Arches National Park

We have spent most of the last week with Luke's daughters and their families.  It has been wonderful, but keeps us going full time :-) Not complaining!  Just no time for blogging.  I'm going to keep the verbiage short and the pictures relative few (really considering all we've seen!)

We started at the Arches Double Arch.

Closer to the double arches...

Time for a little shared snack between  Erin's son Kiran and Bompa

The Balancing Rock

The next morning we took the short hike through Moonflower Canyon.  Great place for Erin's daughter Evelyn to race into.

And even better! A pond at the end of the trail for the kids and Sammy-the-dog to play in

Next a canyon drive. These walls are majorly impressive when you're towards the bottom of the canyon!

Canyon

A major attraction in this canyon is the Birthing Rock panel. 

And a small portion of the rock.  Yulp, that's the birthing happening with  the major white female.

 

Later that evening, a communal dinner in the RV.  All 9 of us fit just fine.

 

 

 

Landscape arch with both Erin and Lisa's families and Luke.  You've probably guessed by now that the weather is not "warm" but it not uncomfortable.

 

 

 

 

We left the crowded civilization of a KOA to move into BLM land.  That is land that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.  It is generally open land that has little restrictions.  It is beautiful here, in that Utah way.  Here are 3 of our little community RV's.  Lisa and her friends from the Yukon are here. Friends from Wisconsin had to leave before this shot was taken. There are thousands of acres of BLM land in Utah and CO.  Little groups of 1 to 10 RV'ers are scattered about on the lands. The big draw is dirt biking, ATV running, and dune buggies.

 

 

 

 

Next walk was down Negro Bill Canyon.  Negro Bill was a "half native American, half Negro" who settled this canyon in the late 1800's.  He later made a hasty departure to parts unknown after an Indian uprising, fueled in part by the illegal whiskey he was selling to them...

 

 

 

A cold  yes, C.O.L.D. stream runs through this canyon (as in many canyons).  The kids we are with didn't mind at all, nor did Stout the dog.  All kids and dog were soaked by the time the walk was over.

 

 

One last photo, from the Dead Horse Point State Park.  We stayed here on our first RV trip to Moab.  Named because the First People would round up the wild horses, drive them across the 30 ft wide connection to the point from the mainland, and build a coral of sorts to keep them in.  They would chose the horses they wanted and leave the rest there to die of starvation and dehydration (Moab gets 10 inches of rain per year).  A sad history, but an amazing view, much like the Grand Canyon.

 

 

Erin left Thursday, Lisa leaves today, and we will leave on Tuesday.  Off to see Monument Valley next!