The Sandhill

When my oldest boys were small we started a tradition of stopping at The Sandhill on our trips from Utah to New Mexico to visit my parents. There isn't an official name, I'm sure, but that's just what we call it. Our boys couldn't wait and would ask not how far to Grandma and Grandpa's, but first, how much longer til the sandhill. This big hill of sand is about a mile out of Moab and just past (or before depending on which way you are coming) the entrance to Arches National Park on the opposite side of the highway.

The perspective of this picture doesn't really show how steep it is. (so I'm not a professional...but hopefully you can tell where the incline starts)

The boys and Scott usually climb all the way to the top at least twice before we leave. I think I have only been to the top once or twice. At first because it was too dusty for my contacts and then later because I was usually at the bottom with the littler kids or babies. Anyway, they climb to the top and then run and jump down. Great fun. Also it feels so nice on your barefeet and fun to run your hands in. And quite fascinating to get a dirt clod and rub it until there is a hole in the middle seeing how big the hole gets before it breaks. It is a place not to be missed if you are visiting in the area.

Here are the pictures I took on my trip with the little ones. We climbed to the rock about 1/3 of the way up.

going up . . .

and coming down...