Spring Break in SE Utah

For Spring Break this year we decided to head to SE Utah to take the kids to 4 corners and Mesa Verde.  A few weeks before my Dad called to see if he could come stay at our house on his way out to Nathan’s to help with baby #3.  I invited him to come on our spring break trip with us.  We made Blanding, UT our home base and took day trips from there.  We stayed in a neat little hotel called the Stone Lizard.  My dad brought his dog Ruby who was fun to have along. The kids all got along so great.  We thought they had a pull out couch to share (and we had brought along one sleeping bag and pad).  Turns out it was just a regular couch.  So one kid slept on the couch mattress springs, one slept on the couch cushions, and one slept on the pad an sleeping bag.  They handled it like champs.  

Friday, we drove through Bear’s Ears National Monument and did a little hike to some cliff dwelling ruins. 

Then, we hit Natural Bridges National Monument.  We did the 9 mile driving loop, stopping at the outlook for each bridge and hiked the short hike down to the 3^rd bridge. 

Natural Bridges was really neat and I would have liked to spend more time there hiking.  Next, we drove down the Moki Dugway which was a breathtaking drive.  

Then, we hit the Goosenecks which was really neat.  

We drove through Mexican Hat (where I bought a sun hat), then on to Monument Valley.  We took a picture at Forrest Gump Point.  

Then, it was on to Bluff.  In Bluff, we found a historic park run by senior missionaries that told about the pioneer missionaries who settled there and traveled through and made hole in the rock.  That night we had dinner at Patio Diner in Blanding.  They had the best onion rings any of us had had in a long time. 

Saturday, we checked out Hovenweep National Monument.  They had a neat 2 mile loop hike that took you past several pueblo type houses.  

Then, Dad went back to the hotel with Ruby and the rest of us continued on to 4 corners. 

We had Indian fry bread- Navajo Tacos.  We didn’t end up going out to Mesa Verde because it was so cold and snowy and we thought most of the trails wouldn’t be pleasant to hike.  That evening, we helped Poppi make fillet steaks in a dutch over (and we got some more onion rings from patio grill to go with it- because they were so good).  

Then, we watched the NCAA final 4 basketball games.  Then, because why not everyone hit up Patio Diner one more time for Utah style shakes. 

Sunday, we got up and introduced Poppi to Arches.  We did several short hikes and drove through the park. 

Then, we all ate lunch at Pasta Jay’s in Moab and said goodbye to Poppi who went from there out to Colorado and we headed home to Orem listening to General Conference on the way home!