Spring break - Snow Canyon

Friday, April 22, 2011
When I had talked to some people in my ward about our upcoming visit to St. George everyone mentioned Snow Canyon State Park as a fun place to visit. Snow Canyon S.P. was just a short drive away from our hotel so we decided to try it out on Friday and stick closer to our home base. It felt HOT there even though it was probably only in the upper 60s-low 70s. We started out at the sand dunes and let the kids play for a little while there. Then before it got super hot there we hiked back to the cars and got as much sand off our feet as we could and then ate some lunch at some picnic tables back at the parking lot. Then we went on to see some pioneer names written on a canyon wall with wheel axel grease dated from the 1890s and then we hiked around some petrified sand dunes.

Sand Dunes:

Wow! It was hard to walk in the sand! It was so fine! You would take a step and sink in so far it was quite a workout!
The kids had a blast playing in the sand and it got EVERYWHERE! Especially since we had just lathered everyone up in sunscreen! Kay and MJ even had it stuck to their heads because I had put sunscreen where their hair parts (and most of MJ's head) and then Kay proceeded to roll around in the sand and MJ was crawling in it! Needless to say everyone had to take a shower or bath when we got back to the hotel (and before we went swimming).
Possible family calendar photo. We're always trying to get a good one for the next calendar!
Some of the kids posing with Flat Stanley that a cousin sent to Grandma for a visit.


Pioneer Names:
Ready for some more hiking!
Pioneer names
Rock climbing!!DH, Luke, and Kitty
This is a picture of DH. The sun was just coming up behind the canyon wall here. I was having a hard time taking any pictures and trying to see if they were turning out!
DH and Luke

Petrified Dunes:
Top to bottom: Kitty, Blondie, Luke, DH with MJ, and Kay. These dunes were originally sand that has formed into sandstone now and it was relatively easy hiking/climbing.
DH with the kids (MJ is trying to pull Kay's hair)
Pretty views once you got up to the top.
Coming back down again. There really was no trail so we all staggered out finding our own way up and down. Left to right: M&M (gray shirt), Kitty, Blondie, me carrying Kay

After our fun at Snow Canyon (which was named for Erastus & Lorenzo Snow - not for snow that falls from the sky) we found a McDonald's to stop at and get some ice cream. Next we drove by the St. George Temple and then stopped at Brigham Young's home for a tour. Then we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up and take the kids swimming again. For dinner we went to the house of some old family friends of my parents from when they lived back in Virginia.
M&M and Luke in front of the St. George temple. I love how white the temple is and how much it stands out compared to the surrounding red rocks in the city.

I felt bad because MJ ended up getting a slight sunburn on her arms from this trip. I was so diligent at Zions making sure that she was always lathered up, but for one reason or other I wasn't as diligent this time around. I don't think the sunburn hurt her at all but there aren't too many things that make you feel like a bad parent like your baby getting a sunburn!!