A Week of National Parks Nov 6-13 - Part 1

What an amazing week we have had. We left LA on Tuesday afternoon and within a couple of hours we were in the clear mountain air of the Mojave Desert.  We set up our first camp at the "Hole in the Wall" campground, entranced by the stars, the jackrabbits and the crisp air.  It is off season and we almost have the wide open space all to ourselves.

The morning saw a beautiful sunrise over the hills and a hike into what was a perfect introduction to the high desert terrain.  Everyone was in good spirits and excited to be finally "on the road".  The hike we chose is called the "ring trail" courtesy of the rings you use as a sort of ladder for part of it.  The kids thought this was a fun challenge and it got everyone pumped for more adventures.

We are trying to do some school work on most days.  There are some pretty fabulous locations to be learning your numbers and letters! 

After his work Vios takes his new desert toy for a spin.  Seems like a pretty fun way to pass some time while big brother and sister finish up their work!


Some of the guiding principles of the trip are already emerging.  They seem to be "take it slow - take the detour, watch the visitor centre movie, read the signs" "provide some creature comforts" and "have fun".


From our campground we head north through the Mojave Preserve, passing through the largest Joshua Tree Forest in the world.  The kids thought calling it a "forest" was a stretch, given their point of reference with the forests back home, but they are indeed the desert's version of a forest with the twisted and loopy shapes of the Joshua trees, the spiky Yucca plants and the gnarled Juniper bushes.  I love the shape of the trees against the blue crisp desert sky.  The trees remind me of a Dr Seuss creation. 

Pictures do not capture the expanse of the view.  It feels invigorating to be in such wide country with the desert blues, greens, pinks, reds and oranges.

We are trying to incorporate learning from the environment and we have our first Leo-led nature walk, learning about the trees, the cacti and where snakes would rest to warm up 

... some in the group are less than thrilled to think about the creepy crawlies of the desert.   We also had to laugh when we realized that our first nature lesson was incorrect.  At least the kids are sure to now remember the differences between Pinyon Trees and Juniper bushes!

This day is incredibly full as we drive on from the Mojave desert into the lights of the Las Vegas strip.

What a contrast!  We drive though the town to show the kids the incredible scene that is Vegas, but everyone is too tired and too overwhelmed to want to stop and get out.  That is actually okay with me.  Just 15 minutes on the strip and I was feeling sensory overload.

We drove 20 minutes out of town, leaving the lights and the noise behind, to the Red Rocks Campground.  Red Rocks has become a mecca for rock climbing and the campground was full, but luckily there was an overflow lot that we could park for the night.  

We wake early in the morning to the sounds of climbers getting themselves ready to head out to the rocks as the sun rose over the tops of the mountains.  For once we are not the only ones up at a ridiculously early hour.

The Red Rocks Canyon National preserve is a beautiful park with incredibly red stone walls.  The visitor's centre was actually a highlight, providing the formal "teaching material" of the day.  Each park has a "Junior Ranger" program with workbooks and different tasks.  The kids spent over an hour completing their activities in the interpretive centre and during our walks in the park. 

Our week of moving quickly continues and we move on towards Bryce.  After another cold night of camping we arrive at Bryce National Park.  Wow.  What an incredibly majestic park.  

We embark on an ambitious hike from sunset to sunrise point, through the Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop.  This 3 mile hike takes us from the rim of the canyon down to the canyon floor and back up to the rim.  

The towering HooDoos are spellbinding. We learn about the power of the wind and water causing erosion.  We learn how water seeps in to fault lines and freezes then expands, creating a wedge and cracking open the solid rock into these otherworldly rock formations.  Geology is alive for all of us.

The sheer size of the rock is overwhelming.  

On a switchback back up to the rim Vios remarked that the people "look like ants going to work".  

Luna notes that she feels small, dwarfed by the immensity of mother nature.  

For one member of our family heights and exposure provide an intense and visceral challenge.  We are all impressed that they face their fears and take on this walk.  It is not an easy hike for those whose knees go weak at heights.  This fear will be challenged and pushed over and over on this week of high desert exploration and over and over again the challenge will be met head on.  The learning and self exploration that I hoped to see everyone reap from this time of travel is already coming to fruition.

From Bryce we head to slightly lower elevation.  It is COLD.  We find out that there has been colder than normal temperatures and we are in search of more hospitable camping weather.  We don't find warmer weather but we feel like we've hit the jackpot with Kodachrome State Park campground.  There we have hot showers and fire wood.  Despite the below freezing temperatures we feel like we are living like kings!
We wake up early, cold and eager to move.  We hike the Kodachrome basin, finding different faces and shapes in the towering red spires.  This week has been a wonderful introduction to geology, to red rocks and sand and shapes jutting into the sky, shaped by wind and water. In Kodachrome we can see the huge spires that are multi hued, revealing the different sedimentary layers once laid down under the crust of the earth and now heaved up into the sky and eroded away and exposed, the inside of the earth turned out.  Later that afternoon, after a hot and without a doubt most luxurious public shower ever, we head further north and east across Utah to Capitol Reef National Park.