4 Corners Vacation 2014

We had planned to take a trip to the Oregon Coast while the kids were on Spring Break. But when I looked at the weather report and it was going to rain the whole time we were there I decided that I wasn't going to pay for us to sit in a hotel room all day. So 2 days before we were going to leave I was trying to come up with new ideas. My mom had said that she heard the 4 Corners was really neat, so I looked into it. I looked beautiful and it was where none of us had ever been. So we started to play it with the hopes that my Grandpa Messick wouldn't die while we were gone and have to come home early.
We had hoped to take our own mini van but when we had the oil changed and the transmission checked they told us that the transmission was going out. So the night before we were trying to rent a mini-van to take. We found one at Budget. When Delwyn went to pick it up he went out to the parking spot and it was a Ford Explorer. He went back into talk to them and they said that we were given a free up grade because they had no more mini-vans. He was so excited to be driving a Ford. I wasn't very excited about how much more it was going to cost us in gas, but I hope them Memories will be worth the extra money.
We left on Wednesday afternoon as soon a the kids got home from school. We pulled Jessie out of school an hour early so we could leave at 3 pm. We drove to Provo to stay the first night to break up the long trip down to Arches National Park.  The kids were all excited about swimming at the hotel. They swam for about 30 minutes. They had a blast. Aleeya loved the hot tub and was happy she could reach the bottom and walk around all by herself.

My 2 little fishes

Fun in the Hot Tub

March 27, 2014
We left early to head to Arches National Park. It was a 3 hour drive, but due to some bad weather between Provo and Price it took us a little longer. We hit snow and had ended up following a semi-truck most of the way. Delwyn was a great driver and got us through it safely. He did cuss the Ford a little bit because the washer fluid was plugged on the drivers side and it was hard to keep the window clean.

Welcome to Spring

We arrived at Arches around 10:30, and stopped at the visitors center to learn a little more about the park and how it was made. It is amazing that the wind and water is what has created all this amazing beauty.  Some of the Arches we could walk right up to while others like Delicate Arch was a much longer and more difficult hike that we couldn't take the kids on. We were able to see it from a distance and thanks to my binocular camera I was able to get some closer pictures.We spent until about 3 pm driving around and exploring the park.

Family at the Visitor center

Arches National Park

Going into Sand Dune Arch. Matt loved to climb this rock

Sand Dune Arch, The kids loved playing in the red sand

 

Kids at Balanced Rock

The next stop was "Dead Horse Point State Park". This was a beautiful place with a spectacular view of the Colorado River and it side canyons. I learned that this place has been used in films to represent the Grand Canyon.  We didn't spend much time here because it was getting late and we needed to get to Monticello where are hotel was that night.

Dead Horse Point

We arrive at the hotel about 7:30 and then went to find something to eat. The town was really small and not may options for dinner. We ended up stopping a Taco Time and taking it back to the hotel to eat. While driving around we did locate the Monticello, UT Temple. It was pretty all lite up. It was a small temple but had many cars. so I assume it is busy. The kids had hoped to swim again tonight but it was so late by the time we ate we couldn't.

Monticello Utah Temple

 March 28, 2014
This morning we headed down to the 4 Corners Monument, this is where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico all meet. We got there around 10 am. The kids loved running around from state to state. It was a fun little place. We then walked around to all the little shops and each kid got a souvenir.

Four corners plaque

Jessie in Arizona, Aleeya in Utah, Matt in Colorado, &Ky in New Mexico

Next it was back  into the car for a drive to Mesa Verde National Park. The entrance to park is a 20 mile drive up to the top of the mountain. It was a cool drive but one I would not want to take in the winter. From the top you could see forever in the valley, it was gorgeous.
After arriving at the Museum we were able to take a walk down to Spruce Tree House and were able to walk through this amazing structure made by the Pueblo people. It has been protected for hundreds of years by the cliff over head. We even got to take a ladder down into one of the little rooms. I'm just glad that I have stairs and don't have to use ladders to go up and down floors in my house. We then did the driving tour and saw may other structures. It is truly an amazing place to visit.

Mesa Verde

Kids with Spruce Tree House behind

Family at Mesa Verde

Delwyn and I with Spruce Tree House behind

Cliff  Dwellings

Down inside one of the rooms in Spruce Tree House

We then drove the 40 minutes into Durango Colorado where we planned to stay tonight. It was a much bigger town. We were all sick of hamburger and fries by this time so we decided to eat at Pizza Hut instead.
Our hotel room was amazing. It had 3 bed  in 2 different rooms. The kids actually slept a lot better here. Delwyn had to call the front test to have them tell the people next to us that they needed to be quiet so that we could sleep. This was really the only draw back to this hotel, that and no pool if you asked the kids.

Kids room

Parents room, best night sleep of the trip

March 29, 2014
Today we were off to New Mexico and the Aztec Ruin National Memorial. It was a 40 minute drive. It amazed me how different the landscape has been in all 3 states but similar also. We arrived around 10 AM. The kids each got to fill out a Junior Range pack about the Ruins and loved it. We took a self guided tour through the ruins. Ky reported this was her favorite stop. On the tour we got to walk through some of the connecting rooms. Delwyn commented that the Pueblo people must have been small because the door ways were so short, he have to get down on his hands and knees to get through. Aleeya just walked through without a problem. Once we finished the kids each got a Junior Range badge to take home. I wish I would have known about them at the other National parks we went to so they could have got a badge from them also.

Jessie and Ky grinding corn

Aleeya and Matt grinding Corn

Rebuilt Great Kiva

Inside the Great Kiva, still a sacred place for the Pueblo people

Original ceiling over 600 years old

Next we were off for a long drive back to Utah and "Natural Bridges National Monument", west of Blanding. This was a nine mile loop drive were you could see 3 bridges that were formed from streams that cut through the canyon walls. You could take hikes down to each one but with Aleeya it would have been difficult so we settled for seeing them from the overlooks. Sometimes you had to look hard to see them because they blended into the background so well.

Canyon at Natural Bridges National Park

Such Cute kids

Owachomo Bridge

Owachomo bridge with the family

We then drove back up to Monticello to stay in the same hotel. This time we let the kids swim, Matt and Aleeya almost missed out  because they wouldn't stop running around in A&W  while eating dinner. I finally let them go after they ran down to the pool. I sat and watch the family swimming, when suddenly I looked up and Aleeya was going underwater. I yelled at Delwyn to grab her. She was scared after that we had a hard time getting her to get back in the water. What I think happened was she was sitting on the step and didn't realize that she wasn't able to touch the bottom. She thought she could walk around near the steps just like at the first hotel. I was just glad I saw her go under and we were able to pull her out quickly. I will definitely have to get her into swimming lessons.

March 30, 2014
Today was nothing but traveling back home. We left about 7:30 AM and got home about 5 PM. This was a really long drive, which seemed even longer with the heavy rains we had to drive in all through northern Utah. My mom had warned me that we would have Snow from Malad north. I was a little worried but the roads were just wet, so it didn't slow us down much.
Once we got home we all worked together to clean out the Explorer and Delwyn and I took  it back. I let the kids stay home, I didn't have the heart, nor patients to put them in a car for another hour. They were really good and had the laundry sorted all before we got home. I was proud of them.