The Great Western Trip 2018: Bryce Canyon (Day 1)

On Sunday, we drove from Draper to Bryce (about 4 hours), stopping along the way at the entrance to the Dixie National Forest for a short hike:

When we got to Bryce it was raining, so we relaxed a little in the lodge and had dinner before heading out to see the scenic viewpoints closer to sunset:

View from Sunset Point, which was just outside our lodge

Our first glimpse of wildlife -- female pronghorn antelope and baby

Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge viewpoint (looking the other way)

Rainbow Point -- the farthest spot on the scenic drive (and highest elevation)

 

Piracy Point

We saw amazing wildflowers all trip. This is a thistle

Pirana Point

Inspiration Point

Great Western Trip, 2018: Part 1, A Gathering

We started our vacation by meeting up with a group of CMC friends in Draper, Utah, for 4 days. It was a great way to ease into vacation (and Abby says that for her it was the highlight of the trip). 10 adults, 10 kids, and lots of fun:

Kids at dinner, night #1 (from top: Neena, Abby, Benji, Anand, Katie, Sophia, Drew, and Julia. The Kaplan kids had not yet arrived)

The big kids fell back into their friend rhythms very quickly

 

Adult dinner, night #1 (From left: Samir, JJ, Rich, Alex, Kevin, Amy, Steph)

The first night was the 4th of July, and from our house in the mountains, we could see dozens of fireworks displays:

On Thursday morning, the older girls and moms decided to hike to Sleeping Bear Bridge, which we could see from the house:

First morning girls' hike

JJ, Steph, Jules, Abby and Neena

Group shot on the suspension bridge

Little kids playing "the floor is hot lava" while we were gone

In the afternoon, some of us took a trip to Temple Square:

We went into the Tabernacle for an organ concert

And had dessert in Brigham Young's house

On Friday, all 20 of us ventured up to Park City to see the Olympic Stadium and training center:

Little kids ready for the junior ropes course: Oscar, Sophia, Katie, Benji and Anand

Adults and big kids ready for the high ropes course

Abby on the tight rope element while mom looks on

Jules waiting as Abby crosses the swinging logs

A proud Abby and Jules as they finish the course

We met my law school friend Tom for lunch and a tour of Park City. He took this picture of us in front of the Egyptian Theater, where the main Sundance Film Festival is held:

On Saturday, the little kids went to the water park (and thanks to Amy, we did not chaperone Benji):

They finished at In n Out, which Benji had never had before

On Saturday night we took some group pictures before leaving Sunday morning:

The whole gang

The kids, being silly

Big kids (who were just told a *very* dirty joke by Dave, in an attempt to get them all laughing)