16 Hours and Counting

The clock is finally on the downward slide towards vacation nirvana!  Seems like we have been planning this trip for months and that it would never get here...but it is so very close now!  I am giddy with the anticipation of my own reaction to the beauty that we will encounter in Utah.  So much natural wonder in a relatively small area that we don't even know is there unless we search it out.  I vaguely remember seeing the odd picture of the Arches and the Hoodoos, but it was a fleeting "wow- that's really cool!".  Not really anything that touched me in any way or made me really want to see it.  I think I finally googled Zion National Park and was literally blown away by the images on the screen. Then I checked out Bryce Canyon (I remember seeing pictures in Jay's photography magazine) and knew I needed to see this.  Finally I took out a map and I am still amazed at the sheer volume of state and national parks in the state of Utah.  Initially our trip was going to be the Utah Grand Circle Tour which would have been wonderful, but exhausting.  We opted to go as far as Moab and back to LV.  It will still be pretty taxing, but we hope to get a small sampling of things and then go back with the kids next year.  I can't wait!