Field Trip to Zion

The fifth grade teachers won the field trip lottery!  They got funding, not only to take the kids to Zion for a ranger-led field trip, but they got busses to take them!  That is amazing because the gas prices keep going up and the School District has become pretty strict about field trip gas allotment.

I signed up to go along as a chaperone (Ethan actually signed me up at SEPs) so I was all set to go.  I made myself a lunch, filled our camel backs with water, ran to Subway to get Ethan a seafood sensation (but the seafood was frozen, ugh!, so he got a ham and pickle sandwich) and then met up with everyone in time to get on the bus.  Ethan wasn't really excited about the 90 minute bus ride to Zion because it was LOUD!  I had forgotten how loud bus trips could be when the girls are singing and the boys are spraying water out the open bus windows so they can watch it whip back in the bus a few windows back and soak the people on the seat.  (Actually, that was funny because I remember doing it but those getting soaked weren't as humored as the boys were.)

There was road construction we had to wait in also so it was a long bus ride.  But when we got to Zions, they split the classes into 4 groups with a ranger ahead of each group.  The rangers asked how many were there for the first time and I was surprised that so many kids hadn't ever been to Zions before.  I was glad they were able to go.  We all went a different direction and the ranger basically taught the entire 5th grade geology core curriculum in 4 hours.  It was great.  The kids got to play erosion games, got to go hiking (which I am proud to report was a highlight for Ethan and he was one of the few who didn't complain at all), ate lunch on the trail and saw some cool scenery.  I love Zions because it is so beautiful.

Ethan kept telling his friends how much he loves nature and being outside.  He told them the only thing that would make the field trip better would be if they were camping too.  Not many of them shared that thought but they did well.

I didn't know that electronics were not to be taken on the field trip so I sent Ethan with the camera.  His teacher said it was okay so he spent the day taking pictures.  It was funny because it got everyone's minds off of the hike because they were all trying to find the "perfect picture" for Ethan to take.  I kept hearing "Ethan, take a picture of this!"  It was fun to watch.

The bus ride back was just as long and noisy.  Ethan sat with his friends on the way back, which I was glad of, and had a lot of fun.  I napped, hahaha!  We got back late and I was the carpool driver home so Courtney and the other boy had to wait about 15 minutes but they were fine.

Great field trip!!

Here are just a few photos.  Ethan took hundreds.

Under the waterfall at the Upper Emerald Pools;

 The front of the water fall:

 A blue tailed striped lizard:

 A cool shot of the river:

 Some peaks:

 Ethan on the bus:

 Ethan at the water fall getting cooled off: