We left home on Tuesday afternoon and headed for Henderson to meet up with the in-laws. But Mr DPS pulled Heather over before we got to Wickenburg due to no visable plate on the Durango, 5min and a warnning we were back on the road!
Then Wednesday morning we were able to get our 0300 depart time and beat the desert heat!
I had the kids switch off on driving the Durango and I drove the XJ (logged over 1,400miles)
Camp (Spruce camp ground) in the Dixie National Forest was rather empty and we were able to get the spots we wanted!
Some light rain but we were able to set up camp rather quickly, then ventured off to grab some downed trees for our fires.
For the most part our vacation was great, we fished at 2 new areas and had great luck! and the view was just un-explainable!
There was a rather bad storm one afternoon where I slipped in the mud and took a rather hard fall and knocked all the bad words outta me, then on the drive back to camp I end up in a hail storm... 1/2 door + hail now THAT's fun!! But that same storm had its way with our camp and just trashed it!
The XJ also aquired a 4legged furry guy who decided to make a nest in my glove box... after 5days of that.. lets just say he meet his maker!
We re-did our Geocache near our camp site and also did some caching our last day there, we also took a drive to Brian Head Peak (11,307') its here where Zach decided to go for a little "run" well after 100' he fell over and was then gasping for breath for the next 30min.. lesson learned!
When we broke camp on Saturday morning we were greeted with a monster thunder storm and cold winds (in the low 40's) so breaking camp... in the rain was not too fun. The drive back always sucks... this year we leave camp, Im wet cold and in the XJ then Im dry & hot... then we hit another huge T-storm out side of Mesquite and once again Im wet & cold, so what else could happen... HAIL, again this pea sized stuff now flying all over at 65 MPH in the XJ hitting me & Heather then an 18 wheeler flys past us and all the water / hail comes rushing in... Man what a GREAT trip!!!
Over all 1,400 miles 11days in a tent... (no showers) then the rain & hail, some geocaching, hiking & fishing. It's a trip Ill always remember, the trip / vacation before our oldest son left the nest to go out and fight for our freedom.
