So much to see…so little time. The truth is one can never see it all, especially considering the universe is constantly changing. For me, it’s not just about seeing. It’s about the whole experience. I have always been interested in nature and have tried to combine that with my interest in photography. The experience is different depending on conditions. The weather is always changing. Having a camera at the ready, or even the lens attached can influence the direction of interest. It seems that fixing your attention on what matters most (at the time) gives the best chance at achieving the warm feeling that comes with success. Sometimes I have to be in the moment without a camera. Often the experience is more about the people present at the time. I have been to the Big Five in Utah and the plus One (in Colorado) but not with any of my grandchildren. This time, they were to be the primary focus; as they were with the rest of this road trip.
This will be the last post reporting the twins’ six-year-old adventure. As I write this, my thoughts turn to the limited number of adventures I have left with grandkids in their sixth year of life. I am pleased that I was invited to share these memories and look forward to two more with grandchildren on my daughter’s side. This adventure has to have an end though. Kids have to go back to school and parents have to make a living.
Mommy and Nana were not going to be able to travel back with us across the country. The only park of the Big Five that they would accompany us to was Zion National Park, being the closest to Las Vegas. The rest of the way, only the five of us will see what we can see.
Zion is impressive. I have heard more than one national park aficionado claim it as their favorite. That impressiveness comes with challenges for children (and to the adults in charge; especially when trying to manage three children under eight who are active, not very cautious, and likely to run in three different directions at the same time). Falling off a cliff, experiencing heat exhaustion, and being swept up by a flash flood are three dangerous challenges that come immediately to mind. Adding to that, is the stress our grandkids impose on themselves in their natural tendency to be competitive. Silly stuff, like being the first in the family to complete the tasks necessary to earn the Junior Ranger badge—which are not meant to be competitive; but rather educational, and fun. Even though this was an adventure planned for the twins, some activities were not suitable at their age. One such activity best left to the adults in the group was the hike up to Angel’s Landing from the canyon floor. I had never done it. My son and daughter-in-law–who hiked part of the Appalachian Trail for their honeymoon–were able to fit it into the itinerary. Nana and Popop helped make it possible by babysitting the kids. Honestly, it would probably have been too much of a challenge for either of us, and certainly too dangerous for the three children to go. You can see why in the photo above taken by my son as they were returning from the hike. It was something my son knew he wanted to do with his wife and we were happy to make ourselves available. He met a guy at Mesa Verde National Park who gave him some good advice. He said to rent electric scooters the night before and ride from the hotel to the trailhead by 5 in the morning to beat the crowd–the buses don’t operate at that hour and you are not allowed to drive to the trailhead during the busy seasons. They followed the advice and had the trail to themselves; not having to worry about waiting at the narrow parts, where you need to hold onto the chain (visible in the picture above…you might also see the little black dot that I believe is my daughter-in law holding the chain) so you don’t fall off the cliff. They hustled up the switchbacks, arriving at the top on time to see the sunrise without having to share the space until a man who ran the trail showed up. My son enjoyed telling us about the hike and said it was one of the most interesting and beautiful hikes of his life. I think he was grateful he got sound advice that made things go smoothly and pleased he could go without his little ones. When they get older, maybe another trip will be in order.
Later in the day, they hiked with the whole family, including us, on the River Walk and part of the Narrows trail. It was a great hike, and fortunately mostly shaded by the deep gorge cut by the North Fork of the Virgin River. Afterward, they took the kids back to eat and to swim at the hotel. My wife and I hiked the Emerald Pools trail. Zion, like Yellowstone is a park I hope to visit someday when snow is on the ground.
After two nights in Zion National Park, the ladies got up early and drove the car we rented in Las Vegas back to catch their flight home. Shortly after they left, we began our journey towards home in the truck, connecting Utah’s other four National Parks; Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands as we headed east. They are all worth seeing, as well as the scenery that you see along the way. I wish I had time to go into more stories and label all the photos that you can see by clicking here (A few taken by my son.) but even a retired teacher like me has to do things besides manage a website.
Oh, and the plus one…it was supposed to be Rocky Mountain National Park, but when we were heading up Interstate 70 in Colorado, just past Grand Junction, a wicked summer storm came through. It was exciting with all the lightning, thunder, a little bit of hail, and buckets of rain. The sky turned dark, and we ran into a traffic jam; which was not exciting or expected. Twenty minutes later, creeping along with the traffic, we were directed off the highway by flashing lights and police to a truck-stop parking area in Palisade, Colorado, along the Colorado River. Without further information, we waited awhile. Finally, I looked on Google maps and found that it indicated the road was closed for two days. This was supported by people who were waiting but had CB radios. The river needs rain delivered slowly from snow melt, not so much all at one time. The truck drivers said they heard a report that the storm had caused a landslide that covered the road. We were lucky we were not at the point of the landslide when it happened. We realized there aren’t many routes through this part of the Rockies, so we had to make a change of plans. We drove back towards Grand Junction on the interstate, until we could cut over to Route 50 east. This way brought us close to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It is one my son had never been to and another one where the kids could possibly get another Junior Ranger badge.
After a short but successful visit to the Black Canyon the next morning, we began the long drive home. Sometimes, a short stop to a place of interest leads to thoughts of trips there in the future. My son talked of revisiting the park again someday as we headed through the mountains. Though we brought fishing poles we never took the time to fish on the whole trip. My grandmother used to say, “maybe that’s on the next page.” We stopped for lunch where we discussed the route home, and decided to travel through the night while the kids were sleeping. During the daylight hours there was much to see and much to reflect on as we drove. As we headed east in Kansas the moon rose and it appeared as big and as red as I can ever remember–unfortunately, most probably due to the massive fires raging in the Pacific west. We made very good time and 27 hours later; (mostly driven by my son) traveling about 1700 miles, we made it home.
All in all, the twins’ adventure netted them eight national parks and seven Junior Ranger badges. I am grateful for the service and enthusiasm the park service employees displayed. The twins and their sister made many pledges as they received there badges from the rangers. Pledges I hope they will remember. The effort may lead to much more than just checking a list or getting plastic badges. Hopefully, their adventure helped foster intellectual curiosity that will live on, will provide material for stories of fond memories with family the twins can tell for years to come, and it instilled a sense of appreciation for nature that will eventually build to respect and stewardship of the Earth that will be entrusted to all of their generation. Maybe expecting all this from children is a tall order. If only they can learn from the mistakes of the people that came before them. The more I travel, the more I see the impact of our actions. I think there is time, but a little sense of urgency is in order.
If you are a family member and can remember your password, you can click here to see the family photos.