A breath taking vacation, part 3

We survived the night and made it to Day 4.

Our tents in the morning.  One flat, the other bulging, with frost on the outside.  If it hadn't been for the tie down, it wouldn't have survived.  We had a good layer of red dirt all over us inside the tent by morning.  Alyse had frost in her hair in the morning!

It was cold so we hurried to cook breakfast and ate our egg sandwiches in the car on the way to Arches National Park.

First hike of the day was to the Double Arches.  This was our favorite arch.  The trail was stroller friendly up to the rocks and then I carried Audrey rock climbing.

The kids made it up to the point where you see people in the above picture over Scott's shoulder.

Lexi and Layla each made it up into the bottom of the arch. 

The view looking out and the view looking up.

I found out it is much easier climbing up rocks than down, especially holding Audrey!

Second hike, to North and South Windows and Turrett Arch.

North Window

Landon loves the binoculars!

South Window.  Looking from South Window to Turret Arch.

Under Turret Arch.

Alaina carried Audrey, a few steps anyways.  Landon with his "rock binoculars."

Going down with a view of North and South Windows.

Third hike to upper look out of Delicate Arch.  The actual hike to Delicate Arch would have been great, but not with carrying Audrey, so we just went to the upper look out of it.

Delicate Arch is just above Lexi's head.  (it's the arch on Utah's license plate.)

We ate lunch up at the Devil's Garden campground and then planned to do a few more hikes, but Audrey, Landon, and I were asleep so Scott drove back to the visitor's center and we walked around there, Alaina got a bloody nose from the dry dry air, and then we called it a day.  Back at camp, we hiked out on the west rim trail of Dead Horse and found geocache number 3 and the beautiful views to the west.  We made dinner and cooked smores over the camping stove (no wood fires allowed).

We went to bed in peaceful weather.  You'd think that after 3 nights of no sleep I would crash, but no, I laid awake and finally, fell asleep.  Then, wouldn't you know it, Audrey woke up, and then repeat of that.  Scott came in and took over with Audrey and I went to his bed in the other tent.  Got tucked in and the winds came and then I heard this fluttering sound above my head.  And then again and again.  Sometimes I thought it was fluttering, sometimes it sounded like rattling and I was determined something (bird, bat, or snake) was trapped between the screen door and the outside door, above my head.  After a few hours of laying in fear, when the thought crossed my mind that it would eat through the screen before the outside, and that it must be in between, otherwise the wind would have blown it away by now, and I had to pee so bad, I went out the other door and since I couldn't find a flashlight I had to go to Scott's tent and get mine and tell Scott, not so pleasantly, that I was terrified of something on our tent making a fluttering sound.  Scott informed it was only the tie down strap because it was twisted and vibrated against the tent.  :)  I walked to the bathroom fell off the road on my way back, then got back into bed and no longer terrified fell asleep till Lexi woke me up needing to go to the bathroom.  Repeat trip to bathroom, not falling this time, and return to bed and then the wind got crazy again.  Around 6, Scott's tent collapses on him and he brings me Audrey and returns for bedding and then he squeezes in with me, Audrey, and Landon.  Scott says we need to reconsider what we are going to do in the morning.  We suffer through till Audrey and then everyone else is awake and we talk plans and vote (and dust the red dirt off of us again). Mean while, Audrey climbed around over all of us and jumped on to Scott's legs and bloodied her nose.  During the night I was more than ready to throw in the towel and head home a day early, but once day light came I was a little keener on staying.  However, it was morning and still cold and still WINDY.  We voted and decided to head for home.   The kids stayed in one tent and Scott and I tackled taking down camp in the wind and the miracle of getting it all to fit again.  Finally, after a long, cold, and windy morning, we were off with PB&Js to make and eat on the way since we weren't up for cooking pancakes in the wind!  I think I was feverish on the way home and slept for a few hours in a jacket and a coat.  We dug lunch out of a cooler and ate on the way, it was still too windy to eat outside, and then drove the last 2-3 hours while Scott napped.  We came home dumped everything into the garage.  SHOWERED :), ate, and plopped onto the couch where I slept through everything and we all slept like rocks in our own beds!  Today, still feverish, sore and achy, I haven't moved from this chair to tell the tale, and the Jacuzzi tub.

The moral of the story:
1.  The scenery was amazing and breath taking!  Pictures don't do it justice compared to real life!
2.  Desert camping in a tent is tough.  It is not for wimps!
3.  If I were to tent camp in that area again, it would be at Devil's Garden in Arches National.  We like the campground and bathrooms at Dead Horse better and it has potable water, but being on top of the canyon is too windy for tents!  At Arches you are at the bottom with cliffs behind you.  Arches camp site #46 was our favorite, followed by #47, #48, #4.  At Dead Horse, any of the outer ring is good except #2 which is close to the road.
4.  I really want an RV!
5.  Don't take a stroller on any hike in Canyon Lands.  The nature trail at Dead horse is stroller friendly, the east and west rim trails are not.  At Arches, Double Arch, Balanced Rock, 3/4 of Upper Look Out of Delicate is, and part of Devil's garden.  Sand Dunes, Tapestry, and Skyline probably are too, but we didn't get to them.
6.  There is an ER in Moab and they are friendly to hurt tourists.
7.  Bring tons of chap stick and lotion, don't bring memory foam pillows (they turn hard as rocks in cold weather)!
8.  Be prepared for high heat and very cold and windy weather!  The day time weather in March was perfect for hiking!
9.  My kids are born hikers!  Landon walked every step of every hike we went on without complaining.  Audrey wanted to walk every step and fought being carried.  Lexi loves to trail way ahead.
10.  We are crazy; we are fun; we made great memories; we are tough; we saw awesome beautiful breath taking things!!!!