Happy Cinco de Mayo!

How to describe today... it felt like the Israelites wandering through the wilderness for 40 years... but wait, there's more... the Israelites wandering while driving in a snow storm on the 380.  I have to say, this isn't going down as my all time favorite day.  :)  I was really happy when we pulled into Moab tonight. :)

I think I'm coming down w/ the sinus stuff that Nick had, so after a rough nights sleep I woke up still a little sick and with a headache.  Not the first time that's happened while on vaca tho, and we headed out from the Circle D Motel to hit some slot canyons.  What a trek.

The road to get to the canyons was PART of the driving on 380 in a snow storm moment.  It was a dirt road for 30 miles in a CIA car.  I thought that Crown Vic was going to eventually just start shedding parts.  You know, you look back and there goes the bumper and then the door.  30 miles at ~30 miles and hour is just painful.  So, we finally got to the turn off and went down and even worse road for 1.7 miles.  When we pulled into the area where people parked there were quite a few vehicles.  We were the only car tho.  lol.  Poor little thing had to chug us through. 

It got so hot out there and we didn't really know where we were suppose to be going.  People stack rocks up into things called "karens (sp?)" you're suppose to follow these stacks of rocks (no signs).  They're not always easy to spot tho. I had just about every Bible story I'd been taught as a child go through my head. It felt like that would have been the landscape that it all took place in. I felt like Ishmael a couple times today -- just throw me under a shaded bush and give me what water is left and leave me to die. lol.

Due to the great remoteness of the area and the length of time we were out there, I managed to have to pee out in the wilderness.  YEA.  :/  Thank God for public restrooms!  Modern conveniences really are a blessing.  :)

Once we finally figured out where we were suppose to be the slot canyons were pretty awesome.  Very narrow in some spots.  I was a little worried about Nick, he struggles w/ a little claustrophobia, but he made it through.  Good job hon!

From there it was off to Moab!  Holy Moly!  The trek from Escalante to Moab was SCARY!!!!!!!!!!   At one point we were almost at 10,000 ft.  Other times the road would narrow down to scary, scary, scary and there were huge drop offs on either sides.  At one point it was like a roller coaster, we came up over such a steep road you didn't know if there was going to be a road going down the other side.  For a moment I think we both got panicky.  :)  What were the settlers thinking?  Don't you wonder?  How did they find these slot canyons, why was it worth it for them to cut roads through this majorly rugged terrain?  How many of them died doing it?  I barely wanted to do it from an air conditioned car.  I guess that's the cool part tho -- the spirit of the settler is still around out here.  People want to be away from people, getting dirty, blazing trails.

So, we finally rolled into Moab.  Moab is a very interesting place.  If a large Catholic family called the Khaki's decided to reunited all their khaki family for a family reunion --- the Khaki's would have that family reunion in Moab.  There are four types of vehicles here, all terrain vehicles, Jeeps, mountain bikes and Jeeps.  Also, there are a lot of men here.  Men in large groups and small groups.  Men, men, men.  Men in khaki driving jeeps. 

A couple we tagged along with part of the way -- he graduated from Iowa.  This picture seems steeper then it actually was.  Lord knows if felt this steep on the way back up!

Tight fits!

Pretty flowers in the middle of desert!

Peek-a-boo Canyon

I think this part got to him a bit.  It was definately tight tight in spots.

What in the World!?

I say WOOO HOO and What in the world a lot on this trip...  So many things that are inexplicable.  You just drive along and then BAM!  There's this awesome thing.  Also, I'm sick of putting things in quotes.  You'll just have to follow along. :)

It's funny the parks all have these welcome signs from the 1950s.  It made me think, how many things are enduring??  Where can you go in 2012 that looks the same or mostly the same as it did in 1950's.  I've felt a couple times that Nick should be driving a station wagon with wood paneling while wearing a fedora, I'd be smoking a cigarette because our four kids in the back seat are stressing me out.  That's just the feel I get when I pull into some of these places.  :)

I can't say how nice it is to be off for two weeks straight.  It's a rare treat for Americans. :)  I know this because when I told people I was going to be gone for two weeks, they all said the same thing -- TWO WEEKS!!!  :)  Can I just say, I highly recommend it.  I think we say 15 times a day -- do you know what day it is.  lol.  It's a nice break from writing the date 15 times a day -- and still not remembering what day it is.

ALSO, I've taken hardly any ibuprofen on this trip despite really pushing myself physically everyday.  I've always noticed the more I sit, the worse I feel.  Darn swivel chairs and recliners -- they're the real back breakers in this world. :)  The funny part is when I woke up today my hands hurt and the back of my arms. lol.  From all that digging in against the current when we crossed the river yesterday. 

There have been a lot of Parisians on this trip and Asians.  All the parks and areas have been pretty quiet so far we've heard -- I'm guessing once the kids get out of school, the Americans will begin filling the parks up.  Also, I'm not sure if a duty free Harley-Davidson shop just recently got opened somewhere, but we have interestingly ran across a few Harley-Davidson riding French biker groups... My guess is they're French speaking Canadian... that would make more sense...  maybe.  Anyway -- it's not quite what you expect.

The weather has been lovely everyday so far.  A real blessing.  It's not been too hot, it was even a little chilly at some points today.  We were at over 8,000 elevation today, so that always seems to play into things.  There are hardly any bugs and my hair dries in ~19 seconds. 

Also, people who light cigarettes in national parks that have signs advising the fire potential for the day make me nervous.  Just wait till you get out.  You can do it!  I believe in you!

This is our CREEPPPPY fake sherif!  What the what!  Isn't this just creepy?  There was another one up the road.

Welcome to Bryce Canyon!

Lots of trees with a lot of root exposed.  Kind of pretty.

Looking good, Nick Timmerman!

Awwww... cute little buddy.

Classic Nick Timmerman shot.

Hail to the Hodo! (that's what these things are called FYI)

Ca-ra-zy!

Switchbacks all the way back up!  Beautiful views.

This monument is called Thor's hammer.

It's us!

Ha ha!  I put him up to this  :)  It's so funny. :)

Isn't it amazing?

Some friends we met yesterday took this picture and e-mailed it to us!  So sweet!  This is us just getting started on the journey!  :)

We're staying at the Circle D Motel in Escalante, UT.  When we got here there were some folks playing guitar and banjo while singing most of the sound track of Oh Brother Where Art Tho.  We opened the windows and doors and sang along when we could.  :)  Nick came and got me just a min ago (he's outside reading -- hates all the typing lol), a guy a couple rooms up is out in front of his room playing his violin.  What is this awesome place!!