Bryce Canyon

Today we slept in. We were headed to the very top of the Grand Staircase – Bryce Canyon – and we figured that no matter what time of day up there we would see people and lower temperatures. We were right on both counts.

Bryce is about a two hour drive from Springdale back through Zion Canyon and north on Utah 9. We got to Ruby’s Inn just in time to sample from the Cowboy’s Buffet and Steak Room. The buffet of chicken, ribs, corn, potatoes and gravy, rolls, and full salad and desert bar was yummy and a nice change of pace from eating out of the stash in the back of the car.

We parked the car at Ruby’s Inn and rode the free shuttle into the park. By the time that we got there, they had closed the park to cars because of a fire that they were managing in the south end. In mid-June, lightening struck in an area that hadn’t been cleaned by a controlled burn for some time. The forest rangers had been watching the resulting fire closely as it cleaned up the underbrush in the trees. Apparently, the wind had picked the fire up and sent it across the road a couple of days earlier forcing the park service to close the south end of the park to tourists entirely.

Fortunately, this did not include the area where we wanted to hike. We picked up our Junior Ranger materials at the visitor center and sat through the 20 minute orientation video. We did a quick run through the museum and then headed out to the park for a 2:00 p.m. ranger talk on geology (yawn).

Ranger Kevin Poe was the geologist performing the 45 minute presentation. I chose the word “performing” on purpose as this was one of the most unique ranger talks that I have seen yet. Ranger Kevin should go on Saturday Night Live – or at least get his own TV show. This guy is passionate about rocks. But, he also realizes that talking about rocks doesn’t really get too many other people jazzed. So, he combines his information with snippets of 1960s and 1970s rock and roll to explain the geology of the Grand Staircase, and Grand, Zion and Bryce canyons.

We laughed and learned about a variety of things from this guy as well as enjoyed his re-written renditions of “Hound Dog,” “Knights in White Satin,” songs from Foreigner, “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” and “Can’t Buy Me Love.” This guy “rocked.”

From Ranger Kevin, we learned that Bryce Canyon isn’t a real canyon for one very important reason – there is no river running through the bottom of it. There is a creek bed, but it is dry most of the time and only contains water when the snow melts each year. Instead, the geological formations – or hoodoos – of this canyon are formed by the continual freezing and thawing of snow and ice over time. Because of the elevation of this canyon, it receives quite a bit of snow from September to May – over 200 days of water freezing, thawing and reshaping the rocks as the years go by.

From Ranger Kevin we also learned that in Zion Canyon the rangers get to wear shorts – but the administration in Bryce still thinks that shorts are “unprofessional.” We learned that what he really wanted to be was an astronaut. As a result, he developed an unhealthy addiction to Tang. We learned that he is attempting to talk the Zion administration into having the Moody Blues write and record a new theme song during one of the band’s reunion trips to Vegas. We learned that when you are describing the holes carved into the rocks which eventually widen to form natural bridges, you have to very carefully pronounce the phrase “ice hole.” We learned that when people call their Congressmen after hearing an inarticulate “ice hole” pronunciation, the ranger saying the word gets in trouble and you are told to use the word “window” instead. And finally, Ranger Kevin demonstrated for us how a dinosaur fossil is created complete with a one person reenactment of a T-Rex eating a duck-bill dinosaur. Ranger Kevin was cool.

After that standup routine, we headed out for the Queen’s Garden/Navaho Loop combination trail straight down into the “big ditch.” This trail was fanciful with tunnels, unexpected trees, plants and hoodoos that captured the imagination. We meandered down into the depths on well maintained sandstone paths that gave us a feeling of walking in a huge sand pile. We saw the queen perched on her throne, smiling at the tourists as we toured her castle gardens. We followed the dry creek bed at the very bottom past a weird combination of shady pine trees and sunny desert views. We climbed up and down slot canyons with bridges and hidey-holes carved into the side of the rock. The 3 miles went by quickly. Suddenly, we were back on top.

After that we caught the shuttle to Inspiration Point. Isaac’s legs had given out on him, so he and Dad stopped at the middle observation area. Sam, feeling very adventurous, said that he wanted to go all the way to the top. So he and I did. Viewing the canyon (I’m going to go ahead and call it that just because it is easier) from the overlook was like looking at a huge relief map of the hoodoo area of the park. We could see the queen at Queen’s garden trail. We could see pieces of the trail that meandered along the dry creek. We could see other trails split off and trace where they led. This place put our 3 mile hike firmly into perspective for Sam’s. “Wow Mom, we really walked a long way.”

From Inspiration Point, we rode a packed shuttle bus back to the Visitor’s Center for Isaac’s Junior Ranger badge. Then, we caught the shuttle back to Ruby’s Inn for dinner and the car ride back to Zion.

We went through several small towns on the way to and from Zion Canyon. Just like us, I imagine that there are several cars going back and forth through those towns several times a day. I’m also fairly sure that not all of those cars observe the speed limit. The locals have come up with a creative way to scare people into behaving. In almost every town that we went through, parked by the side of the road was a police car. Inside the car was a dummy, dressed as a cop, giving the appearance that you were in trouble if you didn’t slow down. We wondered how many people it fooled.

Back at the Lodge, everyone pretty much went to bed except me. I wanted to get the dusty laundry from the last few days of hiking washed so that we headed home with a carload of clean clothes. So, I spent a very quiet few hours finishing my book and the laundry at the same time.

Zion Canyon

Taking our cues from our Grand Canyon experience, we were up in time to ensure that we were present on the 6:52 a.m. shuttle going into the park. This action got us to our first hike of the day by 7:00 a.m. – the Emerald Pools. This shaded hike through a forest of gambel oak, fir and cottonwood to a series of three pools – emerald in color and name due to the algae in the water – was quiet and terrific.

We encountered only 6 other people on the 1.5 mile long trail and most of the time had the whole place to ourselves. Highlights were definitely the top pool – a beautiful, song bird-filled oasis in the middle of the canyon with a sandy beach leading to a calm pool. The water source for this pool dripped and trickled from red and black sandstone cliffs that surrounded and shaded the area on three sides. The boys enjoyed the echoes created by the rocks and writing their names in the sand. Mom and Dad just enjoyed the peace, quiet and beauty.

The trail to this pool did have one thing that got mom’s heart pumping faster than any cliff-side trail. Curled up on a rock about 2 feet from the trail was an adult sized rattlesnake. We had to pass the thing twice to get to and from where we were going. The first time, the boys felt the need to stop for what mom considered to be WAY too long to take a picture. The snake never moved once, we left it alone and warned two other families about it as we went. From that point on, I watched carefully where I put my hands and feet.

On the way back down from the pools, I stopped, letting the boys go on ahead, to watch the sun pop over the canyon walls. The bright ball of the sun sat atop the tallest cliff to my left. Its rays spilled into the canyon and kissed the top of the forest below. I stood and watched as slowly more and more of the canyon and forest was blessed with the light. The sight was a gift from God that I will remember for a long time.

After that, we passed some rangers getting some early morning work done on the downward side of the trail, pondered some carnivore wondering what kind of animal left it, watched as numerous lizards scurried away from our loud footsteps and caught a deer playing in the woods just above our heads. It was a fabulous couple of hours wandering through the canyon and we left ready for more.

From the trailhead, we caught the shuttle on into the canyon and got out to walk the short, paved Weeping Rock trail. Part of the beauty of Zion Canyon are the vertical gardens that grow wherever the water trapped in the sandstone finally finds a way to exit. The resulting waterfalls and drips feed ferns, orchids and other plants that grip to the sides of the rock and assist in the process of breaking down and forming the canyon that we were exploring. We stood for a few minutes sheltered by a section of shale and listened to the gentle rainfall of the water coming off of the rock in front of us. I guess I should say that’s what I did. Ross, Sam and Isaac, as well as other boys of families who were on the trail, watched as some park maintenance guys were lifting old, stone, rail guards from their position, mixing new mortar and replacing them with brand new stone.

From there, we got back on the shuttle and rode to the Temple of Sinawava stop and the Riverside Trail. This very easy, paved trail follows the Virgin River up into the beginnings of the canyon to where the river spills from an area called The Narrows – named so because of the 20 foot wide slot canyon that is the beginning of Zion Canyon.

The Riverside Trail itself was a beautiful, shady trek alongside a babbling brook where the canyon sides closed in narrower and narrower until the trails end. It was close to noon when we got there so there were crowds of people sitting on the benches and beaches at the end of the trail eating their lunch and playing in the water of the River.

We didn’t stop. We joined about fifty to sixty people who boldly stepped into the river and continued upstream into the canyon and against the current. We waded in frigid, shin and knee deep water for another half mile until we watched the folks in front of us sink into water that was chest deep.

“This is the funnest hike ever!” commented Sam on the way upriver. This prompted a family discussion about whether or not there was a job where you could just spend your time exploring. "Sure there is," said Isaac. "You can be just like Indiana Jones!" We all agreed that exploring for a living would be terrific.

We were definitely not prepared for full body kind of wet, so we stopped to watch a few more people brave the water and then turned around to head back out. We walked until we got to a relatively people free section of sandy beach. We sat on a long piece of driftwood, removed our shoes and socks and left them in the sun to dry and ate our lunch of hard boiled eggs, carrots, beef jerky and trail mix.

While we were there, we saw several hard-core groups of hikers stop at our spot to change into special, thermal wading socks and hard, rubber wading shoes. They would break out wading poles, put all their belongings in special waterproof backpacks and head on out. They were in it for the 16 mile long haul – and we were jealous.

When our shoes and socks were relatively dry, we put them back on and headed back to the shuttle for a short trip on the Paius trail to the Junior Ranger Nature Center. The program that afternoon was on tarantulas and scorpions. It was led by Zach Allen, a college student from Missouri working in the park through the Americorp program. He did a great job keeping Isaac and about 5 other boys enraptured with his information about spiders, what and how they eat, how their stingers work, where they live and who eats them.

At one point in the experience, we went outside to see the tarantula hawk – the biggest danger to the tarantula. The insect – yes insect – is a wasp about the size of my pinkie finger. Apparently, it stings the spiders to paralyze them, drags their bodies to their nest, lays an egg on the spider and then waits for the young wasp to come out of the egg and feed on the paralyzed, living spider. Ew. As we stood watching about 20-30 of these big buggers fly around us, Zach explained that getting stung by a tarantula felt similar to a bee sting. But, getting stung by one of these wasps feels more like taking a bullet. We made a hasty retreat back to the nature center after that.

After Isaac got his Junior Ranger badge for completing the program, we headed back to Zion Lodge for a relaxing cold drink and some ice cream on the hotel lawn. From that little rest, we caught the shuttle to the Court of the Patriarchs and took some pictures of Isaac beside his namesake rock.

As the story goes, many of the rock formations in Zion received their name from a Methodist minister who was traveling through the canyon many years before. He and his teenage companion made a game out of naming the rocks. Consequently, most of the names have biblical reference. In particular, they named Angel’s Landing – another popular trail which is not recommended for children the age of Sam and Isaac – and the Court of the Patriarch’s – three white cliffs standing in a row named Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

From there, it was back on the shuttle, back to Pioneer Lodge, some swimming, a home cooked steak dinner and bed. There was moment of excitement through the dinner hour as the entire town of Springdale lost power for an hour and a half. We had enough windows in our room that we could keep the air conditioned air inside while eating dinner in the dark. The rest of the guests at the Inn – mostly German – headed for the pool. It had been a fun-filled, adventure-packed day.

Grand to Zion

Today we start ascending the area known as the Grand Staircase – a series of mesas, canyons and cliffs that encompass the Grand, Zion and Bryce Canyon areas. Grand is at the bottom, Bryce is at the top, we were headed for Zion in the middle.

We headed out around 9:00 a.m., opting for a lazier morning. We headed up 89A to Fredonia passing through more of the Kaibab Forest. On the way, and not quite ready to leave the woodsy, pine-filled area, we stopped at a scenic overlook.

Apparently, the Kaibab Forest was a favorite hunting ground of Teddy Roosevelt. One of the signs had a picture of Teddy perched on a horse – looking very much like Robin Williams in Night at the Museum. Isaac was looking at these signs with me and when we both viewed this one, Isaac said, “You mean that was real?”

We hopped back in the car and continued north and west to Zion. Ross and I looked out the window as we passed into Utah, gazing at the successively higher vermillion, white and pink cliffs of the staircase. Occasionally, we could hear from the back, “Dude, watch that Green Turtle.” “Dude! Peach as a red turtle!” “Dude, ,make sure that you hit the boxes with the question marks.” “Dude, I hit him with a red turtle and then he got hit by a blue turtle.” Apparently, Mario Cart is much more fascinating than Mother Nature to the younger set.

At Kanab, Utah, we were ready for a brief stop again, so we pulled off at a roadside attraction explaining that it had movie sets to look at – for FREE. Turns out that in the back of the massive store full of moccasins, hats, western movie t-shirts, rocks and plastic tom toms, was a back yard with some of the remaining set pieces from the Outlaw Josey Whales.

The movie was apparently filmed on location near Kanab, Utah and the producers had donated several of the buildings to the museum. We had some fun and took pictures playing among buildings that Ross and I definitely remembered. We also had the boys feel the walls, which were made of fiberglass, but looked very much like mud and straw.

Then it was back in the car – Zion, here we come! Our first impression of Zion as we drove through the gates was that it was massive and cool. The cliffs and rock formations in Zion are the remains of a massive, deep dessert – considered to be one of the deepest in the world – that was present in the area millions of years ago. As a result, the sandstone mountains lie angled in 15 and 30 degree angles characteristic of ancient sand dunes.

Coming in from the east, we got to experience the one mile long Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel – an engineering feet that was beyond cool. The boys were the most excited about this part of the drive, even though we did have to wait about 10 minutes so that an escorted tour bus could drive through.

Once on the other side of the tunnel, we wound down into the depths of the canyon past ribboned layers of sandstone and majestic pink, orange and red rock. It was, in a word, gorgeous.

We exited the park on the west side and entered the tiny town of Springdale. We got to the Pioneer Lodge – our home for the next three days just in time to eat lunch at the hotel restaurant. It was too early to check in, so we left the car standing and caught the free shuttle back into the park to kill some time and orient ourselves to our surroundings.

Isaac got his junior ranger information at the Visitor’s Center and then we hopped the shuttle to the Human History museum to watch the orientation video. We wandered around in the museum for about 30 minutes looking at the exhibits and then hopped the shuttle back into Springdale.

We unloaded the car and set up our little homestead. Our room had a living room, bedroom, a full kitchen and two bathrooms. Heaven. While the boys watched TV and Ross took a nap, I headed to the nearest grocery store for breakfast and dinner supplies.

Once those were obtained, I grabbed the laundry and the boys and I headed for the pool. The laundry room was located right by the pool which made it very easy to keep cool and keep a watch on the clothes at the same time. I was also able to help a mother from Germany who was trying to figure out how to run the machines.

We ate a quick dinner of eggs, toast, veggies and fruit, discussed our hiking plans for the next day and headed to bed.

Grand Canyon

“It’s going to be 83 degrees on the North Rim today,” said a Park Ranger early this morning. It was 39 degrees when we drove in. For some reason, we are still running on Kansas time – which means, that we are 3 hours ahead of everyone else. Consequently, we rose from our beds around 7:30 a.m. our time – 4:30 a.m. here – and after a quick shower and in-room breakfast we were ready to head into the park.

Turns out, arriving early is an excellent plan. We got to park entrance just before 7:00 a.m. We parked by the North Rim Visitor’s Center and headed straight to Bright Angel Point. This trail, which leads out to an overlook and one of the best views of the canyon, is about 3-4 feet wide and paved. The relatively easy trail also features some sections where both sides drop away into miles of deep canyon – stretches without the comfort and safety of guard rails. We quickly discovered who was and who was not afraid of heights.

This was our first view of the canyon and it was superb. Because of earliness of the hour we had the trail almost entirely to ourselves. The storms from the night before had cooled the air to the point where even a jacket was necessary. On one side of the observation point – which we did have all to ourselves – we could hear Roaring Springs 5,040 feet below – on the other birds and blissful silence.

We had broken with tradition and didn’t go to church this morning – partly because we were unable to locate where the park ministry was holding services. But, standing as a family out at the very end of Bright Angel Point at 7:30 a.m. listening to birds and watching the rising sun change the colors of the canyon rocks was an experience we will never forget. “Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth…O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty…I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” Psalm 8 & 104

From the Bright Angel Trail, we headed to the Visitor’s Center for a Park Ranger led early morning Nature Walk. We met with Ranger Gaelyn (pronounced Gay-lin) for a one hour walk through the Ponderosa Pine forest. At the end of the day, we all agreed that Gaelyn was the best ranger we have encountered in the National Parks thus far. Her long, steel gray hair was tied into a ponytail. Her bright eyes smiled from behind small gold-framed wire glasses. Her energetic tanned fingers were covered in turquoise and silver rings. She was a student of nature – a true wise woman – who was willing to go off-topic for teaching moments as they presented themselves. And we enjoyed learning from her very much. On our 1.5 mile walk we stuck our noses deep into the bark of pine trees and discovered to our surprise that, up close, some of them smell like vanilla. We learned that the nut hatch is the only bird that walks down a tree looking for bugs instead of up, and we learned about the Kaibab (pronounced Kī-bâb) squirrel and its symbiotic relationship with the Ponderosa Pine.

Right after she showed us her “very favorite Ponderosa Pine in the park,” she taught us all about the kooky little gray squirrel that can only be found on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Kaibab squirrel eats only Ponderosa Pine flowers and bark. It can smell if the tree is sweet or sour. And, it helps the tree repopulate by spreading its seeds around with its “poop trails.” When she was finished and as if on cue, one of the little guys appeared in the forest right by where our group was sitting. It posed quietly allowing some of the families to take pictures and then scurried off. It was a great walk.

We left the group when the walk was over and headed down the rest of the 3 mile long Transept Trail. There were more terrific views of the canyon, meandering paths through the pine forests where we looked further at pine, oak and aspen trees – smelling several along the way. There was even an ancient Pueblo ruin.

At one point on this trail, we popped over a hill totally focused on the canyon side. When we turned to head back down the path, we found ourselves not 20 feet away from a grazing mule deer. We froze and watched as the deer munched on a lazy breakfast of grass and slowly wandered deeper into the woods. You just can’t plan moments like this.

After that, the best part was, it was only 10:00 a.m. Arizona time. And, since we were still on Kansas time – we were hungry! So, amidst the stares of those around us, we sat and ate a full lunch from the lodge café.

After our meal, we jumped back into the car and, at Ranger Gaelyn’s suggestion, headed out to Cape Royal. We hiked down the 1 mile round trip path with other tourists where we caught the only glimpse of the Colorado River that you can get from the North Rim. We also saw another Pueblo ruin and learned a bit more about the ancient Anasazi Indians who once lived in that area.

From there, we drove back towards the lodge and stopped at the trailhead of the North Kaibab Trail. This is the only trail that you can use on the North Rim should you wish to hike to the bottom of the canyon. Because of the nature and composition of the Bright Angel Trail, there were those in our group who weren’t so sure about braving this one. But, we were all pleasantly surprised to find the trail wide, soft and shady – despite some pretty ripe smells left over from earlier mule traffic.

We hiked 1.1 miles round trip (.7 miles down & .7 miles up) to the Coconino Overlook. This is the first official stopping point on the trail and a Park Ranger was there to greet us and make sure we weren’t going any further without the proper provisions and water. When we explained that this was our destination point, he relaxed and began talking about life as a park ranger in the Grand Canyon. When asked how often he had to go down and rescue people on the trail, he said that he normally had to at least once per day. But, that usually all he had to do, was go get them, “fluff them up,” and send them on their way with a little encouragement and hand holding. Fluffing up became our new phrase for the rest of the trip.

As Ranger Gaelyn said, “Going down is optional, going up is mandatory.” In the .7 miles that we walked down the trail, we dropped some 1,000 feet into the canyon. Getting back took nearly twice as long because we rested frequently along with all the other breathless hikers on the way back up. Both boys did beautifully and our water fortunately held out. Who knows? Maybe someday we will return and hike 5 miles down to Roaring Springs or maybe even all the way to the Colorado River and Phantom Ranch. As for now, Isaac was by far the youngest person we saw on the trail and we were all proud of what a trooper he was throughout the experience.

After that, we were ready to sit. So we drove back to the lodge and had a cool drink and some ice cream. Then, we headed over to the back porch of the lodge and heard all about the reintroduction and repopulation of the Great American Condor. It was here that Isaac learned how to do the Condor mating dance. You should ALL ask him to show it to you sometime.

By this time, Isaac had completed his junior ranger booklet and we all watched him be sworn in by Ranger Gaelyn. Then, it was back to Jacob Lake for dinner and a much needed shower.

The weather was fabulous, the crowds on the North Rim low and the pace was definitely laid back – just like we like it. But, we also all agreed – Yellowstone is still our favorite National Park. Sorry, GC, but you are going to have to settle for 2nd in our hearts.

Santa Fe to Jacob Lake

The back of a t-shirt in the Jacob Lake gift shop read, “The journey is the destination.” This might as well be a Hicks family motto, and was definitely the theme for today.

The Journey is the Destination...

We drove north and west of Santa Fe on parts of the old Route 66, past scenes right out of Pixar’s movie Cars. We stopped briefly in Cuba, New Mexico to stretch and snack before heading back out on the road through white rock mesas and panoramic views. We dipped into the valley of the San Juan river; home to the towns of Bloomfield and Farmington.

We enjoyed a quick salad lunch at the Farmington Wendy’s. The franchise was apparently celebrating something as there were balloons everywhere – inside and out. We enjoyed watching a small drama unfold as one of the employees had some fun dressed up as a super-sized Frosty milkshake. He was walked to the edge of the road by his fellow employees and left to wave at people on the side of the road. He was doing a great job. Lots of people waved, some honked, and some pulled in for a refreshing treat.

After lunch, it was back in the car and into one of the most “interesting” stretches of road through the Navajo Nation. Just outside of Farmington is a rock formation called Shiprock. True to its name, it was a massive rock sticking out of the desert that had the appearance of a sinking battleship. “Look boys,” I said in an attempt to get their heads out of their electronic gear, “that rock over there is called Shiprock.” Without raising his head from his DS, Sam said, “Mom, say that again and this time hold your tongue.” Stinker. After that, I figured school was over for the day.

We skirted Monument Valley and the four corners area and continued on Highway 160 through desert-like, rocky, red and brown terrain that was more like another planet than anything that should belong on earth. It is difficult even to call it beautiful. It’s desolate, barren and brings to mind images of bleached skeletons and dusty ruins. After traversing this road, I am beginning to understand some of the darker native folk art imagery that we saw in Santa Fe.

Mercifully, after about two hours of driving, we left the Black Mesa and Painted Desert areas and headed north, skirting the Echo Cliffs and moving toward Marble Canyon. This slanted landscape was surreal as if hands larger than any we’ve known chiseled and sculpted the landscape swirling the red and white rock together to form a weird, fun-house corridor of cliffs and ravines.

Just the size of these cliffs were humbling – their massiveness majestic and strange all at the same time. The rock pushes out of the ground at 45 degree angles, breaks at the highway and then continues up into the air on the other side of the road. Looking out the window, you almost begin to imagine that the road, with you on it, is tilting sideways. We pulled off the road to take pictures knowing full well that there was no way a camera could fully capture the place’s aura.

And then we crossed the Colorado River near Lee’s Ferry. Two bridges spanned the deep canyon where the green river meandered hundreds of feet below. One bridge, new since 1995 was for cars – the other, closed after the new one was built, for people. And, even though the beams were made of steel, even though I knew that the bridge had once held the weight of cars and trucks much heavier than myself, as I walked out upon this structure – I could still imagine the bridge cracking in half at my footstep and pitching everyone there into the depths of the river. It was an early taste of the Grand Canyon. It was thrilling….and terrifying. Across the Colorado, we stopped and had the “Really, Really, Good Burger” at Lee’s Ferry Lodge. From there, we drove past miles of rock landslides – huge, massive boulders that had fallen off of the Vermillion Cliffs to land on the flat plateau below. Some had rolled across the highway, or had the highway been built between them? It was difficult to tell.

And then finally, the last leg of our trip. The road wound into the Kaibab National Forest. Up and up the scruffy desert mountainside until, winding around and through the top of the mountains – glory be! Was that ponderosa pine? And, look! A mule deer by the side of the road. Our eyes feasted on the bountiful flora and fauna! We had made it back to civilization, back to earth.

We checked into Jacob Lake Inn – a rustic lodge just off the road leading into Grand Canyon National Park. Our room has a porch that gazes into the woods that surround us and a playground for the boys is just outside. It’s perfect, it’s quiet, and it’s just what we needed to end this strange and tiring day.