Red Rock Camping

When I was growing up, Easter meant packing up the camper and heading somewhere south.  Escalante and Moab were favorite spring camping haunts, but there were also trips to Bryce Canyon, Zion's National Park and even jaunts into southern Colorado.

Ahh spring!

Nothing says "Hallelujah, winter is over!"  quite like dyeing eggs in the wild and then chucking them down grassy hills in remote parts of Utah.  Which is precisely why Hubby and I decided to pack up the girlies and head to Moab this year instead of the frozen tundra of Little Sahara Sand Dunes (where we have gone for previous Easter camping trips).

Of course the girls colored eggs at home the day before we left, and the Easter Bunny hopped their basket of sugary treasures into the living room on Saturday so that they would have time to stow their candy for the trip, but leaving bright and early Sunday morning still made it an Easter trip in spite of the burglary drama.

I try to convince myself that a simple, carefree life would be boring and so not my style.  I might even believe it someday.

I thought that leaving Emily home to head off to CA with her school group would be the hardest part of the day, but the theft distraction made it so that I was in a trauma induced stupor and so I didn't sob as I drove away like I had expected to do. I had my two oldest girls in the Durango with me, a new Stephen King book on my ipod, the open road in front of me and I completely zoned out for a few hours. 

When the red cliffs and plateaus surrounded the roads, I felt a wave of nostalgia so sudden and strong that I missed my mom.  The last time I had been in the Moab area was with my parents, undoubtedly over Easter, and it felt strange to be there without them. Even with the whispers of childhood all around me, I was ready to create new, lasting memories with my wonderful husband and children. I knew it would be a trip to remember!

Our campsite was great, but the wind was our nemesis.  I thought our tent was a lot like Monster House, trying to eat us as we desperately hunkered down to sleep through the 65+ mph winds. We didn't know it then, but we were in for a trip full of wind and bitter cold. It is a good thing my tribe is resilient!

We managed a group ride up toward the La Sal mountains, a day spent in Arches National Park, a day spent in Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point, and one last day spent riding to Gemini Bridges and the trail below Dead Horse Point before my Raptor's fuel pump finally quit for good. (Good thing it was the last ride we had planned!)

This wonderful man that I am honored to call my husband takes such great care of us on a daily basis and this camping trip was no exception. He is so patient with the mob of women that surround him every day, and even though we are great helpers on each trip, we look to him to be the one to watch over us and make us feel safe.. especially in the wilderness. When I stop to think how blessed we are that he chose to spend his life with us, knowing full well what he was getting into, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. He is the rock of this family and  I love him so much!

In addition to having a wonderfully patient and loving  hubby, I have an adorable bunch of girls who went without showers for three days and endured sun and windburned faces for the sake of family fun.  Judging by the multitude of pictures we took to document our trip, it was all worth the sacrifices! When we talk about the trip now, we can almost forget the howling wind and biting cold. What we remember is the breathtaking scenery, the awesome landscapes that we were immersed in, and the camaraderie that binds our family together.

What an adventure! 

The weather tried to defeat us but even though we were definitely miserable at times, our Moab trip was one that we will always remember with vivid detail and great fondness. On our way out of town we stopped in a fun main street shop to get Moab helmet stickers and souvenir shirts for everyone.

We'll be back, Moab! You can count on it!