The 201703 trip – Monument Valley, Mexican Hat

Wednesday, April 5 

We packed up, left Shady Acres and finally made it to monument Valley at supper time.

The Gouldings
The Gouldings

We stayed at an amazing camgground: The Gouldings right next to Monument Valley. The Gouldings is an entire small town. Campground, store, gas station, hotel, restaurant, rental cabins – nestled in front of and between two buttes. Spaces were a little tight, but clean, fairly level and in an amazing place. Cellular was better than average and wifi worked fairly well too.  The campground is wedged between two large buttes – running up hill.  The result is that on two size you have these vertical rocks, yet you can see out down hill between them to the eastern horizon.

Thursday, April 6

Mexican Hat Road
Mexican Hat Road

Deb, Sylvia and I went out early to find the classic road spot that has been in so many movies (including Forest Gump), south west of Mexican Hat. We took lots of pictures with the sun coming up behind us. Other’s were out there as well. We came back, joined up with the kids and went to the Monument Valley visitor center across the road. After a brief look at the visitor center, we signed up for the self tour. In theory they were supposed to collect money when we came out – but no one was there so I guess there weren’t enough people that day to bother standing by the road and collecting $20 bills. The road was pretty amazing – and very rough. The only bathrooms were some porta potties that our group refused to use. At one stop there was the classic ledge that was used in a John Wayne movie. Deb paid to sit on a horse out on the ledge so we could take her picture. We took lots and lots of pictures. Back home for hot dogs on the grill and an evening walk under the stars.

Soon, there will be a picture gallery here….

 

continued next post.

 

 

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The 201703 trip – ER, Arches, Mexican Restaurant disaster

Monday, April 3

Junior Rangers 3
Junior Rangers 3

J&P managed to get a referral from their home clinic. It wasn’t going to lower the cost, but would push the cost to the better deductible. So, Jen and Deb tried to go to a clinic in Moab, but it was full up – they were directed to the ER. Standard tests, an IV, fluids, potassium – and back home. Then we all went to canyonlands to start the girls on their Junior Ranger badges. Deb gave the girls the Jr Ranger backpacks she had bought earlier.  We took it easy the rest of the day.

 

Tuesday, April 4

Tripple Arches
Tripple Arches

Deb, Sylvia and I went to Arches early. We went back to the Window Arches area and hiked to several arches. Then we went back to the visitor center to wait for the kids because there was no cell coverage back in the arches. When they showed up – we did some more Jr Ranger stuff, then we all drove out to the Delicate Arch trail head. That trail is 1.5 miles and rated moderate. With four kids, it’s more than moderate. Jen started carrying GG.

About a third of the way up, she gave up the carrier to me. Phil was carrying . We managed to get all the way to the top, but it was getting cold, some of us were a bit scared of the heights as the trail at the end was on a ledge. Things were a bit tense so we quickly took pictures and headed down to level ground to regroup. There we had a snack, and

Delicate Arch Trail - start
Delicate Arch Trail – start

swapped kids. Jen put GG in her tummy carrier. EJ and AJ moved into carriers (Phil and me). We headed down as quickly as we reasonably could. We made it down without incident, tired, I mean REALLY TIRED.

 

Delicate Arch Trail
Delicate Arch Trail
Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch

 

We drove into Moab to a Mexican restaurant Familia Mexicana. The put us way in the back – we ordered water to start and the waiter managed to dump several glasses onto the table and all over Phil and some on Janessa. After a minute what seemed like the head waiter or manager showed up and said “How about Marguerita’s”. We thought he meant “on the house”. Nope, after supper we discovered he had put 5 x $10 margueritas on the bill. They weren’t $10 margueritas and and there was no “comp” for dumping water all over us.

Only after making a scene did they drop the margueritas. It was still the most expensive Mexican meal I had ever paid for and the food was mearly “OK”.   I quickly left as many poor reviews as I could find places to leave one.  Maybe if you got better seating, didn’ t have a waiter dump water all over you, got a simple beer – not an over-priced sugar laden drink, you could have a good time there.  Maybe.

continued next post.

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