Vacation to Zion

We just returned from a much anticipated trip to St. George and Zion. We had a lot of fun and got a lot of sun (all the better, because it has been snowing HARD here for the past two days. Spring has not yet reached the Great White North). I was nervous about the drive, but it went really well, as long as we took breaks every hour. I was nervous about pulling mom and dad's trailer, but that too went well, and was soooooo worth the soft bed at night, and the sink to wash in.

I even used the trailer in St. George, when the kids and dad slept in the hotel room, and baby Benji screamed in the middle of the night. It was a nice retreat, and took a lot of stress off of my nights. The hotel had a pool and a hot tub, which occupied a good part of each day for me and the kids, while Jeff attended a conference. We also explored the many city parks that St. George had to offer. My favorite was the Slick Rock City Park, which had a great climbing wall, and beautiful xeriscaping. The kids loved the Hidden Valley Park, which had fun water features, play structures, and this weird bouncy flooring.

After three days in St. George, we headed with mom to Zion National Park, my old stomping grounds. We spent four glorious days there, camping by the river, and taking the shuttle into the canyon to do day hikes. Gabe was the best little hiker! He really enjoyed the cliffs, stairs, and slickrock. Leo and Benji hitched a ride on mom and dad's backs and fronts, respectively. We also spent some time playing on the river in the sand, and splashing in the cold green water.

For those doubter, the park shuttle was wonderful. We hardly moved the truck once we pitched camp. It was so fun to hop on the bus and let the cool sweet canyon air blow through the windows and onto my face. We didn't worry about parking. We didn't worry about locking doors or leaving the vehicle. The canyon was a lot quieter too. Gabe participated in the Junior Ranger Program, and earned his badge after attending a ranger program and answering a lot of questions about canyon wildlife. The last night we were at Zion, we walked over to the Imax Theater outside the gate, and saw a GIANT screening of Horton Hears a Who. It was a fun end to a fun vacation.
















Leo taking a little snooze during our hike to the Emerald Pools





















Gabe and Leo at Weeping Rock, with Mom doing a little rock climbing in the background.





















We loved having the extra baby-holding arms around!