Utah trip 2009 [Bryan]

We returned from our trip to Utah a few weeks ago. Finally, here are some pictures.

Upon arrival, we were quickly ushered off to see a premier of the new Harry Potter movie. Here we are with the Merkley clan in matching Harry Potter T-shirts.

The next day, we headed east with Ellie's parents and sister, Emily, to visit Eastern Utah. Here we are in Vernal, Utah, where we stayed in some cute little cabins.

I wanted to go to Vernal to recreate some of the beloved vacations of my youth that were spent in Dinosaurland National Monument. Here we are at the new (to us) Vernal natural history museum.

I think my favorite part of Vernal was the dinosaur garden. Alas, the famous fossil quarry in the monument was closed for renovation, but we did get to see some great scenery within the park, as well as some historical sites. (Although, in a horrifying parental moment, Andrew picked up a rock and hurled it at a window of one of the historical buildings -- luckily, it didn't break.)

About 30 minutes south of Vernal is a breathtaking, undiscovered place called Fantasy Canyon. It is a small area, way out of the way, but it is one of the most unique places in Utah (which is saying something). The delicate rock formations are absolutely wondrous.

The kids loved looking for lizards and imagining shapes in the rocks.

After spending a day in Vernal, we headed down to Moab, Utah. To get from Moab to Vernal, you need to go through Colorado, a long drive which I think we were all dreading. But, in the end, we found that the road to Moab takes you through some gorgeous mountain scenery.

Here we are at Arches National Park, just outside of Moab. That is me making the triumphant V with my arms.

The kids, overall, were real troopers. Our little trip consisted in much driving and hiking, which they largely bore without complaint.

Cute Andrew picture. I loved to see Andrew and Nora climbing and exploring, but it sure made me nervous. Another paradox of parenting I suppose (freedom versus caution).

Random Stephen picture.

When we arrived back in Salt Lake, we spent a few days with my family. We did a lot of fun stuff. Here we are playing in a river (building a dam actually), in Cedar Hills, Utah, where my brother and his family live.

Uncle Ruston took both Nora and Andrew on motorcycles rides. They loved it. Here is Andrew, holding on for dear life.

Here is Nora.

One of the best parts of the trip was that the kids were able to spend some quality time with cousins. They had an enormous sleep over on Sunday night.

Another highlight was visiting Kennocott Copper mine. Now, to be sure, this place is an environmental travesty. But it sure is impressive (and I guess I use my share of copper, so who am I to complain?). Here is the tire of the massive dump trucks they use there.

Here is the big hole. Amazing.

Overall, we had a wonderful time. Many thanks to our friends who took time to visit with us, even while somtimes destroying us at tennis. Many thanks to Ellie's parents for being patient with our mad dash across Eastern Utah. Many thanks to my parents and family for their unending hospitality. We feel very loved when we go home and, perhaps even more important, we know that our kids can feel that love, too. Whenever we visit, our children come to know that there are people who care about them very much, even though they may live far away. It is important to us that they realize this.