Goblin Valley

Our last stop was Goblin Valley State Park. First, let me just say it is in the middle of nowhere. This place is next to nothing. Having said that, it is worth finding on a map. The kids LOVED it! It is the part of the trip they talk about the most.

What's so great about Goblin Valley? Well, it is this little valley where there are thousands of small rock formations.

There are no trails. Everybody just wanders around aimlessly.

The kids climbed on top of rock formations,

hid underneath for shade,

and discovered caves.

They even found a "home" to where they could all live together.

Their imaginations went wild. I love to see their creativity come to life.

Esteban was extremely helpful with the younger kids. It is nice to see him step into the oldest grandchild role. He really is great.

Even the adults climbed on top of the rocks for a few poses.

The only bad thing about Goblin Valley, it was hot as heck. We arrived there during the hottest part of the day. There is no vegetation and very little shade. Next time I will be better prepared with hats, sunglasses, and water for all of my kids.  Kim said, "Here is  my Status Update for today. 'I've been to Hell and didn't like it. I'm willing to change my ways.'"

My boys wanted to go off on their own to explore. I felt like they could because we were in a small area and as long as they went up on top of a formation every once in a while I knew the general direction they were headed. Plus, there is a look-out/picnic area that can be seen from the entire valley so they knew which direction their final destination lay. They had so much fun!

We ended the trip in Green River. Where we spent our last evening hanging out at the city park.The soccer ball came in handy once again.

 Vanessa and Addie were sporting static electric hairdos.

Holly amused us all by pretending to be a puppy and playing fetch.

I don't think Monica and Scott were as amused since she was running around with a stick in her mouth.

A very nice ending to a very nice trip. Thank you to my family for making it so fun.

Chuckwagon Motel

We stayed in Torrey, Utah. Population: 171.  I told my kids that we were going to Podunk, Utah and then felt bad when they thought that was the real name of the town. I was a bit leery of our accommodations at the Chuckwagon Motel. Most of the hotels we usually stay at are affiliated with Marriott. To my pleasant surprise, we pulled up to the great little cabin.

I was impressed. It was just as good as any Marriott. My only complaint was that we only had one bathroom for all 6 of us. (Listen to me complain, I sound so spoiled.) My parent's suite was even bigger and better than ours.

The kids could care less about all that. They were just excited about the pool.

I finally got Ethan to pose for a photo.

I'm a hot tub girl myself. I just don't like cold water (More complaining).

Torrey is a beautiful town. I really liked it there. They have a little drive-in where I had the best peanut butter cup shake  EVER. (I always get the vanilla and peanut butter cup shake so I actually have lots of references to judge it by.) I went jogging early in the morning. I saw more dogs than I did people. I was chased by two different dogs. They obviously don't enforce leash laws there (Still complaining. I'm really starting to sound like a city girl.) I'll put up with dogs any day to get photos like this.

Did I mention how quiet and peaceful it is? It was gorgeous way to start the day. No more complaining.

Capital Reef

The next day, we all put on our matching shirts (Esteban was sooo excited.) and headed for nearby Capital Reef National Park.

Here is another one of our "true to form" family photos.

The kids enjoyed hanging out on the trails and posing for pictures.

Some of the adults joined in on the photo action as well.

Even AJ and Esteban agreed to participate.

We went on several hikes. Where we discovered that matching shirts makes it considerably easier to keep track of everyone.

People who noticed the shirts would ask things like, "Are you all together?" One person on the trail said, "Oh look, they come in all different sizes." It was fun to explain the T-shirt brand and acknowledge that we were family.

I love the red rocks formations of this area. My grandma thought it was ugly. I totally disagree.

We stopped by the interactive ranger station where the kids performed some "domestic" duties.

We went on the ranger guided tour which was supposed to last only 20 minutes but once the ranger got going he just kept on going. I thought we would never get out of there.

While the presentation dragged on for the adults, the kids LOVED it. They all received a Jr. Geologist patch after they pledged to protect the earth. Savanah was all over that.

The next stop was the waterfall in the park. Growing up I remember my grandma saying there were hippies that would skinny dip at the waterfall.

There was no skinny dipping until Holly, age 3, got wet and stripped off her wet clothes. I guess my grandma was right this time.

We all had a great day exploring the area, spending time together as a family, and enjoying the natural beauty of the earth.

The Legacy

My maternal grandfather would have turned 100 years old this year. He was born in 1910 in a small farming town near Sun Valley, Idaho. I believe he was one of the last true cowboys.

He had a hard life. His mother died when he was a teenager. He promised her before she died that he would never use tobacco or alcohol. He left home shortly after his father remarried. He spent his teenage years herding sheep on the mountains of central Utah in order to provide a living for himself.

Later, he was a soldier in the army during World War II. At that time, the army gave out cigarettes to the soldiers. Being true to the promise he made to his mother, he refused the cigarettes despite the peer pressure. He broke his leg before his company went to Europe to fight in the war. He was honorably discharged.

After returning home, he was involved with the local Veterans group for the rest of his life. Some of the responsibilities included digging the graves for veterans who died and doing a 21-gun salute at the graveside services of veterans. There was one time when my grandpa was the only one to show up to dig a grave. He dug the entire grave by himself. He was known as a hard worker and an honest man.

I remember several things about my grandpa: the red bandana he carried in his back pocket, the Snickers snack bars he would always give us, giving him hugs, and his generosity. He died when I was in the fourth grade. I remember the group of men doing a 21 gun salute at this graveside service. I learned later that several veterans had to be turned away because there were so many who wanted to participate in this ceremony for my grandpa. By that point the city was starting to use a backhoe to dig graves in the cemetery. When the backhoe arrived at the cemetery to dig grandpa's grave, the veterans were already there digging with their shovels. They waved the backhoe off and finished the work themselves in honor of him.

This is the legacy that will be passed on for generations to come. In order to help our children learn and understand this legacy, my mom organized a family trip to central Utah in honor of my grandpa's life and legacy.

From Fish Lake (see previous post), we went down the mountain to the valley where my grandparents lived. Along the way, we saw areas where my grandpa herded sheep. Due to the cold wet spring we had this year the valley was as green as I have ever seen it.

It was fun for me to take my kids to a place that is such a part of my childhood. As a child, we traveled down there every six weeks or so all while I was growing up. We visited more often in the summer when my grandpa needed help on the farm. This trip was a great opportunity for me to touch my roots and to show my children part of my childhood.

We stopped by the old church house and city park.

The kids had fun in the park. Vanessa lost another tooth. This was literally a lost tooth because she has no idea when it happened or where it fell.

On steps of the church that my ancestors help build, my mom showed us the cattle brand my grandpa used to to mark the livestock that belonged to him. The name of the brand was Box Bar.

 Then she presented each of us with a T-shirt with that same brand on the front.

We paused for a group picture.

Then another photo that is actually more true to life for my family.

We went to the local cemetery where the kids enjoyed their version of family history work.

It is an honor for me to wear my grandpa's brand. What that means is that we belong to him. We are branded his for eternity. I hope I can live my life and teach my kids to carry on his legacy.