Day 48 and 49--Fri--7/31 and Sat 8/1: Kanarraville slot canyon, UT and Circus Circus, Las Vegas

Warning:  Kanarraville slot canyon is so gorgeous that I'm posting a few too many pictures of it :).

We left Fillmore, UT at 7 am and got to Kanarraville, UT at 9 am.  We then started our awesome 4 mile round-trip hike through a stream in a gorgeous, red-rock slot canyon.  This is a must do hike if you’re ever driving near Cedar City, UT.    The water was surprisingly freezing on July 31.   Our feet were really COLD hiking up the stream in the canyon but we loved climbing the two rickety ladders next to small waterfalls, looking at the different shades of red and orange rock in the nearly 100-foot high canyon, We loved walking around corners so narrow at times that even Sarah could touch both walls at the same time with her arms!   After the 3^rd waterfall/2^nd ladder, we turned around and found a natural, rock waterslide into a pool of water in the stream.  Although the water was cold, Sam took the lead and slid down it anyway and got soaked up to his chest.  Not to be outdone, Sarah then took the plunge.  They both did it a few more times—Sarah making sure to have slid one more time than her dad J.  This is a spectacular slot canyon!

We got back in the RV at 12:20 pm and while driving through St. George, UT on the way to Las Vegas, NV, the right rear tire blew out!  It was crazy loud and scary.  We pulled over on the center median on I-15.  Fortunately, the blowout happened where we had cell phone reception in St. George.  So we called our roadside assistance company.   Andrea, Sarah, and Ryan drove the tow car to Wendy’s to get shakes and to get in the air conditioning (95 degrees and humid out) while Sam stayed with the RV while it got fixed.  After getting it fixed and regrouping, we drove to VEGAS BABY!!!  We ended up at Circus Circus at 645 pm, ate the buffet, and then went to play games, gamble, and watch circus acts.  Vegas is always Ryan’s favorite part of our last few trips because he loves Circus Circus.  The kids won stuffed animals and other toys.  All of us played arcade games.  Then Andrea and Sam each traded off gambling for about 1 hour each while the other stayed with the kids.  We ended up down a little but really had a good time.  This was a fun, adventurous day—with a little unexpected tire excitement as well.  

Kanarraville Slot Canyon, UT

One of 3 waterfalls in slot canyon

Gorgeous colors.

Cold water even on July 31!  This was about the deepest water on the hike.

Sarah looks dwarfed in the colorful sandstone canyon.

Exploring.

A small natural waterside into a pool of COLD water.

3rd waterfall of the hike.

Beautiful!

2nd waterfall of the hike.

Canyon so narrow Sarah could touch both walls at the same time.

Day 49--Fri--7/31: Last Day:  Drive home, Las Vegas, NV to La Crescenta, CA

We got on the road around 6:45 am to beat the heat and drove home from Las Vegas. 

What a great trip full of adventure, nature, and family time exploring northern CA, OR, WA, British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Las Vegas.  We drove  ­­­­4,100 miles for 49 days.  All the things we did will be memories that last us a lifetime and we are a much tighter, tougher, and closer family.  We’re all bummed the trip is over but we’re also glad to be back home to see family and friends—and to swim in the pool J.

Day 47—Thurs.--7/30: Drive from Idaho Falls, ID to Park City, Ut (Olympic Park—ropes courses, zipline, drop tower) then drive south to Fillmore, UT

Continuing our homeward trek, we left Idaho Falls early and drove straight to Olympic Park in Park City, Utah.   This is our second year in a row stopping here because our whole family loves this place.  We watched skiers practicing their aerial jumps into the training swimming pool.  We also saw the skiing long jumpers practicing their jumps and landings on the actual ski jump used in the Olympics that were here recently.  But most important, we zip lined multiple times, went on the easy, intermediate and advanced high ropes courses and the drop tower!  It was great.  The kids are incredible at the ropes courses and we all love the challenge.  Ryan even did the advanced ropes course this year and did great.  After spending about 5 hours here, we then got in the RV and drove as far south as we could.  We arrived at an RV park in Nowhere, UT (Fillmore actually) around 7:20 pm, ate dinner and showered and went to bed.  We had a great time in Park City.

Sarah on the high ropes course.

Andrea and Sarah about to launch on the hipline.

Ryan on the Drop Tower.  You have to step off the 65 foot high tower!

Sam and Ryan on the advanced high ropes.

Sarah and Andrea (Andrea's doing her "Daphne from Scoobie Doo pose :)  ) on the advanced high ropes.

Sarah and Sam on the ropes courses.

Day 46—Wed.--7/29: Idaho Falls, ID: Long drive from Whitefish, MT to Idaho Falls, southern Idaho

Andrea and I got up by 7 am and ate breakfast and packed up the motorhome.  I woke up Sarah so she could see all the animals one last time at this campground.  When we were walking to the petting area, there were 2 large llamas about 10 feet away from us eating the bushes next to other people’s motorhomes.  They were awesome.  We enjoyed watching them for about 5 minutes.  Then we ate breakfast and got Sarah’s and Ryan’s breakfast to go, while Sarah went to pet the chickens, donkeys, and mini horses.   We went back to the RV, woke up Ryan, picked up Sarah and then we started our long drive south around 9:20 am.  We finally saw a moose on this trip—standing by the side of the highway.  She was pretty.  We arrived in Idaho Falls, Idaho around 6:20 pm (ouch—nine hours, 440 mile in the motorhome driving day!).  We ate dinner and rode our bikes around the Snake River and the Idaho Falls.  The waterfalls used to be natural over rocks but now they are part of a hydroelectric plant that supplies electricity to the city.  There’s a park area there that was really pretty.   The sun was setting and the water was calm (except for the falls) so the reflections were gorgeous.  So was the near full moon.  Sarah found a beaver or muskrat swimming in the river.   We watched ducks swim and muskrat/beaver swim and the water falls. 

Idaho Falls, ID

Bike riding along river in Idaho Falls (check out Ryan's new bike!).

River, Mormon Temple, and full moon reflections.  Idaho Falls, ID

Day 45—Tuesday--7/28: Playing/exploring Whitefish, MT and Glacier National Park, MT

After a hearty breakfast of eggs, French toast/waffles and fruit, we loaded our bikes and drove to the park in cute Whitefish to ride the paved bike path along the Whitefish river and to the lake.  As I was offloading the 4 bikes from the bike rack, Sarah walked down to the river and was greeted by many ducks.  She had a mama duck and 9 tiny ducklings right next to her playing and looking to be fed.  She was loving it.  In the meantime, we parked next to some tennis courts that had about 8 boys playing street hockey with hockey sticks, a tennis ball, and 2 small goals (shoes—no inline skates).  Ryan walked over and was watching them from outside the fence when he was asked if he wanted to play too.  He was so excited and jumped right in.  After a short time, he scored 2 goals and made some great defensive plays too.  Both kids were having so much fun playing street hockey and playing with ducks at the river.  Fortunately, the hockey game ended after about 40 minutes so we all went for a nice bike ride along the pretty river to the lake.  At the lake, we all took off our shoes and socks and played in the water, enjoying the white puffy clouds and blue sky, pretty lake, and nice mellow music.  It was very relaxing.  After riding back to the car, we drove to the Maze.  We went there last year and had so much fun.  It’s a huge wooden maze (100 yrds x 100 yrds) that you have to make your way to 4 towers and stamp a card you have.  Then you find the “hard way out” as well.  You time stamp your card upon entering and exiting.  Last year, Andrea/Sarah crushed Sam/Ryan.  This year, Sarah/Sam crushed Andrea/Ryan.  Sarah/Sam finished it in 14 minutes whereas Andrea/Ryan got stuck and took 42 minutes.  It was really fun.  Then we drove to Glacier National Park and hiked a pretty riverside trail in search of moose.  We couldn’t find the moose but enjoyed the hike anyway.  We took a picture on the bridge at the exact spot as we took last year and we were shocked how low the water is this year.  It really was a bad snow year (except in Boston).  We were going to drive to Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road but there’s a fire still burning at Logan’s Pass.  Time was passing so and the road was closed before the top so we opted to turn back.  We ate elk and bison burgers for dinner and had freshly baked huckleberry pie a la mode for dessert.  It was great. 

Ryan playing pick-up street hockey.

He Shoots!!  He Scores!!!  Nice 2 goals by Ryan.

Sarah hanging out with ducks in Whitefish, Montana

Whitefish Lake, MT

Wading in Whitefish Lake, MT

Fun maze in Montana

Maze!

2015--This year.  Wow the water level is down!

2014 LAST YEAR'S PICTURE FROM EXACT SAME SPOT.  WATER LEVEL DIFFERENCE IN ONE YEAR!

Day 44—Monday—7/27: Drive from Banff, Canada to Whitefish, Montana, US

We set the alarm early and drove 5+ hours south from Banff back into the US.  WE drove through Kootenay National Park and stopped at Marble Canyon and took a short walk.  We had $37.75 worth of Canadian cash with us so we stopped at the duty free shop just this side of the US border and spent it all.   Crossing the border took about 30 minutes.  It was pretty easy.  They only confiscated our citrus fruit we had purchased in Canada.  Then we drove through to the Whitefish KOA campground.  We rode our bikes through the camp, pet donkeys and mini horses at the petting zoo, played basketball a while and even Frisbee golfed—all included in the camp.  After dinner, we watched a cute rabbit eat outside our motorhome.  We watched a movie and went to sleep.

Andrea and Sarah Kootenay National Park, BC, Canada

Sarah, river, flowers, Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies and glacier-fed river.

Frisbee golf in Whitefish, Montana

Day 43—Sunday—7/26: Banff Fairmont Springs Hotel, Bow Falls, Bow River, Caves Basin, Lunch in Banff, bighorn sheep at Lake Manawanka loop.

We drove to the opulent, gorgeous Banff Fairmont Springs Hotel.  Wow, it is incredibly nice.  Again, this is how the other half lives J.  We enjoyed walking through the different conference rooms, halls, and lobby.  The views were great.  We also drove to Bow Falls, a small but impressive waterfall on the Bow river.  We walked along the river for a while enjoying our last day in Banff.  After eating lunch in Banff, we then drove to Cave and Basin, a historical site with a sulphur smelling cave that contains hot springs.  These hot springs were what put Banff on the map.  It was a nice museum.  We then drove to the RV to get Denise’s luggage and dropped her off at a hotel 10 minutes away where the shuttle picks up passengers.  We told her we were going to drive 10 minutes from there and look for bighorn sheep—which she hadn’t seen on the trip.  She joked saying that as soon as she leaves, we’d start seeing all the wildlife.  Sure enough, we had one of our best animal encounters when we pulled over at a turnout and Sarah spotted about 8 bighorn sheep behind our car about 30 yards away.  They were beautiful—especially the larger mom and her adorable baby.  We got to see them climb on steep rocks, run, then climb down more steep rocky hillsides and cross the street very near us.  It was wonderful.  Sorry you missed it, Denise!  We then went back to the RV and watched movies (it was raining) and packed up the RV for our early departure tomorrow to drive to Montana.

Flowers and view from the Banff Fairmont Hotel.

Mama and baby bighorn sheep, Banff, Canada.

Small herd of bighorn sheep crossing the road in front of us.

Baby bighorn sheep.

Sarah, Andrea, Denise at Bow Falls along the Bow River, Banff.

Sarah and Ryan from the Banff Fairmont Hotel.  View from window is great!

Bow River.

Banff the town.

A little dancing Sasquatch in the Canadian Rockies/Banff.

Pretend swordfight--a near-daily activity with Ryan :).