What a great day. The kids got up, showered , ate breakfast, and helped load the van. We had to pack everything since we will be changing hotels tonight. So about 9am we headed into Canyonlands National Park.

We stopped at the visitor center to talk to a ranger and pick up a few post cards. The ranger gave us some ideas for hikes before and after lunch. Only later would we realize her insight and experience as we took her advice.


Our first stop was Mesa Arch. The hike was pretty uneventful but it turned out to be the only arch we could actually walk out on. From there we went to Whale Rock. This is like Elephant Rock but MUCH larger. We hiked all over the whale and an adjacent fin. The views from the back of the whale were spectacular.



From there we went to Upheavel Dome. We decided to stop for a lunch of cheese, crackers, sausage, apples, and more water. Can't drink enough water out here. After we headed out to the Dome. The hike, again, was great - not too strenuous but far from boring. The view of the Dome was great. We hiked from one vantage point to another. Our photos won't do justice to the trail or the view.


The last stop was Aztec Butte Trail. It was a hike up a tall 1400' butte. The indians used to store corn up around the rim. We headed up to check it out.

From there we headed back to Moab to our hotel. Right now everyone is heading to the pool to give their feet and legs a rest. Tacos tonight.

A side note: we have better Internet access at this hotel so I will try to load up
a lions share of photos to flickr.