The Toadstools

After Horseshoe Bend, we stopped to eat a picnic lunch outside a little dinosaur museum.  There have been many dinosaur bones found in the area and the museum had a mural of all the local dinosaurs.  It was pretty neat.



A section of the mural

Some of the bones found, there are toothmarks from a Tyrannosaur (predecessor to the T-Rex).   

Zuri studying her "map" so she knows where to go next.  The "map" was a replica of the mural, but it was hilarious to watch her figure out her way with her map!

Our next stop was the Toadstools at the Grand Staircase--Escalante National Monument.  Amanda and Tyler didn't come with us--they went back to their hotel to put Jaxson down for a nap, so we were a smaller group for the toadstools.



The hike.  The trail basically followed a dry riverbed.  The view (above) is taken from the toadstool looking back on where hiked.

The toadstool!



This cavern area is behind the toadstool.  It was really cool, when you are near, your voice echoes.  The kids had fun with that one...and trying to find lizards, which is what they are doing in the picture below.



Just a really cool boulder.

Another toadstool.  We took a break and rested for a short time in the shade of this toadstool.  Even though it wasn't extremely hot, the constant sun and lack of shade throughout the hike made it seem a lot hotter.

Defying gravity.

I just love the laying of the red and white rock!





Toward the end of our last stop on the hike, the kids were all getting really tired and whiny.  I think it would have been fun to continue on, but the kids were hot, tired, and done.  The picture below was an attempt to get a group shot (several pictures were taken, but none really turned out--upset kids).