Capitol Reef, Day 2

This was our big hiking day. Conditions were a little rough considering we didn't get an early start and so it was already getting warm when we set off on our first hike, but we really wanted to see one of the arch formations that this park is known for.

There was still some shade on parts of the trail, so that helped, and we had plenty of water, and only had to contend with a moderate amount of complaining.

Lots of beautiful views as we went.

And then. . .Cassidy Arch. It's pretty amazing what natural forces can do to rock.

Of course, everyone wanted to go across the arch. It's hard to see them out there, but Daddy-o, Bean, and Bug are standing in the center.

And then, Peanut got a turn.

You will not see me on the arch. I actually probably would have been fine going out there on my own, but I have an aversion to being on high ledges with my kids. I literally get weak knees and a quivery stomach and just want to grab them all and hold on to them tightly. But since I know this isn't rational, and Daddy-o assured me that the bridge was actually really wide and not in the least bit dangerous, I want them to be able to enjoy these things. So they go, and I stay back and take the pictures, while trying not to throw up, haha.

After that hike, we stopped by the store near the orchard for pies and some snacks for lunch. No pictures of the pies because we were too busy eating them, haha. But they were pretty tasty--nothing can quite touch Daddy-o's pies, but not bad at all.

Next stop--some petroglyphs from the Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan people who lived here between 600-1300 A.D.

There's a section of the rock wall that is just covered in these drawings--very cool to see.

 And then, because we're gluttons for punishment, and maybe a little bit stupid, we decided to do one more hike. The Hickman Bridge was supposed to be cool, and it was, but I don't know if hiking in the heat was the best choice for our group. Even though it was only 2 miles and classified as an easy hike, we were really dragging.

Don't let the smiles fool you--there was some serious complaining and regret at this point. The bridge was cool, but it wasn't easy getting to it.

But at least we can pretend we were having fun!

We took a much needed break in the shade of the arch before we headed back down.

We do love seeing cool stuff, and sometimes that comes with a price. Just have to keep it real. Adventuring can be rough!

Even though the end wasn't pretty (we all had varying degrees of headache and extreme exhaustion), it was a pretty amazing day.

And after that very full day, we still had a 3 hour drive to St. George where we got to meet up with our good friends for dinner from Viva Chicken, our favorite southern UT restaurant. No pictures because I wasn't feeling great and it never even crossed my mind to snap a photo of us all, but we had a lovely couple hours hanging out with them. The boys and I had spent an evening with them the week before, and they were pretty jazzed to be able to see each other again so soon. Just wish UT wasn't so far away!

 

Capitol Reef Day One

The drive from Rara's to Capitol Reef wasn't too long, so we made it with some time to explore the park that afternoon. The red rock against that sky: 💓. There is so much beauty in this world, and so much variety in nature.

We made a quick stop at the visitor's center, drove into the park a little ways to see the old orchards from when there was a small community who lived in the valley here.

Then we headed to our hotel just outside the park to swim for a bit. We stayed in this cute cabin that night. There was actually a kitchen inside, as well as two bedrooms and a small living room. It would have been a great basecamp for a few days of hiking, but we only had the one night, so we really didn't take advantage of it all. But the pool and hot tub were a nice break.

Views with dinner--we found a pizza/pasta place with a nice big patio and had this as our backdrop for dinner.

And because we were enjoying dinner for so long, we actually missed most of the sunset back in the park. We got there a little later than planned, but we still had hours to go.

We hung out (some of us literally) while the sun went down.

These rocks are so beautiful!

Look! We're all there!

These kids are pretty awesome adventurers. So glad we get to explore with them.

And then, we hurried across the road to Chimney Rock. We wanted to squeeze in a quick hike before it was completely dark.

We climbed up until we got some good views of the Chimney Rock formation. It would have been fun to do the whole loop, but it was getting dark fast and we were on the edge of some steep ledges. Honestly, the hike back down was a little nerve-wracking for me, but we all made it down the hill in one piece.

The last of the color. We didn't have much longer to wait until it was completely dark and that meant the main event was getting started. No telescopes this time, but the sky was just as amazing as it was in Great Basin NP. I am completely ignorant on how to do night sky photography, so no pictures, but the Milky Way was brilliant and the boys and I were able to identify all of the constellations we'd learned the week before. Getting these dark sky nights on this trip was a big highlight. You just don't realize what all the city lights are doing to your view until you get away from them all.

Another late night, but so worth it!