Summer Vacation

We decided to head back to Utah for summer vacation since the kids loved Arches National Park so much when we passed through last year. They love the natural scrambling the park affords and the nearby town of Moab is a great base from which families can explore the surrounding area. (Bob - I highly recommend the Gonzo Inn in Moab as a possible destination for you and Gail. Its eclectic art decoration is right up your alley and it's situated right on a nice bike trail that takes you through the heart of town)

The first day the big kids and I did the 3.2-mile round trip hike to the iconic Delicate Arch. (Andria kindly hung back with Zanny while we did the hike) I was really proud of the kids for hanging in there and completing the hike. The park rates the hike as difficult and it seemed well into the 80s by 9am, with temps steadily climbing. 

The payoff was definitely worth it. Somehow Delicate Arch is the result of millions of years of wind, rain, and ice-induced erosion. It is quite striking up close. The La Sal Mountains form a neat backdrop. 

Looking at the arch from a totally different vantage point.

The next day we headed to Dead Horse Point State Park. It involves an interesting legend if you care to Google how it got its name. The views of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below are Grand Canyon-esque. 

Nice photo by Nora of the old man and old lady.

They created this awesome biking trail called the Intrepid Trail that follows the rim of the plateau with amazing 360-degree views. I don't think there is a more striking backdrop to a bike ride.

This was a common sight during our time in Utah. Temps easily eclipsed 100 each day.

On our last evening in town we went for a short hike and climb to Double Arch.

I think scrambling up rocks is in kids' DNA the world over. We must have gotten that from our primate ancestors. 

Colorado Trail - Waterton Canyon

I decided to go for a bike ride on a really pleasant portion of the Colorado Trail just south of Denver today. The Colorado Trail connects Denver with Durango in the southwestern portion of the state and I believe is in the neighborhood of 400 miles long. The Waterton Canyon section of the trail has an old railroad bed that runs along the South Platte River up into the mountains. Denver Water uses this section of the trail as a utility road up to one of its reservoirs but allows cyclists, hikers, and horseback riders to use it for recreation. It's a great trail that allows you to take in some great views of the South Platte for about six miles until it narrows and really starts to climb into the mountains. 

As I rounded a bend I was confronted with these Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep mamas and their babies walking right toward me. I could sense the mamas were being quite protective of their babies so I wisely gave them some space before moving on. 

Some busy pollinators along the trail. 

The trail was quite steep in parts. As a novice mountain biker, I had my butt kicked working my way up.

Denver Botanic Gardens

Zanny and I decided to live the lives of urbanites by visiting the Denver Botanic Gardens yesterday. It's a very nice urban collection of different gardens and reminded me of our St. Louis days, when Nora and Soren and Andria and I used to visit the wonderful Missouri Botanical Garden. They happened to be featuring throughout the garden a collection of sculptures on loan from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, which seemed like a good fit as I think Denver and Minneapolis have a lot in common in some respects.

Fun horse sculpture on loan from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.