Driving through the Rockies did not disappoint us. It was Beautiful. We stopped at a scenic lookout and walked down to the Colorado River (at least I am assuming it was the CO River--or at least a run off of the CO River) and the kids got to stretch their legs and enjoy the surroundings. We saw some river rafters as well and Bryn and I decided we want to do that next time! I love that drive! I've driven through there many times before but I guess the older I get the more I appreciate nature's beauty!
Caelleb & Vanessa
Tia & Vanessa
After Colorado came UTAH. Not as green as CO but still a very pretty drive. Here are some pictures we took at another scenic lookout. I'm not exactly sure where we were but there was a sign that said, "Black Dragon Canyon, Utah." There ya have it! :)
We took a detour to Bryce Canyon and got there around 6:30pm. You will hear much more about Bryce Canyon in a post to come. In short, breathtaking. We didn't leave the National Park until 9pm and hadn't even eaten dinner yet. The kids really were troopers now that I look back (at the time they were driving me crazy). :) There really wasn't anywhere to eat nearby. We ended up on some back roads heading to I-15. By the time we finally got to Cedar City, UT it was probably about 10:30pm or maybe even later. I don't remember. The kids were all asleep. Bryn and I got ourselves something to eat and ordered a little something for the kids in case they were to wake up at some point that evening. I took over in the driver's seat and our intention was to drive as far as we could get and then find a hotel and finish the drive in the morning. I called my parents to let them know that we were going to find a place to stop for the night. Just to give you some perspective. . .
From Arvada, CO to Bryce Canyon, Utah is 568 miles.
From Bryce Canyon to my parent's house in Simi Valley is 554 miles.
Anyway, I got to Mesquite, NV at around 11:45pm or so, thinking/debating whether or not to stop. Bryndyn was asleep. The kids were asleep. Vegas was only an hour away. I figured I could at least get to Vegas. So, I made it to Vegas around 12:30am and still everyone in the van was sleeping except me. I figured I could drive through the city so we didn't hit the morning traffic and find a hotel on the west side. . . I got through all the bright lights of Vegas and I saw a sign for Los Angeles, less than 300 miles away. Hmmm. The van is quiet & peaceful. I've driven home from Vegas many times before. In fact, there was this one time in college that me and three of my girlfriends drove to Vegas and back overnight. Been there. Done that. Let's just GET THERE! Those 5 hours are all a blur to me now (thank goodness for good music, caffeine & sunflower seeds), but we got to my parents at 5:23 am (CA time, but 7:23 am MO time). I discovered the next day that, newsflash, I'm not in college anymore. I'm 33. What was I thinking. :) Actually, the all nighter definitely beat having the kids in the car for five more hours the next day. We definitely surprised my parents. Once the kids woke up there was no way we were getting them back to sleep. Thankfully my parents tended to them while Bryn and I CRASHED! We made it. Earlier than expected! :) Phew.
We went a total of 1122 miles that day. On this map it doesn't look too bad.
But if you look at how far we covered over two days (with 3 small children I might add). . . Yikes!
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