4:03 p.m. 2006-08-25
Snippits of Vacation
Wow, Long time no see! We all know I have never been much of a blogger but perhaps I will start writing more regularly for a while. I must admit that I haven't seen the werewombat for quite some time, and I do miss her.
I have just returned from vacation, which was FABULOUS beyond words. I can hardly begin to describe it...I could try but then we would be here all night. Let's see, how about I just pick out a few stories for now. How about Zion Canyon in Utah. Absolutely amazing place! If you ever get the chance to go don't hesitate. Personally, I think the Grand Canyon is overrated but I would go back to Zion in a heartbeat. We did the easy hike at like 7:30 in the morning. Then we ate breakfast/brunch and then we decided to hike to the Middle Emerald pool. This hike is about a mile up there, and it is uphill steep, rocky with sharp deadly drop offs on your right side. So by the time we get up there it is approaching noon. Very warm, although it could have been worse, it was probably only in the low 90’s to mid 80’s. We stopped for a rest a the Emerald pool, and then Mom decided to go back to the lodge where Lu was. Dad, Josh, Ant and I wanted to see the Upper Emerald pool and then we were going to take a different trail back to the Grotto, that trail was another mile and that one had a steep drop off the entire way around the mountain. But the trail to Upper pool was only about a half mile, so we figured, “It’s only a half mile…it can’t be too bad, and we should still have energy to make the rest of the hike.” Little did we know that this half mile round trip to the Upper pool was nothing but climbing over boulders! In some places you couldn’t even tell it was a trail unless someone was ahead of you. The climb, however, was completely worth it! A sheer rock face surrounded the Upper pool. You could lie on the pile of rocks near the pool and look straight up at about 1,000 feet of rock above you. It was amazing! We could have stayed there all day.
Another story was about he Mummy Returns ride in Universal Studios Hollywood. Josh and I were the only ones willing to give it a try. They put you in this rollercoaster car, which was four people across and about five rows back, two attached together. It starts off slow, looking like you are traveling though a kind of museum with things from the movie. You can hear Imotep in the background shouting unintelligible threats. Then the cars stop in front of this pitch black hole. Imotep finishes his speech and the car rockets forward into pitch black! Of course I start screaming, because I don’t like roller coasters, much less one in pitch black. Josh is laughing at me, which makes me laugh as this car takes off. You come out the other side and you are flying around turns that bank up onto the walls, you fly under these mummy pictures made out of neon lights and then you turn a corner and slam to a stop at the dead end. Just as you are wondering what is going to happen the car rockets backward and you do the same track backwards! Then again you slam to a stop and return to the unloading dock. It was terrifying, but really fun. As soon as we got out I said, “Let’s do that again!” But unfortunately we did not have time.
For now I should call it a day. But since most of you who read this are on facebook, many pictures from vacation are on there. Hopefully I will get back here soon and write more.
