Zion National Park: Day 1/ "Where's the Car?"

   Our first attempt at "real" hiking was planned for Zion National Park.  As RB was the one calling the shots on this adventure, he advised we get a good breakfast in before starting off bright and early.  Theo was more than happy to oblige with a giant bowl of Lucky Charms (just the marshmallows).

  Here we are about to start off on the Observation Point trailhead. As is evident by our happy, at-ease demeanor, only RB was aware that this trail was 8 miles round-trip and would take the entire day ahead of us to complete. 

       

While I don't agree with his "strategic sharing of information", it was probably necessary.

I was worried it was going to be a little cold, but it turned out to be perfect hiking weather, especially when we hit the sunny spots.

The boys were all about their new CamelBaks and put them to good use... I'm pretty sure they were mostly drinking so that they could mark more of their territory along the way.  Those boys now OWN that trail.

Thanks to the distraction provided by a never ending game of "Guess that Pokemon", Theo managed to walk the entire way up, not bad for a three year old.

We kept a slow, easy pace,  and stopped for lunch and Hi-Chew powerups as needed.

... and many hours later, we made it to the top.

Toward the end of our ascent, Theo began to question if this "walk" was ever going to end.  We kept telling him that we were almost there, just around the bend, now just around THIS bend...  

When we finally made it and the rest of us were celebrating/enjoying the view/finally sitting down, in his most not-impressed-adolescent-ish voice, Theo asked, 

"Where's the car?  I don't see the car."

He was not too happy to learn about the necessary descent and kept insisting that he be driven down the mountain.  He finally agreed to be carried on RB's shoulders, where he promptly fell asleep, and stayed there the entire way down.

While at Observation Point, the boys made a few friends: 

After we made it down just in time before sunset, we asked the boys what their favorite part of the hike was-the beautiful surroundings, quality family time, learning how to push themselves even when they were tired,etc.  

We received a unanimous answer- "the chipmunks."