Spring Break in St. George
The idea started as a conversation among friends at church but snowballed into an actual Spring break adventure getaway! The last weekend in April, Bron, Conrad, and I along with five other couples (and two more babies) drove down to St. George, Utah to enjoy the sunshine, climbing, biking, hiking, and shopping. I still feel so lucky we got to do this! It snowed on I-15 as we made our way down, but as I stepped out of the car on Thursday evening underneath a palm tree, it was a balmy 70 degrees. It strangely felt like home. Bron immediately turned to me and asked, "Wanna buy a condo here?" My reaction was immediate, "Yes!" Well, that condo it still to be determined, but we didn't miss a beat jumping into some fun. With the last of the daylight, we all did a little climbing on the red rock.
^^Bryce making his very first lead climb!^^
^^Kelsi + Brecken^^
^^Five month old Conrad chillin' on the red dirt^^
^^Shelly looking awesome up there during twilight!^^
Early Friday morning, I left a sleeping Conrad with Shelly and snuck out of the condo for a mountain bike ride with the guys. It was my first ride in well over a year and the trail, Wire Mesa, didn't disappoint. The views from on top of the mesa were incredible and the trail was just a tad bit more technical than I have the skills for... yet. I totally crashed. Yes, war bruises and scrapes! But give me another two or three stabs at that trail and I think I would conquer it with flying colors. It was an absolute BLAST!!! Oh, there's nothing quite like a mountain biking high. Plus, getting to share this hobby with Bron just feels pretty special.
After a quick cleanup, we headed back out the door to Zion's National Park. I LOVE Zion's. Between its mesmerizing beauty and the many happy memories I've made there over the years, it's definitely one of my favorite places to explore. Naturally, with a group as big as ours, we didn't hike fast and we didn't cover that much territory. We made it to the top of Observation Point and hiked part of the Emerald Pools Trail. And despite the weather being a bit cold, I think we all enjoyed ourselves and had a lot of fun!
^^View from Observation Point^^
^^Windy!!! Still getting all the use we can out of that wrap that feels like a hug.^^
^^Part of our group: resting and taking in the view.^^
^^Ronan (isn't that the coolest name?) taking a lunch break.^^
^^Breck + Nikki. Because they were technically the oldest couple there, Breck earned the nickname, "G-bod" for Grandpa Body. I suppose it's an inside joke.^^
^^Two of my favorite people sharing a sweet moment.^^
^^The cute Rounds family.^^
^^A flower growing out of the rock wall!^^
^^Shelly + Bryce^^
^^Nick + Amy^^
^^Dan, Jodi, and Ronan^^
^^Us! Bron + Jessie + Conrad^^
And that's when I put the camera away and never got it back out again. I think it's just a sign that we were having too much fun.
We ate dinner on Friday night at a Japanese hibachi restaurant where all the food was cooked right in front of us. Conrad's eyes went wide and everything tasted delicious. I can't believe I ate everything on my huge plate!
On Saturday, the guys all went mountain biking again while we women enjoyed a slow morning and then all got pedicures! Spring just calls for pretty toes in sandals, right? Then we followed that up with some lunch at The Habit and shopping where I snagged thee cutest pair of overalls from the Gap; even Bron is okay with them. Yay!
That evening, we met our husbands at the condos for a home cooked meal of fish and steak. Unfortunately, Conrad had reached his limit, so he and I walked back to our room for a nap. He was such a good baby the whole entire trip! After dinner, we went out for the creamiest custard I've ever eaten. I even shared some with Conrad and he cried for more! Yes, it was that good. Then we topped the evening off relaxing in the hot tub.
I'd categorize our trip as a success! In fact, on the drive home, Bron and I schemed about when we'd return. So we'll be back, St. George. The weather and outdoor adventures are calling our names.
Side Note: How amazing are our friends?!? Bron and I really feel so incredibly lucky to be pal-ing around with this group of genuinely good people whom we share so many interests.
That sounds like the best trip! You seriously do have some awesome friends! You're so very lucky! Your pictures are gorgeous. Makes me want to jump up and head south immediately!
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