Making Memories, Part II: Hikes and Headaches
Friday morning I got up at the crack of dawn. That's saying something too because the crack of dawn in Utah was probably 4 am Arizona time. The good thing about that was that I was able to get started on the laundry right off the bat. Packing a full slate of outfits for seven people for a week and managing to fit that load in the same van as those seven people just isn't within my abilities so I had always planned to do laundry at least once during the trip. I had just planned for my laundry session to be halfway through the trip when we moved into a hotel. Well, if I've learned anything in my nearly 12 years of motherhood, it's that I've got to be flexible with my plans. B's unhappy tummy required a change in plans.
Good thing, quite frankly. You know, I did THREE loads of laundry that morning? It was only our third day of vacation!! While I was working on the laundry, another one of my camping fears struck-- a thunderstorm rolled in. Since I am a wimp, Terence drove our van over to the laundry room and ferried me and the clean laundry back to camp in relative dryness. The rainstorm was short but heavy-- and S did not like the sound of it. The entire time the rain pounded on the roof of our tent, she let loose with earsplitting cries. I felt kind of bad for our neighbors. (Our campground was at Cherry Hill-- a local waterpark-- and it was a jam-packed place. We had tents less than five feet away on either side.) The good news was that our tent kept us blissfully dry. There were no leaks-- not yet, anyway.
B seemed perfectly fine that morning. We were quite encouraged and headed off to the next reunion activity, which was lunch in the same park as the day before. This time we made it on time. (Though we did have to make another run to Walmart right before. How do people go camping without a Walmart less than 15 minutes away?) Lunch was great-- good food and I got to actually chat with some of my relatives a bit. The only problem was that my headache was growing into mammoth proportions.
Maybe I should give it a proper name: The Headache. The Headache apparently thought it was invited on vacation as well. It had first shown up during our drive up to southern Utah. By our night in Mt. Carmel Junction, The Headache was pounding so fiercely that I was feeling sick to my stomach. Thursday it was a bit better, but by midday Friday it was back with a vengeance. I pleaded some Tylenol from my dad and downed four of those babies. Luckily they kicked in just in time to head out for our next activity, keeping The Headache down to a much more bearable dull ache.
After lunch we went on a short hike (minus B, who started to wear out in the heat) with part of the extended family. Denell (my cousin's wife) kept reminding us that it really was a desert hike, that it would be a hot march through rattlesnake country, and that there would only be a small waterfall at the end, but I figured it had to be more scenic than our desert hikes down here. After all, I have never yet gone on a hike down in the valley where I've seen any water, let alone a waterfall. (Granted, I don't hike during monsoon season, for obvious reasons. Otherwise, I would have experienced plenty of water rushing through the washes.)
The hike was a bit hot, though not as deserty as hiking in the Sonoran Desert. But at the end we found this:
Now for you lucky people who live in green places, this waterfall is probably unimpressive but for my kids, whose idea of a waterfall is water spilling over an irrigation gate, this was spectacular! Worth the dusty, hot climb.
Friday night was more time with the family at the park with the dutch oven cookoff. My family had voted beforehand that we were not going to attempt to lug up the cooking gear and so we contributed a bucket of KFC chicken. Like I said, we're not really campers, and this applies to my parents and sisters as well. (Right, Amy?) However, my aunts & uncles & cousins include some talented outdoors people so we had a fantastic dinner. It's making my mouth water just remembering some of the delicious dishes!
Friday night ended on a great note. S fell asleep easily with no crying, B was feeling back to her perky self, our tent was dry despite sporadic drizzling, and I managed to sleep without waking up in a panic. The Headache was making its presence known again, but I blithely trusted in a good night's sleep to completely banish it. Famous last words.
More to come tomorrow. . . .
Good thing, quite frankly. You know, I did THREE loads of laundry that morning? It was only our third day of vacation!! While I was working on the laundry, another one of my camping fears struck-- a thunderstorm rolled in. Since I am a wimp, Terence drove our van over to the laundry room and ferried me and the clean laundry back to camp in relative dryness. The rainstorm was short but heavy-- and S did not like the sound of it. The entire time the rain pounded on the roof of our tent, she let loose with earsplitting cries. I felt kind of bad for our neighbors. (Our campground was at Cherry Hill-- a local waterpark-- and it was a jam-packed place. We had tents less than five feet away on either side.) The good news was that our tent kept us blissfully dry. There were no leaks-- not yet, anyway.
B seemed perfectly fine that morning. We were quite encouraged and headed off to the next reunion activity, which was lunch in the same park as the day before. This time we made it on time. (Though we did have to make another run to Walmart right before. How do people go camping without a Walmart less than 15 minutes away?) Lunch was great-- good food and I got to actually chat with some of my relatives a bit. The only problem was that my headache was growing into mammoth proportions.
Maybe I should give it a proper name: The Headache. The Headache apparently thought it was invited on vacation as well. It had first shown up during our drive up to southern Utah. By our night in Mt. Carmel Junction, The Headache was pounding so fiercely that I was feeling sick to my stomach. Thursday it was a bit better, but by midday Friday it was back with a vengeance. I pleaded some Tylenol from my dad and downed four of those babies. Luckily they kicked in just in time to head out for our next activity, keeping The Headache down to a much more bearable dull ache.
After lunch we went on a short hike (minus B, who started to wear out in the heat) with part of the extended family. Denell (my cousin's wife) kept reminding us that it really was a desert hike, that it would be a hot march through rattlesnake country, and that there would only be a small waterfall at the end, but I figured it had to be more scenic than our desert hikes down here. After all, I have never yet gone on a hike down in the valley where I've seen any water, let alone a waterfall. (Granted, I don't hike during monsoon season, for obvious reasons. Otherwise, I would have experienced plenty of water rushing through the washes.)
The hike was a bit hot, though not as deserty as hiking in the Sonoran Desert. But at the end we found this:
 |
| M, Kylie, J, Whitney & K exploring the water |
Friday night was more time with the family at the park with the dutch oven cookoff. My family had voted beforehand that we were not going to attempt to lug up the cooking gear and so we contributed a bucket of KFC chicken. Like I said, we're not really campers, and this applies to my parents and sisters as well. (Right, Amy?) However, my aunts & uncles & cousins include some talented outdoors people so we had a fantastic dinner. It's making my mouth water just remembering some of the delicious dishes!
Friday night ended on a great note. S fell asleep easily with no crying, B was feeling back to her perky self, our tent was dry despite sporadic drizzling, and I managed to sleep without waking up in a panic. The Headache was making its presence known again, but I blithely trusted in a good night's sleep to completely banish it. Famous last words.
More to come tomorrow. . . .
Comments
I am sorry you had a headache, that makes for hard times for sure.
Where did you stay at Mt Carmel Junction?
Cherry Hill is fun, did you guys like it?