Our trip to Torrey

We've been feeling an itch to get out of town. One of our goals this year was to have lots of adventures with the kids, and since our trip to California in January was such a success we were anxious to do it again. The boys have talked about the California trip non-stop since we got home. They are at such great ages to travel with and we've been wanting to create more family memories with them. My aunt and uncle have a vacation home in Torrey, UT, which is just outside Capitol Reef National Park. Capitol Reef is one of those hidden wonders- it's never crowded and it's beautiful and amazing everywhere you look. My aunt graciously let us use her beautiful home, which was amazing! We had toyed around with the idea of camping, but staying in a comfortable home was just so much easier, nicer and more relaxing! 

We had planned to leave Wednesday evening after work. Ben was so anxious to get out of town that he kept trying to bump up our leaving time and before I knew it we were actually leaving on Wednesday morning instead. I'm so glad we did! We took off fairly early and made it to Capitol Reef in time for a beautiful hike and relaxation back at the house! We started off with hiking Hickman Bridge. This is a beautiful, fairly short hike to an incredible arch. It's almost two miles round trip, with a good altitude gain. We weren't sure how Hudson would do, but he was a champ! Ben carried him for a tiny bit of it, but other than that he hiked the whole way! We were going slow for sure, which was fine since the views throughout the whole hike are breathtaking!

We passed a lot of people on the trail- and none of them had kids with them. Everyone remarked on how cute our boys were and what troopers they are! I was so proud of them. It was pretty warm, but they kept trekking!

When we planned this trip I was mentally prepared to have to entertain the kids the whole time. We were pleasantly surprised that my aunt kept her now-grown son's toys, so the boys were thoroughly entertained the whole time! In fact, Ben and I were able to sit back and read and talk, while the boys played together for hours! This sandbox in the backyard was a major highlight for them! Ben and I couldn't believe how well the boys got along- which was always part of our hope while traveling with them. It was so fun to see the bond they are forming!

Our second day we started early and decided to hike Cohab Canyon. It's a harder, longer hike, but we decided we would just hike until it seemed like the right time to turn around (not wanting to push Hudson too far and have a meltdown). There were these little caves everywhere that the boys loved to play in! We hiked about a mile in, let them play on the rocks for awhile, and then hiked back out. Again, we were completely taken by the gorgeous scenery!

 These pictures turned out way too funny. I have even more, but narrowed it down to just a few to post. I love these silly boys!

 Chase is a natural hiker. In fact, while we were hiking he said to me, "Mom, hiking is my thing." It really is. He loves nature and loves the challenge! Generally Ben and I would each have one kid during the hikes, mostly holding their hands since there were some steep drop-offs involved. Chase would talk the entire time, mostly about rocks and the things we were seeing. He was very interested in the difference between sedimentary and igneous rocks and how they got there.

 Hudson is more of a fair weather hiker, but he did great. He loved the little lizards we would see along the trail. He started naming them, super original names like "green" and "black". It was fun to hike next to him and hear him jabber non-stop the whole time about lizards and sheep and whatever else was going through his little mind.

On our last full day we opted to stay nearby and explore the national forest right by the house. The boys found plenty of big rocks to climb in. As usual, Chase wanted to hike way farther, and Hudson was asking to go back to the car. We tried to find a happy medium. I could tell Chase was totally picking up on my excitement for the beauty around us because I kept hearing him saying things like "It sure is gorgeous here" and "wow, look at this view!". 

This trip was amazing, just what we needed. I loved all the quality family time and being able to relax and enjoy nature. There is something about being out in the quiet, with your family, seeing beautiful things that just fills your soul.