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Morris Family Vacation...and Utah Photo Safari

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    Morris Family Vacation...and Utah Photo Safari

    I'm going to update this in chunks so it's easier to post and maybe easier to follow. I hope you'll come back as I add photos and recaps as it was quite a trip and I'm certain some here would like to do something similar some day.

    A few weeks ago my family and I departed for our summer trip to the National Parks in Utah. Thanks to the significant travel requirements associated with my job, we were able to capitalize on the points/miles accumulated and make a trip that didn't overly crush the discretionary funds account.

    The plan was to fly into Las Vegas, rent a car and drive across Utah, hitting all the major parks winding up in Grand Junction, CO for a flight home. The parks visited, in order, would be Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands.

    We knew we'd have some time we could spend in Vegas, so we dragged the kids around the strip, showing them the hotels, casinos and, of course, overly large candy stores. We hit Hershey's, M&Ms, Bellagio, New York New York and other significant stops during our afternoon walk in 115 degree heat. On our way out of town, my son insisted we hit this place:

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    It was cool to see the inside of what is a pretty small pawn shop. There was not much in there that interested us, so we bolted for St. George, UT which would be our first overnight stay.

    The next morning we left for Zion but I had identified a spot that was almost on the way, where we could do a quick, cool hike. It was Kanarra Creek in Kanarraville, UT. This is a short hike, mostly within the creek itself, to a slot canyon with waterfalls. It turned out to be well worth our time. I'll let you judge for yourself, based on the pics.

    We knew pretty quickly this would be a great hike.
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    The scenery got more and more interesting as we hiked.
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    My two favorite ladies on the Morris hiking circuit.
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    Entering the slot.
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    A very beautiful place.
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    The first, and most scenic, waterfall.
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    More red sandstone.
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    Team Morris.
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    From there we headed to Springdale, UT where we would spend a couple nights while enjoying Zion.

    #2
    Cool trip great pics.

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      #3
      Excellent!

      FYI - if you like National Parks check out the REI national park app.

      They have lots of pictures and trail map info!

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        #4
        After Kanarra Creek we made it to Springdale, UT and made a quick trip into Zion for the sunset. As we started the trail to Canyon Overlook, Kelsey spotted a Desert Bighorn atop a ridge. I just happened to have my 70-200 with me and was able to get a decent shot or two.

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        We made it to the overlook after a great hike and enjoyed a nice sunset. I didn't get the results I had hoped to get with my photos, but I enjoyed some quality time with my wife and two kids as the day ended over the valley.

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        This is a less than stellar attempt at HDR. Notice the crazy amount of spots in the sky in this photo. I left those to show how important it is to start your trips well prepared. I had attempted to clean my sensor before leaving for this trip. I made an absolute mess of it with my old cleaning kit such that I thought most, if not all, of my photos with sky would be trash. This prompted an order to Amazon for a new cleaning system. I had it sent to Torrey, UT near Capital Reef so that I could get things cleaned up. This was highly frustrating.


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          #5
          You make me want to book a flight and head out now, Casey!
          Such great captures!

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            #6
            Beautiful

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              #7
              Awesome scenery and pictures!

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                #8
                Strong work, Mr. Morris.

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                  #9
                  Awesome shot of the ram.

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                    #10
                    Springdale is a cool little town and Zion is amazing. Love that part of the world.

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                      #11
                      very nice pictures Casey. Looks like a very enjoyable trip

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                        #12
                        I was all over that country back in the late 70's, early 80's and your photos make it even prettier than I remember.

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                          #13
                          I'm ready to book my trip now!

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                            #14
                            Tuesday the 26th was a big day. We had planned to hike to Angel's Landing in Zion. This hike is 2.5 miles one way and gains 1500ish feet in elevation. The last 500 feet is a chain assisted scramble to the top. If the hike didn't get to you, the thousand foot drops on either side of the trail might. Through the numerous videos we watched and trail descriptions we read, we learned this was a strenuous, difficult hike that challenged your tolerance of heights. In some cases, the trail is one a couple feet wide with sheer drops on either side. We were going to attempt it regardless. I even had folks tell us that we really weren't capable of doing it. Challenge accepted!

                            The hike to "Walter's Wiggles" was pretty tough. However, the wiggles were an entirely different ballgame. 21 short but steep switchbacks got us to Scouts Landing. I was ready to quit in the wiggles but would not allow myself to do it. We all powered through and took a brief rest at the Landing. After a few minutes, we agreed we had to go to Angel's Landing. Up we went. This was an amazing climb that was challenging, a touch scary but incredibly fun...and over the top rewarding. We all sat atop the mountain excited we had pulled it off. If anything, I was emotional at the thought of pushing myself to do it, with my kids. I think they appreciated the fact that their old parents would strap on such a challenge. The views were more than worth the pain. The hike down was long and hot (103+) but worth every bit of the effort. Here are some pics of the day.

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                            We finished off the day with some rest and then watching the sunset on The Watchman from the bridge over the Virgin River. The iconic location for a photo did not disappoint and I came away with one I really like!

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                              #15
                              Man, that is just wicked awesome amigo...very impressive.

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