Kane Creek Canyon, Utah

This is the first time in my life I have seen petroglyphs in person. 

I wonder if Paleo-indians knew that thousands of years later tourists would be attempting to interpret their symbols.

The drive we took on BLM land at Kane Creek Canyon was breathtaking. 

This was the first (and only) obstacle my little Civic had to overcome. Luckily it passed the test.

Marla pointed out these petroglyphs on the side of the road as we were driving by.

On our way home we witnessed tandem base jumpers experiencing the canyon in a whole different (and much more dangerous) way than we were. 

I was happy with the view from the Civic. 

Fiery Furnace, Arches National Park

In order to hike Fiery Furnace within Arches National Park we had to watch an informational video at the visitor center, and take a short verbal quiz (to make sure we were paying attention). The rangers would prefer that you paid 6 dollars more per person to be accompanied by them, but we managed to make our way around without stepping on their precious cryptobiotic soil.  

At the age of 3 Ruby was too young to come with us, and so the whole family explored other areas of the park, but at the age of 7 Elle was a bit too young as well. There were some challenging parts to the hike.

Cryptobiotic soil crust is made of cyanobacteria, lichen, and moss. The soil is sensitive, and so cannot be disturbed, yet it is vital for the ecosystem.  It can be recognized by its bumpy texture and darker appearance. Plus it makes a crunchy sound when you step on it...

We spent over two hours in this adult playground hiking, navigating through a labrinth of massive rocks, and enjoying the scenery. 

Our special use permit- pinned to Fred's backpack. 

Even with ZERO guidance from park rangers we were able to find our way around the area.  

We saw some amazing things but I can't help but wonder what else was waiting to be explored by us.

Arches National Park

I have wanted to go to Arches National Park for years (traveling out of country tends to happen more often than traveling out of state).

It is just as beautiful as I imagined. 

Not only are we here but I am with family, it's almost Thanksgiving, and we are with people who know the area well (Raya and Josh).  Life is good.

It is hard to take a bad picture here. And it is hard to get a good hike in when you are stopping every 20 feet to take a picture!

Love this shot.

Ruby is scrambling up the rocks. She is tough. (Well, she can be. Moments earlier she refused to walk.)

Me being close to the rocks made Fred so nervous.  Looking at this picture I can see I could have hung over WAY more.

Hunter-gatherers migrated to this area 10,000 years ago. It is not hard to understand what stopped them from continuing their migration. 

Balanced Rock.

We are 8 out of the 700,000 visitors that visit Arches every year. What an awesome day.

760 Miles to Utah

It took Fred and I over 12 hours to drive the 760 miles to Moab, Utah. For the next 4 nights we will be staying in a large condo with my two sisters, brother-in-laws, and adorable nieces.  We will cook Thanksgiving, do a ton of hiking, and even fit in a canyoneering trip while here. I have been looking forward to this for months.

Luckily we were able to get to Utah before the sun went down, so we could be reminded of its beauty. Utah is an incredible state. 

By the time we arrived at the condo the sun had been down for hours. 

I am like a kid going to sleep on Christmas Eve. I cannot wait for morning. 

Arches National Park here we come!

31st BirthDay3

Although I grew up in Temecula I have been to Pechanga only once since it was upgraded in 2002. At 188,000 square feet it is the largest casino in the Western United States. Luckily everyone was able to find each other at our meeting spot, Round Bar. 

  

Round Bar is hard to miss. There is a mesmerizing 3 story stained glass piece in the center of the bar.  It is a work of art.

Denise picked out my birthday presents in España. Me encantan todos los regalos, Denise! 

Before the show we out to dinner at Kelsey's. The macaroni and cheese was muy rico. 

Besides the company (what can I say, I have great friends!) the Comedy Club was the highlight of the evening. There were 6 comedians that performed for almost 2 straight hours (definitely worth 22$).  

Dan refused to sit in the front row because he didn't want to be made fun of. But the joke was on him, he wasn't immune in the second row. Hahahaha.

Juan Garcia was the opening act, and one of the best comedians of the night. 

Cesar was the other best act of the night.  

All the comedians hang out after the show to chat and take pictures with the audience. 

It makes the experience very intimate. 

What a fun night! Thank you to everyone who came...you guys are awesome! 

31st BirthDay2

There is nothing like stretching out your birthday as much as possible. 

I met up with Cicely, Dan, Quincy, and Lisa for a post-birthday celebration. 

Cicely, Lisa, and I share a special bond. We were all born on a great day, November 17th. 

Cicely lives in Washington now so being together on this day is not something that occurs often. It has probably been 25 years since we have all been together for a birthday. 

(The picture above is of me wearing my pants backwards. According to Quin it is the ONLY way to wear your pants. It didn't look quite as cute on me.) 

Happy birthday Lisa and Cicely!!  I can't believe we are all 31 now! :)

Dan treated us all to dinner at King's Fish House in Carlsbad.  

Their fish is delivered from sea to restaurant daily, and it is scrumptious. 

Thanks Dan!

So what if our birthday was yesterday?! We still wanted to cash in on our free dessert. (Isn't this what our nation was founded on? Freedom of speech, free birthday dessert...) We made Dan tell the waitress that it was all of our birthdays, it seemed a little phony but she bought it. 

Wait for us Lisa... and don't blow out my candle!