Canyonlands National Park

After our day at Goblin Valley, we were all a little tired and sore, but didn't want to waste Jeff's day off, so we decided to drive out to Canyonlands National Park.  I hadn't planned on doing this until the next weekend, so hadn't done any research.  None of us knew what to expect, but we thought it would be a nice drive.  Were we ever surprised by what we found!

We stopped along the way when we saw things that we wanted to explore.

Jackson finds lizards wherever we go!

After we picked up Jackson's Junior Ranger packet, we watched a movie at the Visitor's Center, then decided to drive out to Mesa Arch.  It was an easy walk out to the arch, which our sore legs were thankful for!  So many amazing things to see along the way, though!  Flowers, critters, really interesting rock formations, and vast panoramic views!  It was a lot to take in, and we were all ooh-ing and aah-ing as we walked.

The yucca plant is a member of the asparagus family.  (Bet you never would have guessed from looking at the photo! haha)  The flowers are edible and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Mesa Arch

Walking closer, a canyon is revealed.  These photos are so inadequate at showing what this place is really like.  I wish I was a better photographer and had more knowledge of how to take great photos. The expansiveness and crazy textures and colors are ridiculous.  God is an amazing architect!

The canyon and the mountains off in the distance.  We have found Utah to be very cloudy!  Not cloudy as in overcast, but cloudy because clouds are being blown all over the sky.  And you feel really close to them.  You can see huge shadows on these two photos, which were enormous, imposing clouds, making their way across the sky.

We climbed a series of rocks to the left of the arch, which took us up above everything (and everyone) else.  We felt like we were on top of the world!  We sat for a long time, taking it in.  Jeff and Jordan both said they thought this was the most amazing place we've been to.  Jeff said he likes it better than the Grand Canyon because the Canyonlands are more immersive.  You can hike into, onto, and all around the areas here, whereas the Grand Canyon is more sectioned off.  I don't know if I thought this was better than the Grand Canyon or not.  Both are pretty incredible, and I really can't believe we are getting to see all of this!

My sweet little pita pocket isn't usually a fan of heights, so I was surprised when she walked right up near the edge of the canyon and sat down!

It makes me smile to remember how blown away she has been as we have explored new places.  She thought the Lava Beds were the most amazing thing ever until she saw Shoshone Falls, but that only lasted until she saw the Canyonlands! This is what I was hoping for.  I hoped that the kids would understand what a privilege this is, and appreciate the wonders of God's creation in this country!

Jackson really liked this rock and asked me to take a photo.

No filter.  The tops of the mountains looked crazy!

On our walk back to the truck, it started raining.  Big, heavy drops of rain pelted us hard.  In sync, the kids and I put our arms out and raised out heads up to the sky.  Ha!  Jackson said, "It's like being home!" which is kind of true.  People everywhere ducked for cover and ran to their vehicles to avoid being rained on, but not the Cato's!  We took our time!

 After we drove out to Grand View Point, we decided we should get Jackson's Junior Ranger stuff taken care of and head back home.  This ranger was awesome!  Even though we had completed the packet, he still asked some hardcore questions and made Jackson work for his badge.

Some of the questions he asked were:

How many acres does the Canyonlands cover?

(337,598)

Which two rivers run through the Canyonlands?

(Green and Colorado)

Is the Colorado on the east or west side of the Canyonlands?

(east)

About how many bighorn sheep live down in the canyons?

(350)

So this exploratory drive ended up being a pretty incredible day!  We learned a lot, got some exercise, and really enjoyed the area.  If you're not sure if this park is worth the drive out into the middle of nowhere, let me assure you that it is!