Durango and Silverton

We have been at a site called Lightner Creek Campground for the past couple of nights. There's a creek running just behind our tent, which has made for relaxing background music at night. And there's a cliffside full of trees across from our campsite. We decided not to take the three-hour train ride to Silverton, opting to drive instead. On the way to Silverton, we stopped at Molas Lake. The plan was for me to run the trails while the rest of our crew fished. You'll see below how that turned out.

Trees growing straight up the cliffside

The creek behind our tent site. The girls had fun wading in it.

Fun at the Lightner Creek playground.

There's a pool, too, and between the two and the creek, the kids would've been fine just staying at the campground for two days rather than our day trips. I, however, would have gone crazy.

Pre-fishing at Molas Lake

My view of our crew fishing across the lake while I was out on my run.

Another trail view

A panoramic shot of the lake

When I got back from my run, the adults were fishing...

And the kids were in the vans on their tablets. In their defense, it was too windy to be fishing, and I had been gone an hour.

Driving down into Silverton

Silverton hasn't changed much since this photo from the early 1900s.

Arches National Park

I'm behind on posting because cell service and wifi have been pretty non-existent since we left Texas. We are in Durango now and have been for a couple of days. But before getting here, we drove to Moab, UT and Arches National Park. Both were excellent, though Arches will be better one day when the kids are older and able to do longer hikes.

Meteor Crater!

Before we got to the Grand Canyon, we stopped at the Meteor Crater formed 50,000 years ago in the Arizona desert. The crater is big enough that twenty football games could be played simultaneously inside of it while two million spectators watched from the edges. That's a big stadium.

First arch-sighting in Utah

Somewhere on the way to Moab. We will have to hold off on Arches NP till tomorrow. We are road weary tonight...and the girls are eager to get to the hotel pool. The views in Utah have definitely not disappointed so far!

From the Grand Canyon

We are now in Moab, UT after having been out of cell phone service for a couple of days at the Grand Canyon.

                First views from the East entrance:

From the Watchtower:

Lots of elk sitings on my morning run along the rim:

Couldn't resist a running selfie:

Rescue Team Drill:

                          

Taking a break from our walk along the rim to Mather Point

Ambitious group shot at Mather Point, despite the crowds:

On the shuttle out to the farthest stop--Hermit's Rest. Maybe one day when they're older, we will come back and hike some of this route. Not on this hot day with these age ranges, though!

Early morning views of a foggy canyon:

Logan on a big cat:

Elk wandering through our campsite, right between Brian and Daisy's tent and ours.

It didn't disappoint!