Part 2: Taking a Baby to Zion National Park
- The Involved Dad
- Aug 31, 2018
- 5 min read
Adventure: Baby's Zion Adventure
This is part two of our road trip adventure. If you didn't read about how this adventure started, check out, How to Take a Baby on a Road Trip. We did it! We made it Zion with a 5 month old. Once settled, into our hotel room we thought about what we'd do. Our original plan was to go on a short hike, but we decided it'd be a better idea to hit up the pool. Rose was about 1 month into her swim lessons and her love for the water was growing. The pool at the hotel was excellent because it had an area that was only about 6 inches deep. Before becoming a Dad, I never even thought about having a section like that in a pool. Now, if I ever build a pool, you can bet your bottom dollar that it'll have an ultra shallow section in it. These areas are fantastic for children to play in. And for the adults, its a great place to lounge while cooling off. Anyway, we had a great time at the pool, splashing and playing, but with our toes turning into prunes it was time to turn in.
So one thing I forgot to mention about our hotel room, is that it didn't have a bath tub. Now with a 5 month old baby, having just a shower proved to be a new challenge. We never showered her before, just baths. We did bring an inflatable baby bath tub, but with no down spout in the shower, it was difficult to bathe and rinse her off. In the end, we ditched the inflatable tub and tried our luck with the shower. Although holding a soapy baby was difficult, we made it work and at least got all the important parts cleans. After we all showered. It was just about dinner time. We ordered take out from our favorite little Mexican cafe in Springdale, Oscar's Cafe, and planned to stop in to our favorite bakery for some bumble berry pie. The cafe and bakery were just a short 10 minute walk up the road, and the weather was beautiful so we decided to take walk there. I strapped Rose into her carrier and we were off. Right before leaving we saw some clouds in the distance so I decided to grab an umbrella. Luckily I did because right before arriving at the bakery it started to drizzle. By the time we got our pie and were ready to head out, maybe 10 minutes at the most, that drizzle had turned into a down-pour. With no signs of it passing we hurried across the street to Oscar's. While waiting for our food, the storm only worsened. It now included thunder and lightning, and everyone's phone were spewing out flash flood warnings. At this point there was no way I having The Mrs. and Rose walk back to the hotel. So I had them wait there while I ran back to get the car. After running in the rain I finally made it back to the hotel. I grabbed the keys and the car seat and was off to pick up my girls. The good weather we had when we first left was a thing of the pass and a full blown storm was here for the night. Luckily we drive a 4Runner because with all the rain came a good amount of water running down the roads. I pulled up to Oscar's, got the girls in the car and back to the hotel safely. Whew, we've only been in Springdale for less than 8 hours and what an adventure we were having already. For the Mrs. and I, this was only the beginning. When we got back to the room. I fed Rose her last bottle and got her ready for bed. As we turned down the light leaving just a small lamp on, The Mrs. and I quickly realized that we'd be eating our dinner in the dark. And that's what we did. No light, no TV, just good food, great company, and whispers to each other. It was fantastic and it'll be a memory that I cherish for years to come. After dinner we tried to watch a movie on my little iPhone screen, but we were just too tired to finish. The Mrs. didn't even make it past the opening scene.
The next day, Rose woke up right on cue. Well, sort of. It would've been the right time except that there's a time difference between Utah and Las Vegas. Any way, we washed up, fed Rose and then headed to the lobby to get some breakfast. As I was getting ready, I stopped for a second as I noticed how her bottles had completely taken over the bathroom sink. This was a new sight for me on vacation. I chuckled to myself and just took it all in. Once in the lobby, we were greeted by a nice breakfast buffet area. We grabbed our food, sat down and tried to plan out the day. What hike were we going on? Would we check out now or later? Can we get a late checkout? Once we hammered everything out, we headed back to the room and grabbed our gear and set off for a hike. Our plan was to get a hike in, then shower, feed Rose, and pump before checking out. We would hang around in Springdale after that. After getting in the park we parked and took the shuttle to the head of our trail. This would be the first time we went on a hike since our Havasupai backpacking trip right after finding out The Mrs. was pregnant. We were excited! The weather had cleared up overnight and it was gorgeous. Rose was happy too to see the beauty that Zion had to offer. Half way into the hike Rose had dozed off and it was right about then that I realized hiking with a baby carrier on is a bit more difficult than i expected. It didn't't matter to me though, I was in Zion with my two ladies. Life was good. We enjoyed our hike and spent some time just hanging around Sprindale before hitting the road again. The drive back was just as smooth as the drive in. Our first family trip was in the books and it was a MAJOR success. I love my little family and can't wait for the many more adventures to come.
Tips & Lessons Learned: - When traveling with an infant, try to book a room with a bath tub. - If at all possible, try to get a one bedroom suite. That way you won't have to eat in the dark and can spend some quality time with your spouse. - If you can see clouds, ALWAYS grab an umbrella. - Use sunscreen and hats when hiking. - Keep yourself and your baby hydrated and cool. - Get into the park early, so you can find parking. - Don't sweat the little things. - Embrace the beauty of your life. - Have fun and enjoy the adventure.
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