First Annual Girls Trip- Bryce Canyon 2009

WARNING- picture fest.

This trip was against the odds from the beginning. Car trouble, lack of babysitters, figuring out husbands schedules, colds on the horizon. Organizing three (used to be four)women to come together leaving their families without mommies and wives is a challenge. Seems a high achievement that our girls trip to Bryce sailed on through and has now come to a close without any real incident on our home fronts. Miracle indeed. Almost makes me want to plan another trip for next weekend!

As Jesi and I headed out of town, we stopped to pick me up a new pair of Chacos. However could I hike for miles with a slit in the bottom of my 10 year trusted pair? I was in desperate need. Couldn't be more pleased with a purchase that took less than 10 minutes.

We made it to Provo, switched cars with mom- THANKS MOM!- and Jesi had a chance to meet most of my family who coincidentally showed up at the same time as us. We ventured on to Bryce chatting it up the whole way without even listening to a single tune on the stereo. Blessed be great girl conversation for 5+ hours.

By 9.pm we arrived at Sunset Campground, set up camp and relaxed with feet up under a warm milky way that twinkled light above. Tired from a long days drive, we headed to bed but stayed up laughing our guts out and taking three, count it THREE trips to the potty before we committed to 'good night' at nearly 1 a.m. All this laughing made my mommy bladder slightly weak. I was reminded why I loved having roommates at college. Few things are better than late night conversations and giggles between good friends, or if one is so lucky... a sister.

At 7:30 neighboring campers awoke. Car doors slammed, engines started and I could no longer sleep. While Jesi blissfully slept, I drove down to Ruby's Inn and called to see where Alisa was on her journey from Vegas. Alisa and I met up, exchanged hugs after a three+ year absence and continued up to our campsite like the kids we've been since second grade. Being with Alisa has a familiarity that I had forgotten. She is still the same... although different. How refreshing!


We ate a hardy breakfast fit for Queens. Ziplock Omelets with garden veges and cheese, packed lunch and we were off on our hiking adventure to Sheep Creek and Swamp Creek for 5+ miles.

Alisa loving on my binoc. baby

Starting out

Action shot amid the red rocks

Halfway

Hours of hiking, talking, hearing woodpeckers squirrels and birds, and only seeing three other hikers made for a splendid afternoon.

Our tired bodies lead us back to camp for more water, then on to the gift shop for souvenirs, ice and firewood. Next up were all the overlooks we could drive to. A sweet old man enjoying the scenery told us we were entirely too happy and that it should be illegal. "And we're not even drunk", I said, though I'm sure he did not believe me. I honestly don't remember what conversations we all had, just that we laughed ourselves silly, had to use the bathroom at every sight of a facility, and had a blast.

It was a long full day complete with tin foil dinners, marinated chicken and stir fried veges from the garden. We stayed up taking pictures and giggly trips to the bathroom for about an hour and then crashed.


Alisa left early the next morning for Vegas, I woke up to visit the sunrise on the rim and Jessi slept in.


On our way home, Jesi introduced me to geocaching. Where people hide random things in cache boxes all over the world and then others can go searching for the cache based on GPS coordinates. We journeyed to Tropic Reservoir to find Keyhole Arch and cache. After bushwhacking it straight up a face, just following our compass, eventually we located the trail that wound us to the arch and behind a Pinyon pine snag where the army box lay. We took a package of fake nail for the girls and left .96 cents. What a fun mystery! I'm so ready to purchase a Rhino GPS so I can geocache everywhere I go.

Good times with some great friends. Can't wait to do it again soon!