Utah Trip and Lake Powell

Our family was able to head down to Utah for a few weeks.  I drove down with Emerson and Julian and then Hyrum and Townsend flew down a few days later.  It was fun to meet up with some friends and see our family but the highlight was definitely Lake Powell.  My boys love Lake Powell and wish we could go every summer!  We are super lucky that Hyrum's sister Andrea owns a house boat on the lake and we are invited down every few years.  I love it because it is relaxing and I can just sit and read all day.  The boys love the water, the boat, the jet skis, jumping off rocks, swimming and playing all day.

Our first stop was to meet up with our good friends (the Platt's) at Lagoon Amusement Park.  Emerson went with the "big kid" group to ride all the scary rides.  Julian and I hung out with the younger group but then left to go hang out at the water park on our own.  It was a beautiful day at the park!

Most of our group after we rode the "rapids"...a bit wet but super fun.

I rode my bike from Oma's house in Orem to the Jordan River trail, it was about a 40 mile ride.  Still training for Cycle Oregon in September.

Dinner with some friends from my time in Germany!  So much fun to get together with these ladies.  We had dinner at Cafe Rio and then watched Mama Mia Here We Go Again at the theater.  So much fun, laughing and chatting with my buddies!

Took another opportunity to hang out with the Platts at an indoor trampoline park.  We live in Oregon and they live in Hawaii but it just worked out we were in the same area at the same time!

Took a quick little hike up to Bridal Veil Falls with Oma.

They both finished their shave ice! (Emerson did say his stomach hurt after he was done...that thing was huge!)

Lake Powell!

Having fun playing games

Emerson tried out the paddle board

Sleeping on the top deck.  It was beautiful weather and the stars at night were so amazing.  It was nice to just lay outside and look up to see shooting stars and planets.

A few of us hiked over to some arches.  I only had flip flops...not the best walking shoes in a desert full of prickers.

I found somebody to love on the walls of the cave:)

Walking back to our boat.  It's amazing how hot and thirsty I got  just on a 1/2 mile hike!  Glad we had water to jump into after our hike.  It was so perfect to jump in the lake and cool down.

Boys having fun jumping from the rocks.  I was happy to stay on the jet ski and watch:)

We explored some really cool canyons out on Craig's boat.

My kids talked me into trying out the "molecule"  It was terrible.  I was hanging on for dear life and screaming the whole time!  I don't know why my kids love this thing so much?

A shot of the whole group that came to Powell.  Our family and the Doxey's came from Oregon.  Emmett and Rachel and their girls came all the way from Wisconsin.  Craig and Andrea live in Utah but it's still a 6 hour drive for them.  It was really wonderful to hang out with the Durtschi family clan for a few days.  Making memories...love it!

Car trouble on the drive back from Lake Powell...luckily it was just a leaky valve on one of the tires and only took about 10 minutes to fix!

We got to spend a few more days in Utah after Lake Powell.  We took the boys and Oma up to Salt Lake for the day.  We enjoyed a show at the planetarium and went to Temple Square to walk around.

Went for a fun hike with Oma and Emmett and Rachel and their girls, Avonlea and Anya.  We started in Albion Basin and hiked through Catherine's Pass to Sunset Peak.  Lots of beautiful views of the lakes and mountains.

Townsend hoisted himself up on this ski lift.  That kid has some amazing upper body strength!

Hyrum had his heart set on doing a 100 mile bike loop around Utah Lake.  We brought our bikes with us from Oregon so we could do this ride.  I was very nervous because the farthest I had ever gone on my bike was 75 miles.  We left from Oma's house before it was even light outside.  We wanted to get done before the day got too hot.  This is me on the West side of Utah lake.  It was very dry and flat...not much scenery to look at as the miles clicked away.

Had a lunch break at the 50 mile mark...Goshen, Utah.  I was not sure I would make it another 50 miles but really, what choice was there but to get back on my bike?

Back at Oma's house.  7 hours and 20 minutes of biking time!  That's not really a smile on my face...more like a grimace!

Proof of our mileage.  We actually were close to Oma's house at mile 96 but Hyrum made me go an extra 4 miles just to say we went 100.  I was thinking 96 was close enough!!!

A map showing where we went on our bike ride...yep, that's all the way around Utah Lake!

Hyrum drove the van home with Townsend and Julian while Emerson and I got to fly home the next day.  That left me with a free day so I took my fabulous niece, Mara Porter, out for lunch.  It was so fun catching up with her and hearing all about her time at BYU.  It brought back memories of when I was at BYU and would visit her mom and hang out with my nieces and nephews in their house in Orem.

Trips to Utah are always about catching up with family and this years trip was definitely family time!