Fall Vacation

The kids have a “Fall Break” so all the public education teachers in the state can enjoy two days of screwing off like the rest of us attend important workshops to strengthen their teaching skills and knowledge. We spent three days hiking around Arches National Park with three other families from the neighborhood. The weather cooperated in a spectacular fashion. I know you’re all dying for the travel pictures. Here are a few:

 

Well. That’s not Arches. We found him in the window well. Hold on. I’ll get the hang of this.

We paid for a ranger to guide us on a hike of the “Fiery Furnace.” None of us had done this part of the park before. Lots of sandstone fins without marked trails. I guess they don’t want you to die in there.

More Fiery Furnace–quite shady and nice, actually.

Old Man Skinny bringing up the rear with youngest daughter

Fairly artistic shot–good job, Mrs. Skinny

This was Skull Arch (I think)

The second day we were looking for a tunnel that a maniac brother-in-law hiker told us about. This wasn’t it. But we were on the hunt. 

We were following a wash full of Cottonwoods and willows (and lots of hellish thorns, burrs, and cacti. Those are the LaSalle Mountains. That’s part of the charm of the area. You can be in the middle of miles of fantastic red rock formations and you’ve got that in the background.

We (meaning the Mrs. and a little neighbor kid) finally found it. We hiked way past it and ran into it on the way back. The tunnel is about 50 feet long and runs clear through this sandstone fin.

Mrs. S. looking in. She’s a persistent little cuss. We crowded in and chased the bat out and slid on our butts down the other side. A good time was had by all.