Sand Dune Arch...

We can never leave Arches National Park without a visit to Sand Dune Arch. It is the kids' most favorite place ever. Nathan kept asking and asking to go to "Sandy Arch" all week.

The hike is the easiest one ever, the best for small kids. It is so close to the parking. You head through some fins and enter into a little canyon that is protected by fins and rock cliffs. In the summer it is really fun to go during the hottest part of the day. It is very shady. We went at sunset and the pictures were so hard to take because of the lighting.

The arch is fun to climb onto. When we were young, we would always jump off the arch. Rick and I visited one time with our friends, Casey & Laura McNeil. I told Casey that we used to jump off into the sand. He thought that sounded quite fun and he tried it. Apparently the sand has shifted a bit over the years (or he was much heavier than my 90 pound self back then), and he hit the rock underneath. When he went to the emergency room, they said that he had a collapsed vertebrae. He had lost about 1/2 inch of his height (he was already a bit short). He asked when he would get it back and the doctor said never. So, don't EVER jump off the arch!

The kids love taking off their shoes and playing in the sand. It is beautiful, fine, red sand. It's always a big fight to get the shoes back on at the end!

I can't ever keep track of Harrison on hikes like these. He is constantly climbing on and jumping off cliffs! He is such a wild guy.



I thought this was a pretty picture of Janessa. The lighting was low, so it is a bit grainy, but I sure love it. She is such a beautiful girl.

Andrew wanted me to take a picture of him jumping into the sand. He is so weird sometimes.

Janessa tried it as well.

We love this tree. It has been there forever, it seems. I wish we could live in Moab...we could hike in this beautiful place whenever we wanted to!