Great American Road Trip - Dinosaurs and Wyoming!!

Lazzy's fits at Moab had us at our next destination a few hours ahead of schedule. Dinosaur National Monument is halfway between Moab and Lander, Wy. I had never heard of the place before, but it was the perfect spot to stop and camp. I am so glad we did!!

It was a hot afternoon, so we decided to see the fossil quarry first just to stay out of the heat. It was a much more pleasant afternoon than morning. The boys (and the adults!) had a fun time exploring all the fossils and learning the history of the area.

It was incredible to see real dinosaur bones as fossils which have been perfectly preserved in a wall of rock. Apparently, the entire area is just booming with new discoveries as the area used to be a pretty large river. I had no idea that Utah is one of the most popular places for dino digs!

After learning all about dinosaurs, we headed to a crisp clear river just behind our campsite. All three boys played and bathed while I sat on the shady beach. Perfect way to end a busy day!

These rocky mountains are where they continue to find fossils!

 Our campsite was in that tree area, right by the river. So wonderful!

Always bring Dr. Bronners soap on long camping trips so you can bathe in the rivers!

On our way to Wyoming, we drove through Dinosaur City where we enjoyed an interactive fossil museum.

The boys got to observe a man carefully chipping away rock from a dinosaur fossil.

Then it was Elijah's turn to make a discovery!

Posing with the dinosaurs was a huge hit.

We had about a four hour drive to Sinks Canyon where we were greeted by dear friends and a camp fire. Brad and Amy used to live in St. Louis but have since moved to Lander, WY. I'm glad they did, because it was very refreshing to spend a night with them : the boys got to play with other kids their age, we had PORK for dinner, and the conversation was deep and uplifting.

The scenery was also breathtaking. Wyoming is more beautiful than I imagined! We went for a little hike and got to see "the Sinks".

This area is called Sinks Canyon because the river literally sinks beneath the ground, disappearing completely yet still flowing underground.

"There it goes!"

 About 1/4 of a mile down the mountain, the river water reappears but it's not a big hole. It lightly bubbles up from the ground to make a nice little fish pool.

It was hard to leave this beautiful place, but with Yellowstone on the map, we forged ahead. I will mention this - if you're ever driving through Wyoming, you MUST listen to Sigur Ros. It's as if the mountains were singing to us!

Great American Road Trip - Part 3, Arches National Park and Dino Monument

For some reason, our day at Arches National Park was difficult. Dan was stressed about the van possibly breaking down and we felt tired from being on the road. It all kind of caught up to us. Lazarus was asking to go home and threw a few fits in the red dirt. Honestly, it was annoying having the boys there, because Dan and I just wanted to hike around and see everything! Still, we had a great time watching the boys explore such beautiful scenery.

Driving through the park was beautiful enough. It was hard for Dan to pay attention to the road!

Can you spot Dan and I below?? These rocks were really HUGE!

Great American Road Trip - Part 2, The Grand Canyon and Moab

The last time I was at the Grand Canyon was 10 years ago. It was right after I had decided to move from Detroit, Mi to Seattle Wa. My boyfriend at the time wanted to see the country, so we drove. It was great, but nothing like my experience this time around. Ten years later, to be driving through the same area because I'm moving to the NW.... lots of similarities, but many more differences.

This time around, I saw it from the South rim (instead of the North rim). I was with my amazing family, while growing a new daughter in my belly. I am 10 years older, wiser and more aware of God's grace in my life. I have changed so much over time. The canyon has probably changed, too. But God's goodness hasn't, and that was very meaningful to me.

We saw, we hiked, we conquered.

Belly shot at the Grand Canyon! I have no idea how many weeks I am...somewhere in the mid 20's.

Even though I had seen it before, our stay at the Grand Canyon was my favorite. The camping was peaceful, the view was amazing and we truly felt refreshed as a family. I am so thankful to have had that time with my boys and my Lord.