We woke up early again this morning (thank you, jet lag), ready to see a bit more of Zion National Park. Nora woke up happy…
…but before we could even finish getting ready for the day, she was already ready for a morning nap. So, while I busied myself with photos and a couple of blog posts, she snoozed beside me…
…and meanwhile, Michael took a short walk outside. It was still REALLY early, so the sun was just starting to illuminate the mountains around us.
Of course, this was the big news of the day:
Since we’re on Mountain Time in Utah, it was still relatively early here when President Obama made the announcement last night, so we were already pretty well-versed on the details.
When Nora woke up from her nap, we decided to take a short hike before check-out time. Nora helped us map it out. (She may have eaten a little paper. Whoops. Fiber, right?)
The hike was literally only half a mile (round trip!) so it was just a little walk, though steep at parts.
Our expectations were pretty low, but we were pleasantly surprised by the views when we got to the top.
After spending a little time snapping some pics, we went back to the room to pack everything up into the car and check out of the hotel. Once done, we walked to a nearby restaurant (Cafe Soleil) to have some lunch.
Full of food, we decided to drive up the mountain a ways to find another one of the moderate trails. Once inside the park, we discovered we couldn’t drive ourselves the way we originally planned to go (you have to take a shuttle), and we found that the direction we had driven was actually taking us toward our next destination (Bryce Canyon National Park). Rather than head all the way back down like we had originally planned to do prior to leaving Zion completely, we changed our minds and decided to hike a trail closer to where we found ourselves–and once done, simply head out to Bryce from there!
The nearest trail was the Canyon Overlook Trail, a 1-mile trail that was narrow, steep and rocky, but had a lot of guard rails, so was still suitable for us, even though we were toting a baby!
This was a really fun hike that we enjoyed. The scenery was fantastic, the terrain was varied–it kept things interesting. We took it slow, stopping for a lot of photos on the way up.
Once again, Nora slept for part of this hike. I guess she finds the Ergo pretty comfy!
A couple of times, we came upon a few big horn sheep on the trail. We thought they were goats (yeah, so, we’re city folk), but when I told a fellow hiker in passing, “You’ll see some goats on the trail up there,” he replied, “Goats? Or big horn sheep?” Smartass.
Look! It’s Nora and Michael with a “goat”!
At the top of the trail, there is a gorgeous view of Zion Canyon:
On the way back down, we saw the big horn sheep again, except closer this time:
Pretty cool.
Once back at the car, we realized that our alternate plan worked out perfectly, because it was late afternoon and it was a fine time to start the 2-3 hour drive to Bryce Canyon National Park. So, we strapped Nora into the car seat and we hit the road again.
After a bit more driving through Zion, we saw this sign:
…and we were officially done with Zion. It’s a beautiful park, and we hope to go back to explore more of it some day. There is too much that we just didn’t have time to see.
The drive between Zion and Bryce was quite beautiful. It started off with views like this:
And as we got closer and closer to Bryce, it turned into views like this:
These sights make us excited for what we will see inside Bryce tomorrow. When we arrived here and checked into our hotel room at Ruby’s Inn, it was early evening and we only had time to get dinner before it was time to get Nora to bed. So, the park awaits us in the morning!
One thing I have to say is that we are not very impressed with the town of Bryce. There is not much here… not much at all. And Ruby’s Inn, our hotel, leaves much to be desired. We’re not hotel snobs, but still, this is a bit outdated for our tastes. I find it hard to feel 100% comfortable in hotel rooms like this. I’m glad we’re only staying for one night!
We have faith that the park will be worth the stay in the crappy room. :)
Michael and I woke up at 6:00 a.m. this morning. Bright and early, thanks to the time zone change. As we continued to rest for a few minutes, we heard Nora start to stir, so we got up to start the day. Thankfully, she slept through the night without issue, despite being in a strange hotel crib. (I don’t know why I continue to be surprised by how adaptable this baby is, but I am. Every time.)
After we showered, got ready, and packed up (with all of the moving around we’re doing, the packing/unpacking is going to get OLD–I can tell already!), we went downstairs to take a little walk around the casino before checking out.
Nora’s faces in self-portrait pics = Priceless
Nora was happy to watch me play a few minutes of penny slots (we weren’t very lucky), and people watch. There’s something strangely fascinating about the people sitting at the Black Jack tables, drinking spirits at 7:30 a.m. Ahh, Vegas.
We went back upstairs to retrieve our luggage and hit the road. But first, we made a pit stop for a photo op at the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. This was something we never did during our first trip to Vegas, so it was something Michael really wanted to do this time. Especially with Nora.
Nora’s faces in self-portrait pics = Priceless
After hunting down a Walmart and stocking up on essentials like baby food, water, and an abundance of snacks, we head out on the highway, making our way to Utah and Zion National Park.
The drive is very scenic, but wow–there is pretty much nothing out there! Good thing we had plenty of gas and didn’t need a bathroom. :) In all, it took us just under three hours, and Nora slept for 2+ hours of it. Little snoozer needed a good nap!
We arrived in Springdale to find a cute little village with shops, restaurants, and hotels. We were struck by the beautiful mountains surrounding the entire area. Gorgeous! I mean, check out the view from the hotel parking lot:
We got checked in and settled. After such a great nap, Nora was extremely happy, so we had to snap a few pics of her while she enjoyed her lunch.
Oh, my heart.
Our hotel is located just outside of the entrance to the park (super convenient!), so after lunch, we decided to walk over to the park to get the scoop. The entrance fee is $12/person and is good for seven days, so we purchased tickets and went on in. After studying a trail map for a few minutes, we decided to explore Watchman’s Trail, a moderate level trail.
It was in the low-60s here today, which we thought was still kind of chilly when we started out. However, as we got moving, we realized it was actually pretty warm! We started shedding layers pretty quickly, and I really wish I had worn shorts!
Thank goodness for Nora’s sun hat. The sun was harsh, and Michael and I were unprepared, with no sunscreen. Thankfully, we ended up with a little sun on our faces and arms, but no burns. At least we now know better for tomorrow!
The hike was beautiful, with stunning 360-degree views. It’s times like these when you look around in complete awe of the beauty of the Earth!
Nora napped the entire way up. Gotta love the Ergo carrier! Tomorrow, I want to try her in the “back carry” position. Although I made it up fine, there were times that it felt very difficult to lug a ~15 lb. weight on the front of me! :)
We saw several of these little lizards scurrying about along the trail.
Eventually, we reached the top of the trail, with a viewpoint of the Towers of the Virgin, lower Zion Canyon, and Springdale.
Smooches! A cute pic that Michael snagged as I kissed Nora at the top of the trail. *Love*
By this point, it was late afternoon, so we began our descent to get down and get FOOD!
Michael and Nora are in this pic; they are just very small! :)
The trail took just about two hours roundtrip. Not bad for Nora’s first-ever hike! :)
We stopped back into our hotel room to clean up just a little, then headed out for dinner. We decided to go to Zion Pizza & Noodle Co.
We grabbed a table out on the balcony–how could you NOT eat outside when this is the view from the dinner table?
Nora rounded out the day by being an angel at dinner. We enjoyed a Spicy Southwestern Burrito pizza, which was different than anything we’ve ever had before, and really good!
Another fun-filled day in Zion planned for tomorrow!
Just kidding. I know we’re not. But at times today, it felt like Nora was judging us. :)
We flew to Las Vegas with our little one in tow. First off, Nora was diagnosed with an ear infection yesterday. I guess the MONTH of constant sickness/congestion finally caught up with her. So, we had to take her on a plane with only two doses of antibiotics, and probably a painful ear. However, she handled it like a ROCKSTAR. She did not cry once in the 6ish hours total we were in the air. In fact, she was in rare form, charming the socks off of complete strangers by flashing them the biggest smiles ever. Normally, she’s very serious around unfamiliar people, simply staring at them–not today. Today, she was out to prove to all of them that a baby on a plane does not automatically equal disaster!
Wouldn’t YOU want to sit next to me?
We landed in Vegas around 6:00 p.m. local time, which is 9:00 p.m. back home–meaning that we were already two hours past Nora’s normal bedtime. Although she had a great, two-hour morning nap at home before we left for the airport, she only slept for about an hour on the plane, so believe me, she was tired. Still, you wouldn’t have known it from her mood.
Before we even left the airport, we had to take Nora over to the slot machines for pictures. Sin City, baby!
After claiming our baggage (ugh), and picking up our rental car (double ugh), we headed to our hotel. We bid through Priceline and booked a hotel near the airport–South Point Hotel & Casino. By the time we arrived and parked, it was about three hours past Nora’s bedtime, and she was looking a little rough:
This pic makes me laugh. Still, she was happy to do some people watching in the casino as we got checked into the hotel. Once we were FINALLY in our room, it was straight to bed for Nora. By the time she went down, it was a whopping FOUR HOURS past her bedtime and she had not slept at all. Crazy.
So, needless to say, we are not party animals in Vegas tonight! We were starving, so I picked up some takeout for us at Steak ‘n’ Shake downstairs. HA!
It’s too bad Tessa couldn’t be here with us. We saw someone in the airport walking their chihuahua through the terminal and it made us miss our other girl! But, as always, she is enjoying her time with our dog/house sitters, a.k.a. my brother and sister-in-law. (Thanks, guys!)
Now, it’s time to go to bed, since it’s very likely that Nora might try to wake us up at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. Hooray, jet lag!
I don’t even know why I watch the morning news, really. On any given day, I could name at least one thing that pisses me off about the coverage, or lack thereof.
It just so happens that for the last two months (or has it been four?), the most aggravating thing of all has been the “Countdown to the Royal Wedding.” I’m sorry, but before I head off to work in the morning, I do not need to know that there are 67 days remaining until Will and Kate tie the knot.
This frustration has only increased with time.
So, you can imagine that when I turned on my TV to find that the Today Show–not only Meredith Vieira, but THE ENTIRE TODAY SHOW TEAM (minus Al Roker. I guess he’s not worthy)–was in London this morning, my head almost exploded.
I get the appeal of watching the wedding. I understand the fascination, and the excitement. (Though I’ll admit that, in the day and age of DVR and YouTube, I don’t quite get the wake-up-at-3-a.m.-for-coverage thing, but I digress.) But I do not support the complete and utter TAKEOVER of an entire news broadcast for weeks and weeks. How many times have we heard about the mystery of Kate’s dress? Do I need to see video of delivery trucks pulling up and unloading 20-foot trees for decoration inside Westminster Abbey? And I’ll tell you right now, I do not give a rat’s ass about the hotel room decor where Kate Middleton will spend her last night as a commoner.
In the 25 minutes I had it on, there were two minutes worth of actual news.
I can’t tell you which states have been most impacted by the deadly storms in the South, but I can tell you that Kate and Harry attended a second wedding rehearsal, but Will didn’t show because he felt confident after the first one.
STOP THE MADNESS.
Alas, the wedding is tomorrow. It’s finally here. I suspect (hope! pleasepleaseplease) that come Monday, we might be able to return to some semblance of normalcy. Yes?
In the meantime, Nora is brushing up on her British accent and enjoying a spot of tea and crumpets. She’s pumped.
Apparently she didn’t get my memo. I better not catch her awake at 3 a.m.!
As our Western roadtrip vacation approaches, I have become a bit overwhelmed by it. It’s our first week-long vacation with a baby. It’s our first time taking a baby on such long flights. AND, this just so happens to be the most complicated, tiring itinerary we have ever planned for ourselves. (Did I mention WITH A BABY?)
We might be crazy.
I have high hopes that Nora will come through and be the flexible, easy-going, perfect kid that she is, but I have fears that all hell will break loose AND OH MY GOSH THERE IS A THREE HOUR TIME DIFFERENCE WHAT WERE WE THINKING GAH. Going to bed at 4 p.m. and getting up at 4 a.m. should be F-U-N.
I just keep telling myself that people have done crazier things. I know there are couples out there who take their kids anywhere and everywhere. Around the world, even. So if they can do that, we can handle a simple 3-hour timezone change, right? RIIIIGHT?
Survival tips are much appreciated. Please and thank you.
About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
