Nikki Anne

Zions Kolob Canyon

February 27, 2017

Kolob Canyon, kolob canyon hikes, kolob arch

Have you every heard of Kolob Canyon? I've driven past it a million times but had never been. Finally with this national park pass we decided to just do it! I'm soo glad we did, it was so gorgeous. I had no idea that off that specific freeway exit would hide such views.

It's super easy to get there. It has its own specific freeway exit right off i-15, It's off of exit 40. Right off the exit is the visitors center. When you go inside it has the usual visitor center things; souvenirs, books, maps, and the desk you have to pay to get into the park. The actual road is only 20 miles long, but it seriously has so many views in that short 20 miles. The road takes you to the top of the mountain where you could hike to the peak. We were going to do that hike but the wind was so cold, I mean it is January in Utah.

There are a few other hikes there, a favorite I've heard is the trail to the Kolob Arch. That one is a little far for the babe but I can't wait to do it when she gets older or I have a girls getaway. That trail is 14 miles round trip and Kolob Arch is one of the worlds largest freestanding arches. Can't wait to see it one day.

So that's Kolob Canyon in a nut shell. It's short, beautiful and so worth it if you need a break from your drive. I'd love to hear about any of the other hikes in the area if you've done them.

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Zions Canyon Overlook Trail

February 21, 2017

Zions National Park, Zions NP, Zions national parks hike, zions national park weather

We went to Zions in January and it was the best trip to Zions ever! There was no one there, I didn't have to ride the shuttle, and it wasn't hot. The only bummer was that the road was closed up towards the end of the canyon so we couldn't go do the Emerald Pools hike which would have been a perfect trail with the babe. In the long run the road bring closed was a great thing because it forced me to explore the other side of Zions.

We went toward the East Entrance and did the Canyon Overlook Trail. It was probably one of my favorite hikes I've done with the babe. It was short, awesome views, and it was just a fun trail in the aspect that the terrain was different every time you went around the corner. You hike stairs carved out of sand stone, you walk along cliff sides, cross a bridge, and show up to this amazing view.

This hike does have some elevation gain and if you're afraid of heights it might not be the trail for you. If you take the kiddos make sure to keep an eye on them and keep an eye out for mountain goats, we saw a few and they weren't that far away.

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Short family friendly hikes at Snow Canyon State Park

February 13, 2017

If you were looking for 2 short easy hikes for the family while you're in the St George area well Snow Canyon State Park is the place. With just a short drive north of St George and $6 fee you'll have a place to let those kiddos run. When we visited Snow Canyon State Park half of the park wasn't accessible because they were fixing the road, so our hike choices were slightly limited. But with our choices we decided to go on the Jenny's Canyon and Johnson Canyon.

Jenny's Canyon is a short 0.5 mile hike that leads to a small slot canyon. The hike is seriously a walk in red sand to the slot canyon, you can continue up to the overlook area which does include a small incline but nothing those crazy kids couldn't handle. It was cool to walk and then turn a corner and bam there was a slot canyon. I could see the kids really having fun in there climbing the walls and running to the end. The overlook isn't really anything fantastic but you might as well check it out since it's a short climb.

The other hike we went on was Johnson Canyon. This hike was longer, 2 miles but rated as easy. The trail head is located right before the fee booth and starts on the right side of the road. The trail takes you from the road into the red sand, there was a dry river bed, then walked on the base of the mountain and turned into the canyon. When the trail went along the base of the mountain it had a small cliff side that looked over a dry river bed, so watch your kiddos during this part. After that the trail crossed a small river, which I'm guessing is bigger during the summer, and walked next to an arch. At the end of the canyon we walked 3 people repel down the canyon wall, it looked fun and I guess a company does guided tours of canyoneering there. The trail was fun and super pretty and I would do it again once baby N gets older and can walk herself.

Those are the 2 trails we were able to do while in Snow Canyon. Up the road there was also a small sand dune that I saw tons of kids playing on and parents pulled out a blanket to have picnic on.

Johnsons Canyon

Johnson Canyon

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Jackson Hole in the Fall

February 06, 2017

We got the opportunity to go to Jackson Hole in October. I hadn't been there in forever so I was so excited and Jeff was so excited because they finished the biking path from Jackson Hole to Grand Teton National Park.

We stayed at the Cowboy Village, let me just say that they are the coolest little cabins around. They were cozy and perfect size. The one we had slept 5 people with 2 full and 1 sofa sleeper. The location of the Cowboy Village was also a couple blocks from downtown and if it wasn't cold we would have just walked there.

We also went for a small 30 mile bike ride from Jackson to Grand Teton National Park, Jenny Lake. It was a really beautiful ride. As I was riding I kept staring at the Tetons and then the next thing I knew I was almost off the path. I guess it wouldn't have been the worst view if I got a flat there haha.

The ride was easy, there was a slight elevation gain once you got into the national park but nothing too bad. Can I just say how cool it was to ride into the national park! But don't forget they also charge you, so just be aware.

Once to Jenny Lake we hiked a little and then caught a ride back to the cabin to see baby N, who just woke up from her afternoon nap. Perfect timing :)

Trip facts

Month of travel: October

Length of trip: 3 nights 4 days

Hotel we stayed at: Cowboy Village

Thoughts on hotel: Awesome, I would live there if I could haha

What we saw: Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park-Jenny Lake, Jackson Hole Lodge, and Tetons(they are hard to miss)

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5 Tips for families at Bryce Canyon National Park

January 30, 2017

At the beginning of the week back in May I told my husband, 'I'm going to Bryce Canyon this weekend are you joining me?' and that's all it took to get us there. I needed the drive, the fresh air, and the new views. I may have been experiencing a little cabin fever with the babe at home. This trip was fast and not really planned out, not to mention we also had a 7 month old with us. Which means no long hikes and interesting sleeping nights to come in the hotel. All and all after said and done, this trip was perfect.

Trip facts

Month of travel: May

Length of trip: 2 days/1 night

Hotel we stayed at: Bryce Canyon Resort

Thoughts on hotel: It was perfect. They had a pack n play for baby N (which I covered with our own blanket) and our bed was great for the night. The hotel is the motel style where the rooms open up to the outside, which is my favorite type. I remember hearing our neighbors but I wasn't worried about us hearing them, I was more worried about them hearing us.

What we saw: Sunrise Point, Inspiration Point, Bryce Point and the lodge

Welcome to Inspirational Point, a simple uphill walk to 3 amazing lookouts. We decided to wear baby N because there was no way I was going to push the stroller up the hill. So if you are unable to walk up a steep hill seeing all 3 points might not be the best option for you, but there is 1 that is just off the parking lot.

It was really sunny that day with a tiny bit of a chill, but I was more worried about baby N and her sweet baby skin, hence the blanket and the hat.

Sunrise Point was the busiest out of them all, it might have been because it was the first stop inside the park and the access to the couple of hikes from that point. This part we were able to take our stroller and wheel her around. At the top of one of the lookout points it was really windy but the rest was just fine.

Bryce Point was our last spot and also the least busy spot of all 3, it was the furthest too lol. The parking lot was really small so I can't imagine it during busy season. We got an awesome parking spot and ended up eating lunch in the bed of the truck. The walk to the lookouts was short and so gorgeous;

After visiting Bryce with the little my 5 tips for any new mom would be:

1. Take the chest carrier. This seriously was the best idea. We weren't always able to use the stroller and if we would have planned the trip little better we actually could have done some hikes with her like that.

2. When hotels say they have a 'crib' know that they really mean they have a pack n play. Well at least this hotel meant pack n play. After this trip I think I'll just feel better when we take our own pack n play. I literally thought it was a crib, but maybe that was just my first time mom thinking.

3. Sunscreen always! Always pack sunscreen no matter where you're going.

4. Our Bumbo was a lifesaver. Little N wasn't old enough to sit up on her own yet so we took the Bumbo and I'm so glad we did. When we had lunch at Bryce Point we sat in the bed of the truck, I sat on the tailgate and she sat in the bed in her Bumbo. We were able to eat lunch comfortably and out of the sun.

5. Just have fun. Kids can be difficult to travel with. Try not to have the same strict routine as you do at home, be flexible, and just have fun. Remember we you just want to remember the fun times of the trip not the times when you were fighting the littles schedule.

In my opinion Bryce Canyon is perfect for little kids, it's not to big, there is still fun things to see, and the trails I mentioned are easy ones that little kids could walk on their own.