of us bought a "treasure." Susan and I were impressed by the petrified wood and agreed that it was a great souvenir from Moab. This place has every type of rock you can imagine - it's full of character for sure!

As we did a lot during this vacation, we gathered on the deck and enjoyed discussing our day. The kids would pop out every so often and add their two cents in! They were always concerned about the next day and what we would be doing. They wanted to go rafting but white water would be too rough for the younger ones. The men decided to walk across the street with the kids to check out some options at the Moab Adventure Center. They came back with a decision to take a tame rafting trip on duckies - inflatable kayaks. The kids seemed excited with that decision and went to bed, once again, very easily!

Again, I'll try to keep up with the pictures. Here is the link http://public.fotki.com/scraphappy2/

To be continued...

Dayle, that's a thought, but...I own a service business and my life gets "crappy" just like everyones, but my clients don't want to hear it and I don't blame them. If I want to be cranky, cool, what ever to someone, then I need to see a "shrink", they get paid for that. I don't like going into a store or what ever and having snotty or cool treatment, or what ever you want to call it. Most B & B's are not cheap and the owners are responsible to to see that their guests are made to feel welcome and are well cared for. But, yes you are right, maybe they didn't know what they were getting in to but if they don't enjoy it, then they need to get out of the business. Just by what has been posted here would lead me to NOT want to stay there no matter how pretty the rooms are etc. Then on the other hand, maybe they're are just "like that" and don't know how they come across to their guests. Anyway, if I get to that area, I will look for other accommodations.

Dayle, Again I don't want to get off on a tangent here but I have to say that Skyridge was even rude on the phone before we ever got there. We found out that they have been running b&b's for more than 15 years in various parts of the US. They have owned the Skyridge for the past five years and are currently trying to sell it. Trust me that there were a couple of other incidents that happened that would clearly illustrate their inhospitable nature. I think they are just ready to retire and their hearts are not into it any more. I don't want the Skyridge to get a bad rap because it will be sold soon and I'm sure the new owners will be an improvement!

On the other hand, months ago when I called the Dreamkeeper Inn in Moab they could not have been nicer. They had no availability for the dates that I needed but still invited me to come visit! They even knew that we had lots of kids and they still wanted us to come check them out while we were in Moab so that if we visited again, we would be familiar with them. From the moment I spoke with them on the phone, the Dreamkeeper Inn held warm and fuzzy feelings when I thought of them! I could tell that they were gracious hosts and I hadn't even met them!

Well, when I got such negative feelings when I spoke to the Skyridge I should've changed my reservations. But instead, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I thought that maybe they were having a bad day or something. I knew the Skyridge had a good reputation so I brushed it off. Well, I was wrong. They weren't just having a bad day, they were just unwelcoming people. Susan and I can't be any more bubbly, kind, funny and outgoing! We were trying our hardest to "crack" them! But they were just cold, no matter what.

So I know what you are trying to say Dayle. I, too, was trying desperately to give them the benefit of the doubt. But now I know better. Here are people who are in the wrong business! The Skyridge is so beautiful and it deserves owners who will reflect that beauty in their personality and hospitality. Good food and clean rooms alone are not enough. Especially when you are paying top dollar to stay there.

I apologize to everyone for going on about this but I want to get the record straight. Those of us who spend so much time researching and trying to create the best vacation possible realize the importance of every decision we make when we are planning.

I promise that I won't mention the Skyridge again!

Loving the report and the photos!

Day 9 - Arches & Dead Horse Point

The men were off with the kids for their rafting trip. They were in two person inflatable rafts. Susan and I kept Jamie back with us. They left at around 10:45 and wouldn't be getting back until 4:00.

Susan was trying to convince me to go off to Arches by myself since she would slow me down with Jamie. But in the end we decided that the three of us would go together. We went back to the visitor center for a bit more shopping and then onto the Fiery furnace overlook. We hadn't signed up for the hike since the only one they had available when we had checked yesterday was 2:00 - right in the middle of the day. None of us are in shape enough to hike in the heat of the day. However, I love having a reason to come back here and the Delicate Arch hike and Fiery Furnace hike are two very good reasons to return!

The overlook of fiery furnace was very interesting - you can see why the hike needs to be guided - it's a confusing maze in there! I loved the fins and how they jutted up from the ground, I can only imagine that the hike is amazing.

We drove onto Sand Dune Arch which is an easy little hike through sand. Jamie loved it and took off her shoes to feel the sand in her toes! This is another great place for kids and I was wishing that the rest of ours were with us. There is lots of shade along this short hike and when you get to the small arch, you can rest in the shade underneath it. Large fins are jutting up along the way too (that's what is providing the shade!) which I find fascinating.

We decided that Jamie couldn't do the hike to landscape arch so I didn't get to see it either - there is my third reason to come back! The thing about landscape arch is that no one knows how long it will still be around since it is fragile. A piece of it broke off in 1991 and twice in 1995. They show video of the 73-foot slab falling off of it at the visitor center's film. It's amazing that no one was hurt when it happened. So if you can, go to see this arch - I plan to the next time I'm here!

We took our time meanering out of the park, stopping at the various overlooks. It was kind of peaceful just the three of us. I asked Susan if she was up for a trip to Dead Horse Point. Since we had seen it from the bottom, I really wanted to see it from the top. So off we went. Have I mentioned how much fun it is to share all of these adventures not only with your husband and kids but with your best friend too! We had a great time chatting in the car and before we knew it, we were there. Hardly any cars on the road either. In general wheverever we have been, there is very little traffic - almost like we are traveling by ourselves. It's strange for those of us from the east coast who are used to so much congestion and traffic.

We stopped at the visitor center and picked up some literature and used the facilities. Dead Horse Point was amazing. You can see for miles in all directions with the Colorado at the bottom. It is definitely worth the 35 minute trip from Moab! Jamie was strapped securely in her stroller, but Susan was still a bit nervous being that high.

Here's an interesting thing to consider. At the different national parks that we have been visiting, you either stand at the top and gaze down or stand at the bottom and gaze up. Zion you see mostly from the valley floor, Bryce from the top and the bottom if you hike down, Canyonlands from both the bottom and the top, and Arches from the bottom (it's not really a canyon.) Susan and I determined that we prefer those parks where we are gazing up at things, not down. It is an interesting way of looking at it. I guess if you can see it from both vantage points that is the best. Like those who hike to Angel's Landing get a special view of Zion from up high. I'm thinking of Yosemite, which we did in 2004. You see a lot of it from the valley but oh, how beautiful it is up at Glacier Point! We also did a sunset hike up to the top of Sentinel Dome while we were there - spectacular views and an experience I will never forget. But all in all, I feel at peace when I'm down lower and looking up at mountains and/or cliffs. When I'm up high, it is less relaxing but more of an adrenaline rush. Is any of this making sense? Susan and I were just discussing our favorites so far in the trip and both of us loved Zion and Arches the best. The kids were the most impressed by Bryce so far.

I was drinking in the views of Dead Horse State Point and reflecting on what a wonderful vacation this is. None of us are the least bit tired of traveling and we are still holding onto every day, not wanting it to end. Mike is really able to relax and have fun because his cell phone doesn't work most of the time out here. That's been a nice break - being a business owner, his cell phone wrings non-stop usually and he has been known to do a lot of work on vacations with his computer. I've noticed how he has really engaged on this vacation and been able to leave his work behind!

Now that I've completely gone off on a tangent, I'll get back to the activities of the day! When we got back to the hotel, they were all home and full of stories of their adventure. It seems that everyone had a good time on the "duckies." Mike and Faith had hit a hydraulic and gotten dumped into the river. Faith didn't like that but Mike said she rebounded fairly quickly and he got her back into the raft. Our small digital camera had been in Mike's pocket in a little ziploc bag. Well, it turns out that the ziploc bag had a hole in it and the camera got soaking wet. I thought it was a goner for sure. Mike had taken the battery and memory card out and let it dry on the deck. When we finally felt it was dry and tried it out, it actually worked! I was so relieved because all of the pictures from their horseback riding trip and ATV trip were on there too. I couldn't believe it survived that muddy river! It seems to be working just fine!

So in asking everybody how they liked the rafting, they all said they had a lot of fun. They were split when I asked them which they had liked better, the tubing in Zion or the "duckies" here in Moab. Half of them liked this better and half liked the tubing better. They said this was more work because they had to paddle. They also liked the fact that they got a chance to get out and swim - that felt good. The temperatures were consistely 93-95 degrees while we were in Moab. It was hot but not unbearable. Again, the locals were all commenting on how much cooler it is - usually they're at 100 degrees or higher! So one of my biggest fears regarding this trip was the heat and it was turning out to really be a non-issue. Yesterday was the worse and we survived it.

That night we went back to Zax again to eat dinner since it was so close to The Gonzo. The kids liked the pizza and the rest of us ate burgers and sandwiches. I couldn't resist getting the BLT again. Moab would've been another good place for us to go out and have an adult meal but the kids really preferred us to eat with them so we obliged them. I'm sure we'll get to sneak out in the Grand Canyon when we will be joining my parents.

We spent our last night in Moab shopping. There are lots of cute little shops all within walking distance. The boys got cap guns, even the 16 year old. It was surprising - I was thinking that they would never have played with cap guns if we are at home. I guess they were getting into the "Butch Cassidy" spirit of the west!

As I think of our time in Moab - four nights and three days, I am content. Yes, you could spend a week here easily. And we didn't get to explore the other areas of Canyonlands. But I felt that we really got to know Moab and experience most of what we wanted to do. Yes, there is still a lot more that can be done here on another trip but I think we're all ready to move on. The four nights here went by fast and I'm certainly glad that we didn't have less than that. Originally when I was doing my itinerary I was going to rush us through Moab and over to Mesa Verde and Durango. We would've been exhausted doing that. Luckily some wise counsel from all of you guys kept me from trying to cram in too much. It's important to remember that for those of us who are traveling with kids, everything takes longer to do and see. Our itinerary is working out perfectly for us and I don't think we would go back and change a thing.

Tomorrow we are off to Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon...life is good!

Here is the photo link again http://public.fotki.com/scraphappy2/

To be continued...

Thanks scraphappy for your trip report.

sharondi & I have one posted here as well and I'm aware of the effort that goes into one. I've been enjoying your trip but got a little queasy looking at the pictures of your children at Goblins...especially img5767. As timeless as those hoodoos seem, they are delicately balanced and DO fall sometimes. I'm glad everyone managed to survive!

Thanks too for sharing your images...I love snapshots of places; it gives you a much better feel for a place than the glamour photos by pros although I enjoy them too for different reasons.

Speaking of which, I hope you wandered into the Tom Till gallery in Moab. Humbling for an amateur like me.

http://www.tomtill.com/

Thanks again and I'm looking forward to the rest of the report.

Peterboy,

I am very familiar with Sharondi's (and yours) trip report - I read the entire thing while I was planning and enjoyed every minute of it! I also loved your pictures - you are very talented and have a great eye. You really know how to compose a picture. I didn't even come close to any of your pictures!

Yes, I know our climbing kids were in a bit of danger at times. Over the course of the trip, for every one time we let them climb, there were 4-5 times that we wouldn't let them, because of the danger. The sandstone is very fragile and can crumble easily. Susan was having a heart attack at Goblin as they climbed! We did survive but I do think it's wise to be cautious!

Regarding Tom Till - love him! Yes, I did spend some time in his gallery in Moab and then was lucky enough to see a few more of his photographs in the Grand Canyon at Kolb Studio. He is masterful at photography and I loved seeing his photos of the southwest. He really does capture the beauty of the parks. I was equally in heaven when we were in Yosemite at the Ansel Adams gallery. I wish my passion for photography equalled talent but unfortunately it doesn't! I really don't have a good eye but I continue to try to learn. On this trip I was not able to spend any time with composition and light so I did indeed just grab snapshots.

Thanks for reading and for all of the input that you and Sharondi give on this forum - it really makes a difference to so many of us!

Interesting observation with the looking up, looking down thing.

I've enjoyed this report as much as when Luke and Laura were getting married on General Hospital (he, he)and I'd rush home every afternoon to see what was going to happen next!

And BTW scraphappy, you're one classy lady...

Scraphappy,

Enjoying the continuing saga! Yes, you will definitely have to return to give more time to Arches!

I'm surprised to hear that the Dreamkeeper in Moab has changed it's policy regarding guests under 18. I haven't visited since the current owners took over a little more than a year ago. Have to check that out.