Goblin Valley

So yesterday I slammed my 4 boys under the age of 8 and my wife into our Minivan and drove 3 and a half hours to Goblin valley... awesome. I especially liked driving through Helper, Ut. The sign says that you can take home a piece of history from Helper... I took home a traffic citation. I hate it when the speed limit changes from 55 to 65 and you get busted for doing 75 3 feet before the change... We all know that had it been 3 feet later you would have been fine... in fact, it probably was 3 feet later, but the fine in a 55 zone is a lot worse than in a 65 zone. Thanks Helper... you've been a real Help-er...


So I hiked around all these great geological formations... Up way too high on some of them. Apparently they were made by ancient tidal movements from the ancient lakes that used to be in this area of the desert. My son says that they're just covered over dinosaurs. He swore that he could see the exact meteorite that destroyed Jurassic Park... He didn't understand when I told him it was the decision to make a 3 part to a bad franchise that shouldn't have had a sequel in the first place that did it. ah, kids...

That kid can out climb just about anyone who has no sense of self-preservation. Mine is lacking as it is, but I find that when you are trying to ensure your progeny doesn't go careening down a phallus shaped dirt clod you tend to be a little more agitated.  Good times had by all. I even got my wife to crawl all over the clever formations.

Bottom line... visit Goblin Valley... fantastic. I'm going to try to get my boys out on some wilderness adventures at least once a month... Not because I enjoy it - and I certainly don't expect them too - but because it was the torture system I grew up on and because I continue to fantasize about a post-apocalyptic future where these experiences will come in handy.