Travel

A couple of weekends ago, the boys and I headed down to Kanab to visit my brother and his family, while Nick was on a work trip in Texas. The boys love love being around their cousins, and we don’t get to see them much, so it was such a fun trip!

Also, can we all agree that southern Utah is the most magical and beautiful area on the planet?

We started our visit with a quick hike to the “K” on the mountain. I love how there are so many little trails all around Kanab, they are so accessible and fun. The kids loved getting to run around and not have their legs crammed in a car seat.

The next day we visited the Pink Coral Sand Dunes and holy cow, this place was gorgeous. We walked over the hill to see the sand dunes, and it literally took my breath away. We all took turns running down the first hill, and it was just so fun and freeing. We all got covered in sand, and had sand falling out of our clothes for the next two days, which was pretty funny. For sure, that was Charlie’s favorite stop of our whole weekend! It was like one giant sandbox to play in and explore.

We followed the sand dunes with a visit to the Kanab bakery, where they have all sorts of yummy French treats. A pool trip followed, which Jay loved! He was so giddy and silly and excited to be in the water. It’s been so long since we’ve taken him swimming.

In the evening we had a delicious bbq with homemade burgers and then roasted marshmallows for s’mores in their backyard with the most gorgeous views of red rocks, and canyons.

On our final day in Kanab, we went on a hike to some dinosaur footprints, also just at the edge of town. Jay’s mind was totally blown, he’s been talking about them ever since. The hike was a solid two miles, and Jay’s legs were getting so tired (Charlie was in my baby carrier). But he did good, with the help of a couple uncle Taylor shoulder rides, haha.

It was the best weekend, and completely refreshing. We loved the good family time, the outdoors, and hearing the kids laugh and play. I have the best memories with my cousins growing up, and I’m so happy my kids are getting to have those special friendships too.

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Waterton is a national park in Alberta Canada. If you’ve been to Glacier National Park in the U.S. it’s just North of that, and is so much more beautiful! In my opinion. My parents grew up in Alberta, Canada so we still have lots of family in the area. All growing up we visited Waterton and have so many sweet memories there. Now a bunch of my cousins work up there, and my two younger siblings even did too for a month this summer. Because it’s Canada’s 150th anniversary, and all the National Parks are free, I thought this would be the perfect time to make a city guide about Waterton. I quizzed my cousins and family for all of the best recommendations, so here they are..

Best Hikes: 

Bears Hump-if you’re looking for a super quick hike (but still a good workout), this one is fun and the trailhead is right by the visitors center, so you don’t need to go far! (1.7 mi)

Wall Lake-this is one of the easier hikes in Waterton, but the views are stunning. (7mi)

Bertha Lake-a moderate hike that takes you to the beautiful Bertha Lake. You pass some neat falls on the way up too. (7.1 mi)

Crypt Lake-a challenging and adventurous hike, but the scenery is well worth it. It can only be done by taking a ferry across the lake, so plan accordingly. (full-day hike, 10.7 mi)

Akamina Ridge-a hike that follows the British Columbia/Alberta border line! One of the hardest hikes in Waterton, involves scrambling for part of it, and is really high-adventure. (full-day hike, 13.7 mi)

Carthew-Alderson-one of the most popular and scenic hikes in Waterton. You pass five beautiful lakes and have stunning views! (full-day hike, 11.1 mi)

**If you complete Crypt Lake, Akamina Ridge, and Carthew-Alderson you get something called the “Triple Crown,” an award given out by a little cafe in town called, Pearl’s. They are three local favorite hikes!**

Best Restaurants:

49 Degrees North Pizza-yummy pizza and friendly staff

Weiner’s of Waterton-Gourmet hot dogs with tasty sauces, get everything on it!

Lakeside Chophouse-for a finer dining experience, this is a great option. They serve International fare and have *gorgeous* views.

Big Scoop-an ice cream shop thats been around forever. And my family has been going there for years! The scoops are huge–true to its name–and so amazing.

Best non-hiking activities:

Red Rock Canyon-this is one of my all-time favorite places in Waterton. Its a bunch of beautiful red rocks that are natural waterslides. We used to come here every summer growing up. Wear your swimsuit and have fun cooling off.

Horse Back Riding-beautiful views and a fun activity.

Waterton Shoreline Cruise-a quick cruise that takes you through Upper Waterton Lake and to a short hike to Goats Haunt. Beautiful views as well as educational.

Rock climbing-there is some rock climbing, but lots of scrambling to be done here!

Kayaking/Canoeing/Paddle Boarding-across the lakes, there are rentals in the townsite.

Biking-you can rent single bikes, tandem bikes, or you can rent little group bikes with little shade tents over them, called surreys. They seat three people on the main seat, and you can fit two small children up front. We rented them a lot growing up, they are so fun!

Cameron Falls-you can drive right up to the falls. They are beautiful and it makes for a good photo-op.

 

Now hurry up there before the weather gets too cold!

 

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