Capitol Reef National Park Getaway Day 1&2

Our friends and neighbors, the Wakely's, asked us the weekend before Memorial Day if we had any plans for the holiday. They were headed to Capitol Reef National Park and asked us if we wanted to join them. Mike said it sounded like fun and of course the kids wanted to go on vacation and stay in a hotel.  The only catch was Mike was on business the week before and I wasn't sure he'd be up for coming home from San Fran to go away for the weekend. BUT to our delight, we were baseball free! Which doesn't happen very often. So we took them up on teh offer and went away for Memorial Day weekend. 

We didn't have many options for staying, the hotels were booked, the camp grounds were but Jen found a hotel that offered a pool and breakfast. So we jumped on the band wagon. We stayed at the Red Sands hotel in Torrey, Utah. It was clean, had a pool and was close to the park. 

Mike was able to get off work a little early Friday, we left about 4. We stopped at Great Grandma's house and the cemetery to leave flowers for Great Grandpa on our way to Capitol Reef. Then we were off! 

The kids did great traveling, watched movies, read books, played DS and of course ate! We arrived at the hotel ahead of the Wakely's they took the "scenic route" on Redwood Road and went on the back side of Utah Lake. So we swam and enjoyed the pool and hot tub which was actually hot! They arrived just as the pool closed but traveling always makes you tired so we all headed to bed! 

Saturday morning, our crew awoke super early! Jack was sleeping on the floor by the window and I guess thought he should rise when the sun did. Yep it was 6 am. He woke everyone up!! The next day wasn't much better, Lilly woke everyone up at 6:55am. The 3rd day, I didn't know Lilly switched the time, it was 9 and I thought we better get a move on the day so I got up and started making noise. Oh well, 8 is definitely sleeping in when you are all in a hotel room together! 

We enjoyed breakfast--all you can eat buffet! It was a great start to our day. I am on another fitness challenge and had hoped for more fresh fruit--canned peaches aren't my idea of fruit but at least I was able to eat without dinging my score. But they had eggs and sausage and cereal and toast and juice and milk and yogurt. 

We left the hotel and drove to the park, just 10 miles away. We stopped at the visitor center. We got maps 

 and were just in time for a geology lesson on the area from one of the Park Rangers. I am the only person from our group that has been to CR before, I went in college on a geology trip. The park is loaded with geology facts, it was one of my favorite classes--that and the boy Luke in my class was pretty cute too! But the area is gorgeous and the weather was perfect. We had mid 60' temps on Saturday and Sunday and Monday was 75' and HOT. It was the perfect time of year to go to CR.

 Before we left, Maddy and Alli found a brochure that was the hotels copy that had pictures of the animals, plants, & birds in CR. The girls hand drew the brochure so they could find flowers and nature along the way. This is one of many beautiful wild flowers we saw on the trip. The visitor center had a similar brochure and we bought it, the girls loved this and spent the weekend pointing out different plants and animals!!

" The Castle"

across from the visitor center

 The ranger suggested several hikes and attractions to see. We ventured to the first hike. I LOVE that the hikes are so close together. Everything is a short 5-10 minute drive. Our first hike was to Grand Wash Road. Although, the Grand Wash is subject to flash flood there were afternoon showers predicted so we used caution. The red stone and rock doesn't absorb water, so if it starts raining the water has no where to go and can cause flash floods.

My kids were in heaven! The got to spend the weekend with there best buds. Especially Mr Jack, he and Lincoln are best friends but with Jack's busy baseball schedule he doesn't always get over to play with his friend daily. It kills him! BUT this weekend, they got caught up!

 Maddy and Alli are best friends also. They are so excited to finally after 4 years be in the same class at school next year! They tumble together and are great attachments to each other. They don't bicker and are easy going and play so well together.

 Lilly on the other hand was getting tired! Remember we'd been up since the sun rose!! 

 We borrowed a hiking backpack and hoped she would settle down in and and enjoy the hike and maybe even take a nap. NOPE. Instead she screamed and screamed and screamed. She did calm down a little but only when mom was out of site! Poor Mike's ears. Not sure whey she didn't like it, I guess she just wanted to be carried or walk herself.

 For being a holiday weekend, we had the place to ourselves! The kids could run off, play tag, look for special rocks or sticks, 

 climb on things and not told to get down, 

 play peek a boo in big giant rocks, 

 and even just sit down and take a little rest if they wanted to! 

Jack, Lincoln, Gage, Layla, Lexi, Jake

 This is the road to Grand Wash. Didn't know til we were walking that you could drive down it BUT that didn't stop us from exploring the land and getting some exercise in also. The walk was 2.5 miles but storm clouds were approaching and we were warned it was a flash flood area so we headed back.

 But the kids still explored, 

 walked along the edge

 climbed and enjoyed every minute of it!

We hiked back to the cars and decided to eat lunch at the pavilion. It was covered and provided a shelter while it sprinkled on us during lunch. We brought out the coolers and enjoyed lunch while the kids adventured more and played on the rocks.

Our next hike was to Cassidy Arch. This was  a strenous hike. Lilly feel asleep on the way to the hike, so I stayed in the car with her while the kids played on the rocks and the big boys (Jake, Mack, Gage, & Mike) went to the arch. It was also on a cliff which made Jen and I worried esp with the little kids. It worked out perfectly. Jen got some great pictures of the kids playing in the holes in the rocks. I only took a couple. One day I'll post more pictures of the kids in the billions of rock holes.

Lilly didn't take a long nap so we walked down the trail a little and found more rock holes and played hide n go seek and let the kids explore. We all enjoyed it. And the guys loved the hike also. Here are some pictures Mike took with his phone. 

This is the hike to Cassidy Arch, it is only 1 3/4 one way but steep and along high cliffs. 

BUT the end sight is worth it! Here's Mike with the arch.

Gage, Jake, Mack with the arch. Mack went and stood on the arch also.


If you look closely at Lexi's shirt you can see a "clean" circle, she had a sticker there and removed it. Her shirt was once the light blue color. The red rock is gorgeous but also everywhere and really hard to avoid. We took oldish clothes, the girls all lost a pair of pants to holes in the butt from sliding on the rocks but it's ok because I didn't take our finest! She wasn't the only one that looked like this at the end of the day--we all did! It was awesome!

We left hiking and went to swim in the pool and clean off a little! We swam for a couple hours, then went to eat Pizza. We were starved and the place was crowded we waited for ever for our food but they had horseshoes and darts and of course more adventures while we waited for our food. After dinner, the kids went back and did some more swimming til the pool closed at 10. We all crashed and slept good til the sun rose again the next morning.