From the moment we started planning our Thanksgiving visit, Dan insisted that his number-one “must do” was going to be taking our family to Ouray, Colorado. I don’t think Dan would be willing to commit to a favorite spot in Colorado, but if pressed, he would probably admit that Ouray is a contender. We could immediately see why.

The town is nestled in the mountains, surrounded by hot springs (we drove past a big public spring with folks steaming in the mineraly water even on a very cold day) and boasting an “old West” vibe and a main street full of quirky shops. (Nugget and Peanut both talked me into buying them polished crystals at a New Age shop, which Dan and Danielle assured us was “very Ouray.”) We all stopped for a quick lunch and local beers at a popular small brewery on the main drag, and then walked off to hike a portion of the Ouray Perimeter Trail.

Our destination was the “Baby Bathtubs” trail, an adorable name I felt sure held some special meaning. The mystery was short-lived.

Behold the baby bathtubs: oblong divots in the rock, an odd erosion puckering the trail. I found them completely charming.

I think Ollie liked the baby bathtubs, too.

Get a load of these views! We hiked up, and up, and up – Dan is notorious for underestimating time and distance while hiking, and it seems he underestimates elevation, too – but the payoff was well worth it.

Everywhere we looked, snow-capped peaks! Unreal.

I could definitely see why Dan and Danielle are so fond of Ouray – it was absolutely breathtaking (and not just because of the elevation). A banner downtown proclaimed it “the Switzerland of America” – it checks out. We’ll be back for sure!

How cute are baby bathtubs, amirite? What’s your favorite mountain getaway?

And now for something completely different! Continuing our quest to squeeze in as many National Park visits as we could during our Thanksgiving trip out west, we jumped in the cars and headed to my brother’s closest legacy park – Black Canyon of the Gunnison.

I had never heard of Black Canyon of the Gunnison before a few years ago, when Jack and Colton visited (and hiked all the way down into the canyon!) on Rock the Park. It doesn’t seem to be an especially well-known park, and not over-popular with visitors (judging from the fact that the park was almost empty on the Sunday before Thanksgiving) and that’s a shame, because it’s gorgeous.

We took our time driving into the park, stopping at a few overlooks to take in the views. The canyon is almost a surprise – you drive over miles and miles of mostly flat farmland, and then BAM, there it is.

Eventually, we slowly made our way to the visitors’ center, where we collected Junior Ranger workbooks for the anklebiters and then headed off on a short rim hike. It ended up being a very short hike, with the combination of an icy trail and sheer drop-offs sending us scuttling back to the visitors’ center – but we got in the views and the flavor of the park, so I called it a success. The dogs got to join us on the hike, and Danielle pointed out different plants along the trail (she had everyone walking along rubbing sage and sniffing our fingers) and a good time was had by all.

Look at those canyon walls! Stunning.

Have you ever been to Black Canyon of the Gunnison? What’s your favorite hidden gem park?

As we fished up our Delicate Arch hike, the sun was finally out and the skies were blue. No one was in a hurry to hit the road back to Colorado just yet, and Dan and Danielle were itching to show us the glory of Arches in the sunshine, so we made for Danielle’s favorite spot – Double Arch. I had to agree that the sun made all the difference; I loved the muted desert colors of Delicate Arch under the clouds, but the red rock against the (finally) deep blue sky was absolutely breathtaking.

The trail to Delicate Arch was short (maybe a third of a mile, max?) and basically flat – a good bet for a final stop in the park with two tired anklebiters. Nugget brought his Junior Ranger book along and did a couple of activities along the way.

Even taking our time and pausing for Junior Ranger activity breaks, we were at the arch in minutes. Wow! Between the bright sky, red sand, and cool rock formations – we could see why Danielle said this was her favorite arch.

Climbed up under the arch, and out came the cameras.

There were people climbing and scrambling all over the rock under the arch. We found a quiet spot to look up and take in the glory of Double Arch.

We spent about half an hour checking the place out, then reluctantly headed back to the cars for the two hour drive back to Dan and Danielle’s home. As we were strolling along the trail back to the parking area, a woman stopped Danielle and me and asked, “Did you see the elephants?” We were both confused, until our new friend pointed out that several of the rock formations around the arch looked like elephants, and even the arch itself appeared to be two elephants touching trunks. Once she put it that way, we couldn’t un-see it.

I love elephants (they’re my second favorite animal, after whales – yes, now that you mention it, I do like all the most enormous critters) so Double Arch immediately became my favorite, too.

Elephants kissing! How can you beat it? Perfect way to end a perfect day in Arches.

Next week: checking out another national park in very different weather.

It doesn’t get much more iconic American West than Delicate Arch – does it? But let me start from the beginning.

We had a big Saturday planned – a road trip out to Moab, Utah, which isn’t far from Dan and Danielle’s home in western Colorado. We split up between two cars – Dan driving Steve and the kids in Danielle’s car, and Danielle and I in Dan’s truck with the dogs, Ollie and Marlin. Dan planned a few stops to show us some of the sights on the way… and we had a few (or six) unplanned stops to tend to a carsick dog. By the time we got to Moab, everyone was relieved to get out of the cars and onto the sand. First stop was sliding down a giant sand dune; the kids and dogs needed to roll around in the dirt after being cooped up in the car. A few big slides and we were on our way to the day’s main stop.

Even the views from the car were epic! We stopped by the visitors’ center to quickly grab Junior Ranger booklets for the kids, and then we were on our way again. Dan had his heart set on showing us an American treasure.

Danielle kept apologizing for the clouds. Clearly we brought the marine layer with us from the east coast.

The hike to Delicate Arch was pretty much the biggest adventure we planned for the week. At about three miles round trip, with 480 feet of climbing and some exposure, it’s within our kids’ range but getting close to their limit. (Their record as of now is four miles, but that has to be broken up with a picnic at the two mile point or they turn into hangry little monsters.) Delicate Arch was doable, but absolutely in the “adventure” category for them.

We went at their pace and took plenty of breaks to check out the views and admire how far we’d come.

I couldn’t get enough of the incredible desert landscape! There’s something about the muted colors and dramatic, windswept rock. It gets you right there, ya know?

Eventually, we hit the exposure part, and it really wasn’t that bad. We instituted a hand-holding policy for the kids – you must be touching one of your adults at all times until we release you. Nugget claimed Uncle Dan.

Around a corner and – there it is! WOW.

We decided today was not our day to clamber over the lip and scramble down to the arch itself. Happy to stay right here, drinking in this view. Maybe we’ll get up close and personal next time. We hung out scanning the horizon, snapping photos, and getting our Christmas card picture (photo credit to Dan).

Eventually, reluctantly, we tore ourselves away from the arch – it was not easy – and headed back down the trail. Dan and Danielle wanted to show us Danielle’s favorite arch and we couldn’t leave the dogs loitering for too long. As we descended the trail, the sun came out and lit the desert, bringing out the bright reds and oranges of the sand and rock.

So, so stunning!

Next week, still in Arches – we see elephants! Curious now? Stay tuned!

Our next stop on Uncle Dan’s Dinosaur Tour was right across the street from our off-roading adventure – convenient! Dan had us all excited about the famous Trail Through Time.

We wandered past a few excavation sites before our first stop – a dinosaur pelvis.

The signage was really helpful – showing not only the type of dinosaur from which the fossil likely came, and where it was located within the dinosaur’s body, but also exactly where to find it in today’s rock.

To be honest, the kids were a bit underwhelmed with this part. It did take some imagining to put it back in the dinosaur’s body. It was clear that this wasn’t ordinary rock, but not especially obvious what it was – unless you knew (which we did, thanks, signage!). The adults all thought it was really cool, though.

We blitzed past a few other fossils in rock before coming to a stop at the highlight of the day – part of the spine of a diplodocus! Sauropods are my jam, so I was excited about this. But we were all excited – now this was obviously dinosaur bone.

Nugget got a paleontology lesson from Aunt Danielle.

I mean, it doesn’t get much more awesome than that, does it?

Right in the rock and there for anyone to see and touch!

Such a neat experience, and surrounded by gorgeous scenery, too – can’t beat that. We could have stayed for hours, but the sun was starting to set and we had to beat the daylight back to the cars. Uncle Dan promised more dinosaur excitement later in the week, so stay tuned.

Next week: crossing off a bucket list item with a hike to an iconic American sight.

After our trip back in time to see dinosaur eggs and a bone imprint, the kids were clamoring for some non-educational fun. Luckily, Uncle Dan had another treat in store – off-roading! Vehicle-loving Nugget was hype for this, but we were all excited. And it was Steve’s birthday! So what better way to celebrate than by driving a RZR through the desert?

Our destination was a natural recreation area called Rabbit Valley. (Spoiler: I did not see any rabbits.) We met up with Danielle’s parents, who brought their own RZR, and got ready to hit the trail. There were six available seats and eight people, so Danielle and her mom set off on a walk in the desert while the rest of us divided up between the two vehicles – Dan, Nugget and I rode with Grampa Don (Danielle’s dad), while Steve drove Peanut in Dan and Danielle’s RZR. Here we go!

I suspect that Don could really open it up and drive wild in this thing, and that he was dialing it back for us. It still felt pretty extreme!

Yes, Nugget is wearing his Pokemon pajamas. Parenting is all about picking your battles.

When I wasn’t wondering if we were going to roll over (we didn’t) I was taking in the scenery along the trail. Otherworldly! Finally, we came to what Dan described as a “pretty overlook.”

I mean. Yes, pretty. Pretty spectacular.

Down in the gorge, the Colorado River was sparkling in the desert sun.

I could have stayed all day, drinking in these views! We did stick around for awhile, but eventually the kids got itchy to be on the move again and we were back in the RZRs. We shuffled the party around a little – Nugget went with Steve and they drove in front so they weren’t literally choking on our trail dust, and Peanut joined me, Uncle Dan, and Grampa Don. What a cool experience, and definitely something we don’t get to do every day.

Next week: our adrenaline interlude is over and we are back to dinosaur hunting.

One of my brother’s very favorite things to do is play tour guide and show visitors around the places he calls home. Since moving to western Colorado, he has leaned into the dinosaur territory in a big way, and when we decided to visit for Thanksgiving he promised to take us all on his ultimate tour of all his favorite fossil spots.

Part I of Uncle Dan’s Dinosaur Tour started in a non-descript pull-off from a back road. No signs, no trail markers – just desert. Dan and Danielle love to poke around and “find stuff” and on one weekend’s ramble they came across a big boulder studded with circular shapes that the local dinosaur club (society?) confirmed were eggs. It was tucked away, deep in the canyon, but Dan and Danielle led us there expertly.

Unmistakably eggs of some sort! Looks like they hatched – hopefully – so… dinosaur babies! Too cute.

It was so cool to not only be able to get close to these egg fossils, but to actually touch them and see how they were preserved in nature – rather than in a museum case. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good natural history museum, but this was just a totally different, very unusual experience.

We scuttled downhill and back to the car, and drove about ten minutes to the next stop – another non-descript pull-off. This time, there was no short hike – just a big natural stone pillar right by the road, with this:

Friends, that is a bone imprint. It looked like something out of The Flintstones. Too big for Pebbles to wear as a hair bow, sadly.

This was just the beginning! Uncle Dan had more dinosaur fun in store, but first an off-roading interlude – next week.

Another day in Olympic National Park… another waterfall! You know how it is. 😉

While our main waterfall priority was Sol Duc Falls, we agreed that if time allowed we also wanted to check out Marymere Falls, which was supposed to be spectacular and – bonus – was reached by a trail that started and ended on the shores of the lovely Lake Crescent. We’d driven by the lake several times on our trips between Port Angeles (where we were staying) and the park, and I was itching to get my feet onto its shores. First things first, though.

The trail to Marymere Falls starts with a little stone and corrugated tin tunnel. Did we all shout “Echo!” as we walked through this tunnel? If you really need to ask, you don’t know us at all.

Much of the Marymere Falls trail winds gently through the woods – can never get sick of those towering spruces – but eventually comes out on a wide stream, so we knew that we were on the right track.

A short climb to an observation platform and –

There she is!

Marymere was just as spectacular as Sol Duc Falls, but in a completely different way. The observation platform was situated about halfway up, so we could look up to see the falls’ inception in a narrow stream and watch as they got wider as they cascaded over mossy and lichened rocks. Totally magical.

We tore ourselves away reluctantly, the blow at leaving the falls sweetened by knowing that our next destination was Lake Crescent.

The Twilight movies (and I think the books?) are set on the Olympic Peninsula, in Forks – not far from Port Angeles and the park. (There was Edward and Bella merchandise everywhere.) I haven’t read the books, nor have I seen the movies, but I can see why the setting – the scenery out here is mystical and mysterious. Case in point: Lake Crescent. As we drove past the lake on our way to one hike or another, I spotted something large and black out of the corner of my eye. Figuring it was the wind on the waves, I thought nothing more of it until Steve said: “Was that Nessie?” Hmmmmmm. And that wasn’t the only thing. As we were driving along the shores of the lake, a black SUV drove by us in the opposite direction, with Steve’s kayak – a red Current Designs Solstice GT with a Canadian maple leaf decal – on the roof rack. We laughed and pointed it out. Then, two minutes later – another black SUV with Steve’s exact kayak on the roof rack, again heading in the opposite direction to us. Now that’s just too mysterious.

I mean, with scenery like this – you can understand the presence of the unexplainable.

As you can imagine, we were a little bit relieved to get back to civilization and the ONP visitors’ center in Port Angeles. The kids took their Junior Ranger oath of office.

It was almost time to end our weekend in the park – sadly, because there was so much more I wanted to see, although it’s always nice to leave something for next time. But I wasn’t ready to go before stepping foot on Hurricane Ridge. This was what I was most looking forward to doing all week – I had visions of a jaw-dropping stretch of Olympic Mountains, and fields of frolicking marmots.

It was not to be.

We had a foggy, white-knuckled drive up into the mountains, only to find Hurricane Ridge socked in with fog, the Olympics hidden behind a wall of clouds, and not a marmot in sight – clearly they were all tucked up in their nests, sleeping away the cold and wet weather (and who could blame them?).

Still absolutely beautiful in a windy, mysterious way – oh, and I almost forgot to mention, it started to snow, just flurries, while we were up there – and like I said, it’s good to leave something for next time. Because I will definitely be back to see those mountains and those marmots. And in the meantime, this view was pretty wonderful.

That ends our time in Olympic National Park – for now! I’ll definitely be making a trip back here. But we’re moving on, for the moment. Sad, because I’ve so enjoyed reliving this trip for you. Also happy, because this isn’t the end of travel posts – far from it; I have a lot more to come. Next week, off to Colorado! We spent Thanksgiving week with my brother and sister-in-law and they loaded us up with adventures, so there’s more travel fun ahead. Check in next week!

The Hoh Rainforest was the surprise of our trip to Olympic National Park. I knew it would be amazing, of course, but I was really interested in the coastline and the mountains. But it ended up being the rainforest that drew us in for most of our ONP hikes; it was just so magical.

Steve and I both independently decided that we really, really wanted to hike to Sol Duc Falls – a relatively short hike, and mostly flat until the very end, but with major bang for the buck in terms of scenery payoff. That’s really the name of the game when hiking with kids – or our kids, at least – keep it short and pretty flat – so we’ve gotten good at finding the hikes that meet those criteria but also pack a punch and feel special.

As with all of the trails we experienced in Olympic, the pathways were groomed and easy to walk, and there was a riot of things to look at all around us.

From the very, very big – towering Sitka spruces…

To the tiny details of fruits and fungus.

We walked past a few streams that picked up power and energy as we got closer to our destination.

And finally (after only one detour to get lost briefly) we made it to the falls. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Roaring!

We were all impressed by the four side-by-side cascading falls and the powerful spray. So, so gorgeous!

Next week: wrapping up our time in Olympic with another waterfall, a lake, AND Hurricane Ridge all socked in with fog.