Fremont, Bryce, Cedar

 It was a fun week! 

I went camping with my parents, brother, and nephews at Fremont Indian State Park. I had never been there before, and I really enjoyed it. State parks are well kept in Utah. Most of our attractions in the state are sandstone or other sedimentary rocks, but Fremont Indian is largely volcanic. It's nice to see extrusive igneous rocks for a change. 

On Monday, we drove down to Bryce Canyon. The last time I was there was in 2013 with my geology class. We hiked down from Sunset Point to Sunrise Point. 

 It was spectacular but busy. It was warmer than I would have liked, but I ran in the heat every day last summer, so it wasn't too bad. My California nephews didn't love it, however. 

That evening, I enjoyed running on trails near our campsite. (There were coin-operated showers, so I didn't have to remain sweaty.) I came across a Fremont sheep shelter, which had a mirror where you could see the rock art tucked under the alcove.

There was also a viewpoint of Paiute blanket art across the road. A baby was buried there, so the mother came back and painted a blanket for it.

The next day we went to Cedar Breaks National Monument before visiting my aunt and uncle in Cedar City. Cedar Breaks has similar topography to Bryce, except it also has lush alpine settings. I don't think it's worth a special trip, but if you're in the area anyway, it's a fun place to check out. 

Since we were in another part of the state at a higher elevation, we avoided the 107-degree day in Salt Lake. But part of me feels like I missed out, even though I hate heat.

That evening, I ran to the Cave of a Hundred Hands, which had Fremont handprints. Fascinating! But there has been some graffiti on or near them. I have little patience or tolerance for people who do that. If they want to deface something, they should deface themselves.

Then the next day, we saw a little more rock art before we packed up the trailer to leave.

 My nephews and brother rode with my dad in the new truck, which pulled the trailer, while I rode home with my mom in the Suburban. (The whole purpose of the truck is to tow the trailer.) I wanted to stop at Cove Fort on our way home. The last time I stopped there was with my late grandparents back in 2004. My grandmother had even lived there for a time when it was owned by her uncle, since her father was not a good person.

We also got lunch in Fillmore.

When I got home that day, Jimmy jumped up on my bed! Guys, this is a big deal! It was the first time he jumped on my bed in three months, even though it used to be a regular occurrence. It's like he forgot he could do it, or he was afraid to do it after he hurt his leg a few months ago. But he just needed that one boost of confidence: he has been jumping on my bed and my chair frequently now, just like old times. 

Whenever I come back from a trip, Jimmy likes to use my suitcase as a bed.

June is one of those months when I don't have time to do everything I want to. I spent two nights picking cherries from my sister's tree. But we waited too long, and the worms have already spoiled a great number of them. So I won't have as big of a stash of frozen cherries this year. Oh well. 

I am looking forward to more fun June adventures!