UTAH HOT SPRINGS

Utah has so many cool hikes and places to discover. So I decided to get and out discover more.

It was time to visit some of the hot springs that are close by.

 The first stop was a 2.5 mile hike up to Fifth water hot springs. It is located up Diamond Fork canyon near Spanish Fork. There is a fabulous waterfall that greets you as you reach the pools. The pool closest to the waterfall is the warmest and they get cooler the farther you go from them.

There is a parking lot at the bottom and the trail was pretty busy that day. The pools are big enough that groups of people can wade in them at the same time.

 The next spring is Baker Hot Springs in Delta, UT. This one has 3 tubs that are large enough to accommodate several people at once. When we arrived, there was a skinny dipper already in the tub...a risk you take at the hot springs.

 Just like the other other Spring, the tubs have different temperatures and cool as they move farther from the source. The scenery around this one is fabulous.

Meadow Hot Springs was next on the list.

 My friend Rachel and I went with her daughter Claire during Spring Break. It was super crowded and full of people. This spring gets a lot of visitors.

 Meadow has 3 pools to swim in all serrated by short walks. The first one, pictured above, is the deepest and is known to have people dive in it to explore it. This one is the warmest of the three.

 The next pool is a little cooler, but your feet can touch the ground in most places.

I didn't get a picture of the third tub. This one has a cute wooden dock with small fish swimming in the water. It is the coolest of the pools.

 The final hot spring I visited was Mystic Hot Springs in Monroe, UT. There is an entry fee of $16 for adults. There are other fees for camping per person and attending concerts that may be held there throughout the year.

 There are crazy buses and teepees as you drive in to the parking lot. There were almost no other people visiting the day we went because of the overcast weather.

As you walk up to the natural springs, the first spot you see is a giant pool with a small waterfall that can hold a large number of visitors at one time.

As you walk up the hill, there are individual bath tubs you can soak in. 

Like I said, we were the only visitors, so we had our own individual tubs, but you can fit more than one person in a tub.

 You'll spot 3 right away and if you walk to the right, you can find two more that placed right in the rocks.

These springs are so fun and worth the entry fee, in my opinion.

MEXICO-ing DAY 4

Today was a resort day.

 We adventured around on bicycles. We saw iguanas, raccoons, birds, and a crocodile.

The resort is really in the middle of the Mexican jungle.

 Later in the afternoon, we spent time on the beach

 and in our private pool and hot tub inside our villa.

For dinner, we went on a boat ride around the hotels.

The hotel manager came to Milan and Ivanka tonight and told them have to charge them more for our various excursions. Apparently, they thought I was their daughter and we were 2 kids and 2 adults. *I'm blushing.*

Of course, we took turns driving the boat.

Hasta Mañana.

MEXICO - DAY 2

Mexico day numero dos was filled with a trip to Delphinus in Riviera Maya (a 10 minute drive from our resort in Playa Del Carmen) to swim with dolphins.

 We were able to get in the water with trainers on the side guiding us through the process.

 The dolphins swam around us so we could use to them and vice versa.

We were able to pet,

 get and give kisses,

dance, 

take a try at being a trainer and giving them instructions,

and get a ride from the dolphins.

Dolphins are amazingly smart and beautiful creatures.

MEXICO - DAY 1

After many different trip ideas, my Czech family and I packed our bags to go to Mexico for a week. I wasn't expecting a tropical visit during my stay so I didn't pack any warm clothing and Ivanka lost a few kilos and didn't want to buy new shorts...

 so we had to get creative.

Extra material meant matching headbands!

We loaded up the car and drove 3 hours to the Munich airport

 to catch our non-stop 12 hour flight to Cancun.

 Thank goodness for business class and the reclining beds.

They also served us fancy food.

 We arrived in Mexico late. The first day was spent at the beach getting to know our villa and used to the time difference.

 We stayed at the Bayan Tree Mayakoba resort. It is fabulously fabulous!

 The resort supplied us with bikes to ride if we didn't want to wait for a golf cart to pick us up to take us around.

Today was a good day.

BRYCE CANYON / ZION TRIP

My aunt and uncle from New Hampshire came to visit for a week. My aunt has wanted to go to Bryce Canyon National Park for awhile now, so we loaded up a rental car and drove for some beUTAHful scenery.

There was a stowaway who didn't want to be left at home.

 Our group wasn't full of amazing hikers, but lucky for us, both parks have pullouts that allow you to see amazing hoodoos without much physical effort.

 You will find beautiful red rocks, arches, trees, and fabulous canyons.

 If you "hike the hoodoos" and find medallions hidden throughout the park, you can go to the gift shop to earn a small prize.

 The next morning, we packed up and drove to Zion National Park.

 We stopped at the Thunderbird Restaurant just outside of the park for breakfast. Try the french toast!

 The rain/snow couldn't deter us from enjoying the trip.

There weren't a ton of visitors in the park since it was October. Reports said that Zion had a record number of visitors this year so they were keeping reservations through Thanksgiving. The flora is still fabulous and leaves are amazing colors right now!

The Fall colors are fabulous.

Today (11/11/15) is Veteran's Day. National Parks are free today. If you have one close by, make a stop. You won't regret it.