Clark Canyon Tour '09

This last weekend (Thurs-Sun) we took our first family vacation. Actually, we've taken lots of trips, but this was the first "pure vacation" that was just us with our kids, going somewhere on our own, NOT to visit relatives or attend a family reunion. As much as we love each of our families, it was great to have our own little family time...

A few days before the kids started Spring Break, I politely asked (begged) Chris to take a couple days off to help me maintain my sanity. I thought we might take a day trip or two. Which turned into an overnight trip to Southern Utah. Which turned into a bit more... There is just so much we haven't seen out here, and it felt like a shame to be all the way down there and miss any of it. As our plans got more ambitious, the kids got more excited, but we just got more and more nervous.

Luckily, our fears were unfounded, and the trip was amazing...

(click on any photo to enlarge it)

THE ROUTE
THE TRANSPORTATION
THE PROOF
...But first, some quick notes

• Although it was sunny, the weather at most of our stops was cold, windy, and snowy. This accounts for the lack of more/better pictures. (And our messy hair)
• Yes, David's head has been shaved. No I did not approve. Yes, it was Chris. No, I don't want to talk about it.
  

Arches
Four Corners
Grand Canyon
Zion National Park

(Michael got a quick lesson about keeping gum in his mouth (and out of his hair)

Swimming (indoor pool, outdoor snow)
Bryce Canyon
THE TRAVELERS

Chris drove the entire 1640 miles.

Nancy spent the entire 1640 miles getting in and out of her seat--passing out food, fetching sippy cups, replacing pacifiers...

Tommy ranked the top-five activities of the trip as follows: 1)Swimming, 2) Four Corners, 3)Staying in Hotels, 4)Grand Canyon, 5)Arches.

Michael asked at one point, "why do we keep seeing so many canyons!?" He spent most of the trip asking us what state we were in.

David spent a lot of time in the van singing the alphabet. He loved the climbing and hiking. He was also a fan of the make-shift beds we made him at each hotel room, since he is still used to sleeping in a crib.

Robbie was an amazing traveler. He ate and slept at all the right times, and was very patient about all the time he had to spend in a carseat. It was a perfect trip for him, since we were mostly on the road and very rarely in public/crowded places. (Just a few more weeks until RSV season is over and he can be out and about!)

THE TIDBITS

• Getting an $80 Annual National Park Pass is worth it.
  
• We loved having baskets/bins on the floor of the van to keep all of our stuff organized (for the first few hours of each day, at least)
• We planned our trip so that we'd be able to listen to most of General Conference (LDS broadcast) while we drove--nothing like having your kids strapped in chairs to help with being able to pay attention!
  
• Regardless of how little food your children will actually eat, it is never, ever a good idea to buy 2 Happy Meals to split between 3 children. (Three days of arguing over the 2 toys...)
• Our most notable driving experiences were 1)driving through a (red) dust-storm, and 2)being completely stopped on a 2-lane highway for 1.5 hours due to a car accident. We didn't see as many animals as we hoped to, but at least we didn't have any problems with the deer-, cow-, horse-, sheep-, or rabbit-crossings that the signs warned us about.
  
• An in-car/portable DVD player is not a luxury, it is an absolute necessity. How did we (that is, our parents) ever survive without one?!
• Apparently, Curious George (the movie) is capable of entertaining boys with ages ranging from 2-7--even after being viewed 7 times. And incidentally, Cinderella is "just for girls", but Barbie Mermaidia is not.
  
• We got much better deals on hotels by driving into town and finding one (as opposed to the quotes we saw online before our trip). This was a better option financially, and it helped us be more flexible when we wanted to drive further on certain nights.
• Our most "economical" stay was at the Hacienda hotel/casino in Lake Mead, NV ($20 a night for a really nice room with 2 double beds!). Our favorite hotel was The Abbey Inn in Cedar City (great indoor pool).
  
• The presence of a waffle iron is the leading indicator of the high quality you can expect from a hotel's continental breakfast.

The kids are already asking when we are going on a trip again. And I just overheard Michael ask Tommy, "What state are we in?"