Southern Utah getaway

Sometime in February, Nephi's sister ellen called and asked us if we would be interested in a few days of babysitting during a break she had in March. To which, of course, I replied "YES!!!" and began weening Benjamin about ten minutes later because even though I love my children dearly, I love a few days alone with Nephi every once in a while even more.

We pretty much spent the almost-four days driving around amazing southern Utah. We like driving places together. You just can't imagine how interesting Nephi is to drive places with. He knows the name of any mountain you happen to spot off in the distance, and remembers times he drove a road 18 years ago and what interesting things happened, and most significantly can tell you about the geologic history of any random spot on the entire Colorado Plateau, guaranteed. Fifteen years into our relationship I still cannot seem to master this one picture, much like I still cannot remember the names of all the stars in the summer triangle. (There are only three.)

But Nephi knows. Also, he has an uncanny knack for picking out new routes to drive places that are interesting and unique and not just tedious and long. We drove some incredibly beautiful places this trip. We even drove on a road that was closed in an ill-fated attepmt to see Cedar Breaks at sunset which made me feel like a daredevil, but is just the adventerous way Nephi rolls. Turns out it was closed because they didn't plow it past a logging road a few miles in, but still, it was fun!

The first day we stopped at the San Rafael Swell, which is one of the most awesome places in the world because it is so beautiful and still feels relatively wild. I'm not one who is drawn to wild places, necessarily. They make me feel uneasy, as they should, because the desert is vast and lonely and unforgiving and can kill you. But I like to dip my toes in places like that, because there is something enlivening about feeling the wildness. I like going places like that with Nephi because he is reassuring and doesn't feel as uneasy as I do, and he has his unerring sense of direction so we don't get lost, and he is strong and could hike forever if necessary. We hiked up a canyon a ways, and there was no one else anywhere. Once we saw some folks on horses way off in the distance, but otherwise it was just us and the soaring canyon walls and the beautiful colors and the silence that hangs over desert places in the afternoon.

 

 

Then we continued on to Bryce Canyon where we stayed at the fanciest hotel there, which wasn't especially fancy but still felt like a lovely treat. We went to sleep and woke up whenever we felt like, and ate slow and leisurely breakfasts. Bryce Canyon is a stunning place, and has an entirely different feel from the San Rafael Swell. There are warning signs all over the place on the most mild hikes, trails are closed for a little bit of snow on the path, and people are trying their best to hobble up and down trails in ridiculous footwear. It doesn't feel wild at all, but it certainly is beautiful and unique.

 

 

The next day we headed over to Saint George. In the morning we went to the temple there, and then ate some delicious sushi and Thai food. That afternoon we went to Zions for a quick trip. Zions is so stunningly beautiful!! Just driving through that park is amazing. The cliffs are so close and enormous, and the colors are so lovely. When Nephi and I were dating we went to Zions and hiked up Angel's Landing, so we thought we'd do it again. I remembered a few chains that you needed to hold onto on the way up, but nothing too bad. Which is hilarious, because this time when I got to the part with the chains (and if you've been up it, you know exactly what I'm talking about), there was just no way I was going up there. Just no way. I guess back then I was eighteen and a little bit wilder, and must have been really trying to impress Nephi. I know myself a little better now, and know that even though I could force myself to go up there, I wouldn't enjoy a second of it except to have it over with and say I had done it. I've turned back now on a fair number of hikes when the exposure got a little too much for me, and to be honest I don't regret turning back on any of them. So I sat and waited and enjoyed the view as Nephi went up.

 

 

Tuesay we drove home after stopping in Grand Junction for some errands and lunch. Of course everything was terrific. The kids were mostly happy to see us. They had conned ellen into more screen time than they are usually allowed (which we told her ahead of time was just fine), she had introduced them to the Andy Griffith Show which they thought was extremely funny, she apparently drives very fast around and around and around traffic circles until everyone is laughing, and she is generally a lot more fun than us. It was a grand few days for us all.