President's Day Weekend

Reader, I hope you enjoyed the long weekend! President's day weekend Andrew and I usually try to take advantage of the extra day off and discover more of Utah. Last year we hit Bear Lake and enjoyed a wonderland of snow. This year we were hoping to do the same, and spend some more time snowshoeing, but alas Utah has been having some unseasonably warm weather lately. That, and I insisted that Archer just had to come along! This greatly limited our options because a lot of the colder places were shut down for the winter, and most of the other options wouldn't take dogs.

You may remember, that I'm not exactly an experienced camper. A nice compromise that Andrew and I have found are the KOA Kabins. Ok, ok I know it's not really camping....but like I said it's a nice compromise. I don't have to sleep on the ground, and Andrew can get out in nature. Best of all, most of them take dogs...even those super aggressive German Sheps! (haha - how anyone could think of my Archie as being aggressive is beyond me. Thank you KOA for not having breed restrictions!!)

Archer on the porch of our Kabin

So with limited options we decided to spend our long weekend in Cedar City, UT. It's in Southern Utah which is home to more of that gorgeous red rock, but is close enough to Bryan Head ski resort so we could enjoy some snow as well. Unfortunately this trip sort of snuck up on us, and we failed to plan for it. We arrived late Saturday night, and on Sunday no snowshoe rental places were open. We did have a nice scenic drive into the mountains...but had to settle for a nice hike in the red rock.

As always here are my highlights:

1. The Road Trip

Cedar City is about 4 hours from where we live, and Southern Utah is a really beautiful place to do a road trip. The speed limit is often 80 mph and the view is breath taking. You'll see red rock, and snow capped mountains all in the space of an hour. I of course really enjoyed just having a chance to chat with Andrew, snack, and read!

2. Spending time with the pup

Hiking with Archer

A typical day in the life of Archer is to wake up, eat, use the restroom, then go back to his crate until Andrew comes home around 5pm. Then he gets to play outside until the sun goes down, then lounge around the house with us...until it's time to go back to his crate. I hate that. I hate that he doesn't get to run and play more. Of course he doesn't seem to mind...he's a lazy thing. But oh to see that German Shepherd run! Any way, I really loved being able to include him in our adventures last weekend. And hiking with him was by far the most enjoyable for all of us!

Resting after a hike!

The problem is...that Archer is not really a good traveler. I can't tell you how many different methods we have tried. This dog just doesn't understand that standing up does not help you on turns, or when stopping, and he can't come sit in the driver's lap...even if that is the best view in the car. So I tried something new. A plastic barrier to keep him in the back end of the SUV. And guess what?! It worked. Never have I enjoyed a 4 hour car ride with my dog more.

Doggie Barrier

That was of course, until he realized that his head could push through on the sides. Then if he uses his paws he can shift the plastic. Are you seeing my mistake here? PLASTIC. I went for the cheap option, and he figured it out. The ride home wasn't nearly so pleasant. It involved a lot of frustration, and frantic yells trying to get him to stop tearing apart the barrier. Oh, and then he decided that moving cars must be enemies and began barking at them nonstop. Yup, there went my pleasant car ride.

Despite the frustration of the drive home, I do love having my pup along. He's my BFF and it's just not a family vacation without him. 

4. The Scenery

Cactus

The red rock is always stunning, and I always tell people that I moved here for the mountains. I have a lot of trouble enjoying the scenery while I'm hiking....something about all the exertion I'm using just to keep up. But truly, the scenery was breath taking. I'm not a fan of the Texas desert, but I do love the Utah desert. 

At the time I hated what the sun was doing to my photos...now I kind of like it.

5. Family Time

Best of all, was the family time. This trip was for Andrew. He has been working so hard this semester! Between Grad school applications, Organic Chemistry II, and work he's a pretty busy dude. I don't get as much time with him as I would like...but with the 8 hours in the car, and no tv or phone service, I got to spend some wonderful quality time with him. That was the best part. 

He's a pretty fun guy.

Family photo