Roadtrip - Day 27

Arches National Park was the most AMAZING place to visit! We started at the visitor center and got the boys excited about becoming Jr. Rangers. Then set off to visit the park. We stopped at each turn out and marveled at the rocks. We had to hold ourselves back from taking so many trails to make sure we had enough time and stamina for the hike to Delicate Arch. We stopped and watched some rock climbers and the boys did their best to climb too (without any gear). We drove through the park and made it to Delicate Arch but by that time we weren't all up for the 3 mile hike in :-( We weren't dressed for the warm weather and the possibility of carrying the boys all the way there and back was very high. So we did the one mile hike to see the arch in the distance. It was still impressive. I guess we are going to have to come back someday! Throughout the park Nate worked on his Jr. Ranger booklet and had an eagle eye out for any trash he could pick up. At the end of the day we stopped back in at the visitor center to turn in the booklets and met with a Ranger. She walked the boys through a few facts she thought they should know and FINALLY had them raise their right hand to promise to take care of the environment and present them with their badges. This badge was Nathaniel's prized possession and he did not let go of it for the next 24 hours. Unfortunately, we stopped at a rest stop and the badge dropped in the toilet. The automatic flush went off before I could grab it (yes, I would have stuck my hand in the toilet, ewww) and the alligator tears instantly flooded the bathroom. Nate was soooo sad. I couldn't blame him. The only way to get him to calm down was to offer to call the park and ask that they would send us a new one. Thankfully, they took our address and said it's in the mail. Here's to hoping they follow through!