Posted in Travel

National Parks Tour: Stop 3- Zion National Park and another rest day

Posted on by Tricia T

Zion National Park was definitely the part of our trip that I was most looking forward to and it did not disappoint in the least.  This was the part of the trip that I really planned out last summer when we were in Utah, even though I had no idea if or when we would be back!

That Wednesday morning dawned early (okay.. we were up hours before dawn) so that we could head to Springdale, UT to meet two guides to go canyoneering.    

Zion Adventure Company

I spent a lot of time researching the best company to use for canyoneering since we would have kids from age 7 and grandparents along for the trip.  The more I researched, the more I kept coming back to Zion Adventure Company and after a couple of phone calls to ask questions, I was ready to book!  ZAC offers several different options, but after comparing prices and activities we decided to go with the Family Adventure Day for a full day. 

We met the guides at the shop and because the morning was chilly, they quickly invited us inside for a safety talk and provided us with the recommended gear.  Donned with boots and water proof socks (and extra layers for the kids) we loaded back up to head to Zion.

First Glimpse of Zion

The drive through the park was breathtaking.  As you drive through Zion you are greeted with beautiful views in every direction.  The highlight of the drive through for the kids was driving through the 1.1 mile tunnel through the mountain that was completed in the 1930s.  Unlike most of the tunnels they have driven through, this one has no lights other than the natural light coming in from a few openings cut into the rock!

Driving into Zion!

On the other side of the tunnel, we exited the park and found a place to park alongside our guides.

Family Adventure Day

Here we donned our backpacks, grabbed our lunches, put on our scuttle butts (yes, that is really a thing) and started the trek towards the canyons. The mile long trek was cool, but seeing the snow over the canyon and park was a beautiful way to start the day. We were all excited to take a short break before entering the narrow opening into the canyons.

Hiking to the canyon opening

By mid-morning we made it to our first rappelling stop. Our guides led our first safety lesson and then we all took turns rappelling a 20-foot rappel. The kids were impressive. Maybe the rock climbing lessons at the YMCA in Ohio really did stick with them 😊. This was definitely the highlight of my day!

Slipping through the slots and under rocks.

One of their favorite things was sliding down one of the rocks into the canyon below. They learned how to use those scuttle butts to keep from hurting their bottoms. And they proceeded to slide back and forth on as many rocks as they could (and on the snow too).

Getting ready to slide into the canyon below!

We stopped for lunch before our longest rappel of the day and picnicked in the sun, losing our coats to backpacks and enjoying the beautiful weather. We also figured out how to use natures’ best bathrooms 😉 while waiting to rappel.

After lunch we had a 90 foot rappel that made everyone a little nervous, except for the two youngest girls, and surprisingly everyone handled it like champs!   

My dad going over the edge on the 90 ft rappel!

This was the drop that brought out everyone’s fears and insecurities, but between that rappel and the end of the day everyone was able to face their fears and embrace the fun of the adventure.  Our day ended with a few rope drops and a couple of shorter rappels.  As well as rock climbing through some narrow canyons. 

When we exited the canyons, we had to make the uphill trek back to the car. This was probably the hardest part of the day. Everyone was tired and the most fun parts of our hike were behind us. Our day ended up being much longer than anticipated, but our guides were still patient with us!

Despite the weariness climbing up the hill, when our guides offered to return with a car to pick us up, most of the kids said no and instead raced the car back to where we parked!

A few highlights from our day!

We drove back through Zion to Springdale and made our way back home, stopping for dinner on the way!  By the time we made it back to the house everyone was ready to relax in the hot tub.

Zion Day Two- A Short Hike

I still had not had my fill of Zion’s beauty.  The next morning my mom offered to keep the kids in the pool at the AirBnb and I quickly accepted. We offered them the chance to go, but all of them preferred a rest day at home, even without electronics.  My dad drove E and I back to Zion. He dropped us on the far side of the tunnel through the mountain to hike to the Canyon Overlook.

If you are familiar with Zion National Park then you have probably heard about the infamous Angels Landing hike. We decided early in our planning that this was not a hike for the kids to go on with us. Within the month prior to our visits there were two deaths at Angel’s Landing. So it was not a hike that this mom was the least bit drawn to. The day before the guides made some recommendations for hikes to us. They said they preferred the Canyon Overlook over Angels Landing due to the smaller crowds and views just as memorable.

Zion National Park

They were right and after a short hike out we found ourselves looking out over the Canyon below. It was breathtaking and once again pictures just do not do it justice.

There were chipmunks everywhere!

My only regret was not forcing the kids to come along with us. They would have loved climbing over rocks and ducking into caves to make their way out to the Overlook.

The canyon view from the overlook!

After our short hike, we walked the road to meet my dad. Since our phones did not work on the road, we just walked until we saw him again.

Heading back out from the overlook.
The road as we finished our hike!

Then we made our way back through the tunnel. We took pictures of the overlook from below and of the tunnel we had driven back through!

Outside the tunnel!
The view from the tunnel!

Zion was definitely my favorite part of our whole trip.  If we go back we will definitely do more hiking and spend more time in the park. 

My key takeaways:

  • Plan ahead. Shuttle tickets can be hard to come by. There are parts of the park that can only be reached by shuttle.  We got them for afternoons, but no mornings!
  • Canyoneering was a fantastic splurge.  If you visit and can afford an adventure like this, I would definitely check out Zion Adventure Company.
  • There are so many incredible things to do here, but you can see amazing views just driving through the park.  If you enjoy hiking, definitely plan to spend several days.
Posted in Travel

National Parks Tour: Stop 2- Hurricane, UT; Bryce Canyon (and a rest day)

Posted on by Tricia T
You need to add a widget, row, or prebuilt layout before you’ll see anything here. 🙂

After we left the Grand Canyon we headed north to Utah and our next stop at an AirBnb in Hurricane, UT.  This was the part of the trip that I was most excited about, and not just because of the great place we found to stay. We made it to town in time to eat dinner at a cute little café before checking into the AirBnb and getting settled for the week.

The AirBnb had 6 bedrooms which meant almost everyone had their own room which is always a blessing when we travel.  We called it an early night considering the time change so we would be able to get up the next morning for the 1.5 drive to Bryce Canyon. The drive was fairly quick and while we were on the way, we read up a little on the history of this canyon and the hoodoos that are found there.

If you have never heard of Bryce Canyon (I had not before we started planning this trip), it is not really a canyon at all!  It is actually a collection of amphitheaters that were naturally created.  While it has the appearance of a canyon it is filled with hoodoos.  Hoodoos are these tall, pole shaped columns made out of rock.  The hoodoos were what the kids were most excited to see.

Bryce is a less visited park then both Grand Canyon and Zion, so once again we did not find ourselves in large crowds of people and when we came across a natural bridge across the road we were able to jump out of the car and take pictures on the way into the park. 

Driving into Bryce Canyon

The sun was shining and despite the snow on the ground it was actually really nice out when we pulled into the first parking lot. We set out for a view of the rim leaving water bottles and gloves behind. We figured we would get a peek and then drive through the rest of the park to see the views from the different stops along the way. Though I secretly was hoping we would get to make the hike around the rim if the weather cooperated!

Once again we faced a view that pictures just can not do justice. While we were standing on the edge we could see the next little viewpoint just up and around the corner. We could not go back to the car without making our way to see the view from there!

Our first view of Bryce!

Before we knew it we were standing at Sunset Point… and looking out could see the next viewpoint a ways up… and off we were hiking through the snow to Sunrise Point.  From there we could see the Queen Victoria, Thor’s Hammer, and Wall Street.

Of course I still wasn’t finished because I could see another view point just a little further 😉. The path got a little slippery from there due to the snow and ice. Not to mention there were several places where you were climbing up at a pretty steep incline. So my parents stayed back with my youngest playing in the snow while the rest of us ventured on up the hill.

Starting the trek uphill!

The uphill trek was worth it in order to see the view from the Lower, Middle and Upper Inspiration Points. The snow covered hoodoos were breathtaking and I can see where it got its name.

Inspiration Point! Way off in the distant center you can see where we started our trek!

I am sure the kids did not appreciate the beauty of it as much as the adults. Their highlight was trying to run back downhill without sliding on their backsides. Sadly there are no videos of this cause I was trying to make it down without sliding on mine. Haha.

We could see the Queens Garden Trail and the Navajo Loop Trail from our vantage point on the rim. Both of which I would love to do when they are not icy, wet and muddy! The kids actually said that they looked like they would be fun to hike too which says a lot.

Bryce can definitely be done in a day (or over several).  There are many hiking trails with so many different views, but if you are not a hiker, there is a lot of beauty to be beheld just by driving to and from the different viewpoints along the rim.  When all was said and done, we walked over 4.5 miles, but we passed 3 different parking areas on our trek that we could have driven to if we had not wanted to hike!

We ended the day with Thai food and then went back to the AirBnb to soak our tired bones in the hot tub.

***Our second day in Hurricane was a rest day (we always make sure to plan those so that everyone can relax, recharge, and enjoy the vacation). We woke up to snow falling, but it quickly melted so we could enjoy the outdoors. In addition to the heated pool and hot tub, the AirBnb had miniature golf, volleyball, horseshoes and a firepit in the backyard so there was plenty to do around there. In the afternoon we took an adventure to nearby St. George to look for dinosaur tracks and ended up off-roading through the mud… but that’s an adventure for another day 😉.

Posted in Joy, Travel

National Parks Tour: Stop 1- Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Posted on by Tricia T

Day One:

               As soon as we returned from Utah last summer, I started planning out a trip to go back.  I knew we wanted to go explore some of the National parks we missed on our last trip, but when the weather was cooler for hiking and being outside!  For spring break we decided we would make a trip out west to visit several of our country’s national parks.  My parents bought a new RV last fall and I started encouraging them to make a trip out to Texas. I joked that we would hop in and travel with them. 

The planning got underway and I laid out our trek west in detail, getting more and more excited. I looked at renting an RV and traveling out west to visit the parks. I started to plan and lay out the schedule, and decided that for a short 10 to 12-day trip, we would be able to do more and see more without the extra drive time added on to either end! So, we purchased flights and my parents made the trip out to Texas to fly with us from here!

Our fifteen hour roadtrip map!

               We decided to fly roundtrip to Vegas because it was central to all the places we wanted to see. And flying there was cost-effective for both the flight and a SUV large enough to hold 8 people!  Plus, I wanted the kids to see the Hoover Dam. What better way then by driving over it on our way to our first stop at the Grand Canyon! 

What we did not anticipate was that our morning flight would arrive without my luggage. So we decided to grab lunch and wait for it. Otherwise we could not be sure that we would have our winter gear and hiking stuff the next morning. This was obviously not part of our plan. However, we decided that it only added to our adventure and it also meant that we got to see the Hoover Dam at sundown before crossing into Arizona!

Sundown at Hoover Dam and the twisty road we drove to get there!

We made a quick stop at the Hoover Dam and then made the trek to our hotel in Williams, AZ. It had been almost two decades since I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time. I knew I wanted the first visit to be unique for the kids. In researching places to stay nearby and ways to see the park, I knew I wanted them to get their first view on a train ride from Williams. They have all ridden trains before, but nothing like this one. This ride begins with a Wild West shootout in town before boarding the train to the canyon. And as a bonus it would alleviate us having to drive in and park to see the canyon.

For convenience we decided to stay the night at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel (they also have an RV park for those who do make the trek by RV 😉).  The hotel was nothing fancy, but the lobby has a beautiful fireplace and the kids loved that we could see the train right outside!

Day Two:

Saturday dawned bright and COLD! We woke up to snow on the ground and a very chilly morning. But it did not keep us from enjoying the Wild West show and the train ride!

The Marshall facing off with the Cataract Creek gang

We boarded the train a little after 9 for a 2-hour trip to the canyon. The train is still socially distancing their passengers. That meant we had a few empty rows in front of and behind our party of 8. My parents upgraded us to first-class for the train and we were treated to hot chocolate, cider, drinks and breakfast on the trip!

Our view from the train!

Our car had our very own passenger service attendant. He was fantastic and made sure we were well taken care of.  He gave us recommendations of what we should be sure to see while we were in the village.  There was even some musical serenading during the ride.  We watched as it snowed outside throughout most of the trip. And the kids took some fun videos of the scenery as we journeyed while reading more about the Grand Canyon’s history.

We disembarked in Grand Canyon village and I hurried everyone to see the view. Despite the heavy fog and snow, it was still a beautiful sight.

The view of the canyon
Climbing trees and enjoying every moment… even the cold ones!
Me preparing to hike down the rim trail… but unable to convince anyone to come with me 😉

We hit up all the gift stores and museums to stay warm. And made the trek back and forth on the rim and determined that we would change our plans to come back the following morning if the weather improved before we drove on to Utah!

Our train ride back to Williams was just as eventful and fun as the ride out. We ate snacks and prepared to be attacked by the Cataract Creek gang of wild west outlaws. They escaped while we were at the canyon 😉. The kids enjoyed playing along and even pulled out money to “hide” as the robbers came through our first-class cabin. The Marshal finally caught up with them and took them into custody as we pulled back into the station.

               We had dinner at the Fred Harvey restaurant after our return. Then we let the kids shop for souvenirs with their travel budget before heading to bed for the night.

Day Three:

The next morning dawned chilly, but clear. I-40 closed in both directions due to the icy roads. That meant the only direction we could go from the hotel was to the canyon. Serendipity!

We set out early and found the roads fairly clear all the way up. We stopped at several overlooks to take pictures before returning to the Grand Canyon Village.

What a difference 24 hours made!
There is so much beauty in creation that can not be captured in photos.

It was not crowded at all for a spring break weekend. We even beat the train into town. We ate a leisurely lunch while the kids played in the snow. This time we could walk the rim and see everything clearly.

After lunch we took an abundance of pictures. Then we did some walking before getting back on the road towards Utah and the second stop on our great National Parks Tour!

Key Takeaways:

  • The Grand Canyon covered with snow was gorgeous, but prepare yourself for the lower temps if you go in winter!
  • If you can afford to splurge on a train ride, it is absolutely worth it. First class isn’t necessary as all the train cars have the same great service. You just might have to pack your own breakfast and snacks!
  • Do not rush your visit! One day was definitely not enough, even though you can see a lot in one day!
  • If you can afford to stay at the El Tovar hotel, it has a wonderful restaurant. It also has some gorgeous views of the canyon! It is now on my future bucket list 😉 There are definitely affordable options in and around Flagstaff and Williams to stay OR camp.
  • And the town of Williams has lots of great things to do. I highly recommend a visit there if you make your way out to the Grand Canyon. We did not take advantage of all the options, but there is always next time 😉

Posted in Joy, parenting

Should I Shelter My Kids From Pain?

Posted on by Tricia T

               I recently got heart-breaking news delivered right as my sixth graders returned from lunch.  I had not processed the news enough myself to even know how to respond when the students came barreling in and saw me crying as I hung up the phone.  I left school quickly, fully expecting someone would tell them why I was upset so that they would understand. 

               I received so many emails from students in the subsequent hours.  Students who had not even seen me that day, or who were in my morning classes, were emailing because they heard I was crying.  They wanted to make sure that I was okay.  And they all wanted to make sure that I would be coming back to school the next day.  I was told to tell them I had a family emergency and would be back next week.

               There was a time a few years ago when I thought I needed to shelter my kids from any kind of sadness and suffering.  I tried for several years to shelter them from their dad’s seizures and cancer.  I did not think they needed to know he was sick.  I wanted them to have a carefree childhood free of pain and suffering.  But when my twins were only three years old, their dad took them on a walk through the neighborhood and had a seizure.  He fell off the curb into the road.  They sat with strangers and watched as he was loaded into an ambulance and waited for me to arrive to pick them up.  I realized when they explained it to me that they knew far more than I realized and that sheltering them only made them more afraid.

Here is what I have learned about sheltering my kids:

  • Loss and pain is a very real part of life. It is everywhere. You cannot hide from loss and you cannot run away from it. Someday they will have to face pain. And when they do have to face it head on, they need to know how to process it.
  • Sheltering them makes them think we should ignore hard things. When we shelter our kids, we are teaching them it is not acceptable to talk about hard things. It is teaching them that pain and loss and things to be avoided. When my kids first started school, I remember a teacher telling me that my son needed to go to counseling because he was always telling people his dad was dead. I remember saying, “but he is.” The teacher told me that it was not healthy for a six-year-old to talk about loss so much. But speaking that truth is necessary for us to process it as reality. The last thing I ever want is for my children to grow up thinking that they cannot talk about hard things or that they should avoid them because it might make others uncomfortable. That loss is a part of who they are.
  • Letting my children feel the pain and loss of others has developed compassion in them. It has taught them to feel for others who have lost. It is teaching them to be kind individuals. When I told my kids about losing their grandfather recently, the first words out of my 7 year old’s mouth were, “That is so sad for Grandma. Now she has lost her son and her husband. She must be very sad. Are we going to go see her so we can hug her?” And I cried. Not only for our loss, but for her loss, and for my mother-in-law’s loss. And because my children have had to process so much pain already in their young lives.

               The last few years I have struggled with whether to shelter or expose my children to pain and loss and suffering.  But pain and loss are very real parts of life.  They will not be able to avoid those difficult moments as the get older and they have to know how to persevere through hard things and come out stronger. 

               I still pray that difficult moments will not find them.  I pray that we will not have to face the loss of anyone else that we love and I pray they will not have to mourn lost relationships.  I try to make sure that my kids lives are filled with as much sunshine, confetti and roses as possible and I try to teach them to embrace every single day head first.  But when those difficult moments come, so much more frequently than I would hope, I hope I have taught them to face them head on too.  We cry the tears, we embrace the sadness, we hug each other a little tighter, and we learn the lessons… together, one heartbreak at a time. 

Posted in Joy

Cookies For Santa, Cause We All Need Something To Believe In

Posted on by Tricia T

 Last week when I picked up my kids from school, my youngest asked me if we were going to leave out cookies for Santa this year.  She caught me off guard as we have never really encouraged a belief in Santa in our house.  In true big brother fashion, my oldest quickly told her that Santa isn’t real and looked to me to back him up.  And over the next few moments, a million thoughts ran through my head before I could respond.

My first thought was if I tell the truth will it end up like it did when she told everyone at school what she thought were our thoughts on Halloween? (if you haven’t heard that story yet, it’s a good one… 😊 I’ll save it for another day).  Or will she get in trouble like her brother for touching the class elf to prove there is no magic there? 

Then my mind moved on to… is this something she needs to believe in?  And is this belief going to hurt her?

I honestly don’t remember if my parents told us Santa was real or not when we were growing up.  I do know that Ben and I decided early on that we would tell our kids the truth about things like this.  But I also know that whatever my parents told me, it obviously didn’t leave any lasting damage.  And I know that as children (and even as adults) we all need something to believe in.    

Now I don’t by any means equate Santa as being up there with God on things that give us hope.  But I do know that in her short 6 years of life, this little girl has had a lot of things taken from her.  She has faced more loss and pain then someone her age should have had to…  And if I am being honest, there have been more times than I can count as an adult when I have wanted to believe in my own little fairytale.

Over the last few years, I have learned that no matter what comes at me in life, I can find a steadfast hope and belief in the things unseen.  I am thankful for a heavenly father that gives me that hope and that I can trust in Him when things are tough.  That belief is what has helped me live through the hardest moments of my life, and is the reason I can still find a reason to smile at the end of each day.

So of course, my mom brain went a million miles a minute as I analyzed what I should say and do.  And on that five-minute ride home from school I asked her… do you want to believe Santa is real?  And she said she did because she wanted to leave him some cookies.  I told her that I was not going to tell her that Santa was real, but that if she wanted to believe that he was this year, that she could.

The presents have been wrapped and under the tree for days.  And not once has a child asked me if Santa would be bringing anything for them… because they know that the spirit of this season in our home is in giving.  And they know that this holiday is a celebration of Christ’s birth. 

They didn’t ask about what Santa would be doing for them, instead they only asked could they leave him some cookies.

So today we decorated cookies and she and her sister picked out the ones they wanted to leave out for Santa. Their big brother reminded me before he went to bed that they would be disappointed if I forgot to put them out. And when I went to tuck him in one last time, he asked if I was really going to eat all those cookies… since they all know that I am really Santa 😉

So this Christmas, I am grateful for children who believe in the things they can not see.  I am thankful that they look to me to always tell them the truth no matter what.  And it warms my mama heart that she was able to tell me that yes, she wanted to believe in this, this year… because I think one of the hardest things that I have learned through grief is that it is okay to believe in something again. 

And tomorrow, we will wake up and read the Christmas story over breakfast before they open any gifts… and we will talk about the true meaning for this holiday… and I will pray that this sweet little baby of mine will always remember that we always have Someone to believe in…

I don’t know if you still believe in Santa Claus 😉 or if you know that there is Someone greater that you just can’t “see.”   I am praying for you today, that God reminds you that He is the reason for this season, and He is all you really need!  Merry Christmas!