Ever since school started, Elora has been sad that we don’t have much time for hiking. Over fall break we decided to spend a lot of time hiking in Zion since we are enjoying the most beautiful October weather I have ever experienced! The kids wanted to check out the museum in Zion, so we headed down to the museum, and the kids were all so excited about hiking that we didn’t last long inside. Then much to my dismay, there was no parking by the river trail I was hoping to take them on!!! So instead I headed up to a favorite spot of mine that the kids haven’t seen in a long time.
Marion LOVES hiking now. She was so excited to climb around on the rocks.
Every time I bring the kids to Zion they just seem so at home. The outdoors is definitely where they need to spend most of their time!
Marion loved the pretty leaves and pine cones. She couldn’t decide which pine cone she liked best, so she traded the one she was holding for ones on the ground throughout the hike.
We munched on some graham crackers while we hiked. Crackers, outside, fall leaves, exploring, nice weather? That is pretty much heaven.
Marion sat down by Elora while Elora stopped to draw a picture of some flowers. Marion figured out that the sand felt nice in her fingers. Then she figured out that it was pretty funny to dump the sand on Elora’s feet…
…until Elora figured out what Marion was doing. Here is Elora yelling at Marion to stop. I thought it was funny. Marion did too.
We hiked to a spot where there are tons of petroglyphs at the base of a steep rock wall. It has gotten more well-known since I first started hiking here, and there are now fences put up to keep people away from the wall. I also occasionally run into hikers here, and that didn’t used to happen real often. But it is still a really beautiful place to visit, and it is fun to bring the kids here and show them the artwork and ask their opinions about it. Elora, of course, loved it. She loves everything related to outside and art. She spent some time with her sketchpad trying to draw pictures of the petroglyphs. She especially liked the squiggly lines and the sheep.
Marion liked sitting on the fence…
…and playing peek-a-boo with Nana.
Oliver was not so interested in the petroglyphs, but he loved this tunnel under the road. I showed him this picture that I took and then he spent the next while dancing around making shadow shapes for more pictures.
Elora was excited to make a heart shape with her hands for her shadow picture.
Oliver is a little mountain goat and I had to work hard to keep track of him. He loves hiking on the slick rock because he is pretty agile and can climb up really fast. Me, climbing with the baby in the baby carrier? Not so fast…
I love living near Zion. I wish we went every day. I love that my kids enjoy spending their time there as much as I do. Zion is a really special place for me, and I am grateful that I can share that with my kids, and that it is becoming a special place for them too. Whenever we get in the car they ask to go to Zion. Even little Marion asks to go hiking every day. This was such an awesome day.
