5th Park in 5 Days

It’s not very common that one drives 400 miles in a day and still walks over 5 miles as well.  It’s also not very common to visit two national parks in one day.  That said, we did both.  We headed out early from Bryce Canyon and began the windy, but gorgeous drive to Capitol Reef national park.  Capitol Reef is interesting because it combines some crazy geologic features with historical elements.  The girls enjoyed learning about the area’s history, rock formations, viewing the petroglyphs, and completing another Jr. Ranger book.  We took the scenic drive, enjoyed the historical sites, and picked apples in a very old orchard.  Apples were all you could eat in the orchard or $1 per pound if you took them out of the orchard.  From there, we managed to get to the Arches visitor center before they closed and decided we’d take advantage of the cooler evening temps to explore.  We drove the entire length of the park stopping for short hikes and arch viewing.  The only bummer was that there were storms in the area and cloud cover made for dimly lit photos.  Still, it was a spectacular day and I’m so proud of the girls’ stamina and cheerful attitudes.  Day 5 was a hit!