Family Vacation

You know it -- that part of summer that usually evokes memories throughout your lifetime. I must be old – I don’t remember many family vacations, but I know that we took them. I do remember going to Yellowstone and spending a month in Georgia. I also remember fishing with my Dad and Grandpa (though I don't consider these vacations) and going to Dinosaur Land in Vernal. The others must have been camping trips and since I’m soooo into camping they must have slipped from my mind. It’s sad that I don’t remember many vacations but I do remember Dad offering to take us kids (at different times) to lunch. To this day when he asks if we want to go to lunch with him the same question still applies – are we going to Costco (the samples) or RC Willey (free hotdogs and soda)?

Since I’ve been married we have taken at least one vacation a year (okay – it has only been six years so my memory is still good for this period of time). Granted most of them have been to visit family for reunions and get togethers, or holidays. This year, however, we actually took a true VACATION! Woo Hoo!! Where did you go, you ask? None other than the “hot spot” of Utah and home to “red dirt” -- Moab. It was hot but it was fun. We slept in, did what we wanted without a time schedule, watched a couple of movies in the cabin, and had good quality time together. We took games but never got to play them as we were so tired at the end of each day.

We drove the scenic byway, visited the Hole N’ the Rock (interesting 5000 sq. foot home built into the mountain),


visited the movie museum at the Red Cliffs Lodge, visited Arches National Park,





checked out the Indian petroglyphs and pictographs,



and ventured to Cortez, Colorado for a day at Mesa Verde. Let’s just say Mesa Verde is awesome. We are planning to go back another time as there was so much to see. You really needed at least two days to take it all in. There are five houses or dwellings that you can visit. Three are guided tours and two are self guided. There are only four that I really wanted to see but we were only able to take in one of each – Spruce Tree House (self-guided)



and Cliff Palace.






We went “camping” in a nice KOA park there in Moab where we were able to stay in a cabin – the only way to camp.


It was a much needed time of R&R for all of us. I felt so refreshed when I returned to work. Future vacation plans include South Dakota and Durango, Colorado to name a few.