The Quietest 4th of July

After adventures in Zion, we headed to Bryce Canyon National Park to camp in a nearby National Forest and rest for a view days. Our first morning was the 4th of July and was the most silent 4th of July each of us had ever experienced. Though, we greatly appreciated the rest time!

Bryce Canyon with all of the Hoodoos, was amazing!

No, Lindsay! Don't push it!

After a few days, relaxing, followed by hiking, we headed to Nevada

for a quick stop at the Hoover Dam,

Then, it was off to Las Vegas, where we cleaned up and enjoyed an evening out.

Where Are We Now?

We suppose you have been wondering this...We have so many fun adventures about which to blog, but we had a bit of a snafu with our laptops...they got run over. We'll divulge the story another time, but for now, we simply wanted to let everyone know that we are visiting the Redwoods National Forest today (Sunday), then head north. Over the next two weeks, we are off to Portland, Vancouver (BC), Bellingham, and Seattle. Then it's off to Glacier and Yellowstone! We'll update with pictures and stories as soon as possible. Hasta pronto!

Zion (in Utah)

Zion National Park is so breath-taking, we thought it deserved a post of its own. We headed into Utah, knowing that the Zion Canyon and a short back-country trip awaited us.

After securing our back-country pass, we headed into the Canyon to hike two trails:
Angels Landing (pictures to come) - involved hiking a very narrow rim to the summit
Emerald Pools (pictures to come)

The next day, we were off with newly-met friends (Bob and Dawn) to hike into the back-country. We chose to hike The Narrows from the top (a 2-day trip). We had reserved campsites a 1/2 mile apart (#5 & #8), so each couple slept to the sound of a rushing river, chilly canyon weather, and solitude.

Day #1 was wet to our waists. Day #2 involved swimming with our packs on. As the tallest in the group, Mark often went first to test the depths, and in several cases, simply decided to float his pack as he waded through the water.

After two very long days, energized by Mountain House meals and peanut butter & jelly, Lindsay started to think she was smelling chocolate. To her, the red and green pebbles beneath the water began to look like tiny M&Ms. So, after a celebratory dinner out, we ended our day with a piece of rich, chocolate cake. Yum!

We cannot wait to share pictures because the trip was wet, narrow, and thrilling! For now, please click on The Narrows for Zion National Park pictures of The Narrows.

On Friday (July 2), Mark went rappelling with Bob, while Dawn and I rested. It was a great day for all of us!

Saturday (July 3), we depart Zion so that we may explore several of Utah's many fine parks (Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Arches, etc.), then it's off for a night in Las Vegas. Stay tuned!

Grand Things in Arizona

After our NM stops, we headed to Mesa, Arizona where we visited with Mark's Uncle Harold. Uncle Harold welcomed us graciously into his home. We shared conversation and learned that we had quite a lot in common with this fit great uncle, from healthful eating habits to staying physically fit (although Uncle Harold has us beat right now because he lifts weights regularly, including dips!). Mark assisted Uncle Harold with several computer questions he had, and Uncle Harold shared stories about his life in Arizona. We were fascinated to learn about his being a vegetarian for over 50 years, his time as a Marine, his work in construction, his life as a father, among many more topics. Needless-to-say, we were reluctant to leave, but the Grand Canyon awaited, and we headed on.

We camped for two nights at the South Rim, which we enjoyed. We hiked the Hermit Trail and the South Kaibab Trail.

Our favorite, though, was the North Rim, where we had booked a short 1-night stay. Lindsay's favorite hike became the North Kaibab Trail. Pictures to come!

We headed to Lake Powell (on the Arizona-Utah border) for one night because we had booked a flight lesson to get a bird's eye view of this unbelievable landscape. On Monday morning, Lindsay was back in the left seat of a Cessna 172. Our flight instructor (Dan) from American Aviation was kind enough to take pictures, so Lindsay could fly the whole time. Pictures to come...

Roadtrip, Off to NM

We have finally headed out on the U.S. portion of our travels. First stop: Carlsbad, NM where we hiked into the immense caverns.

Then, it was off to White Sands, NM, with an overnight camping trip in the National Forest around chilly 8000' Cloudcroft, NM. It was an amazingly beautiful spot, complete with serenity. Of course, the wildlife (coyotes) made themselves known with a few howls in the middle of the night, making us feel a part of nature!

Our morning visit to White Sands was a take-your-breath-away experience. The white sand with the mountain backdrop was surreal.

We have not been able to upload pictures, or get on internet very frequently, so please click on the links above to see pictures of these amazing creations.