We went Camping with Dinosaurs

We have been wanting to go to Dinosaur National Monument since we moved over here to Colorado and our upstairs neighbors Davis and Anna happened to have the same desire.  After our fall plans to visit didn't work out we planned to go in the spring.  Then they moved to Salt Lake City.  But Dinosaur happens to be somewhere in the middle between us (although much closer to Salt Lake, but who's measuring) so, we met up there and had a camping reunion.  Including Anna's sister Sarah and our mutual friend Eric.

 We pulled off the highway to be welcomed to Dinosaur properly.

 

Or first dinosaur sighting. He was very kind to pose for a photo with us.

 I can see why that dinosaur was hanging out there, he had a lovely view of the park.

 Viola showed him some of her ballet moves, he was very impressed.

 At the visitors center we had a picnic with our friends then loaded up on a trolley and headed to see the bones.

  The wall of bones.

They have built a nice building around them so that you can enjoy them without being scorched by the desert sun. 

 And you get to touch them!

  Viola became a Junior Park Ranger and took her swearing in very seriously.  I asked her about it later and she said "I was so proud."

 A real ranger badge, very cool.

 Then she and Papa used a tape measure to see how long the dinosaurs that have been found here were.  This is an Allosaurus.

 This one is a Camarasaurus (long neck).  I think it was 82 feet long.

 The rest of the gang in the balcony.

 Allosaurus skull.  Viola really likes dinosaurs that eat other dinosaurs.

 Sarah was Viola's buddy on our fossil discovery hike.  Thank you Sarah!

 Beautiful desert flowers.

 We've missed these guys.

 Viola wanted us all to feel this "dinosaur skin"

 Can you see the vertebra.

 Family photo

 This rock may or may not have had fish scales on it.

 Some petroglyphs.

 And look and this colorful rock.

 On to the campsite.  Click on photo to enlarge and see the lovely spot we were in better.

 After a delicious hobo packet dinner prepared by Davis and Anna we commenced the s'more eating.

 Viola was quite pleased with the idea of s'mores.

 Cookies, chocolate and melty marshmallows, what's not to love.

 Stretchy marshmallow, yummmmmm!

 The whole gang in s'more mode.

 Photo taking mode.

 Then all of the big kids climbed to the top of this big rock, excluding me.  I had to watch the little kids and protect the food from the "aggressive" ground squirrels.

 Charlie has missed Anna.

 But it was just like they had never been apart.

 The breakfast fire proved a bit tricky since all of the wood was wet from our over night rain.  Eric was also a bit damp from the rain since he chose to sleep under the stars.

 Viola found a seven shaped stick.

 Charlie got some Sarah cuddles, it was a bit chilly.

 Camera attack in the Ware tent!

 Davis got out of "bed" to fry up some bacon campfire style.  Thanks Davis.  I think he ate half of it.

 One of those pesky ground squirrels.

 Eric took Viola on a long explore.  Or did Viola take Eric?

 We packed up camp and headed to Echo Park Overlook.  We would have liked to go to Echo Park but it requires a high clearance vehicle for the 12 mile dirt road (pictured below).  So we just settled for overlooking it.

 The dirt road that the family truck-ster could not handle.

 It was a bit chilly and windy at the overlook where we had planned to picnic so we just took some photos and moved along.

 It was a very nice view, worth the extra hour in the backseat squashed between the two carseats, actually Brian took a short turn in the back on the way out of the park.  That was nice!

 The final stop on our dino-cation was the Bedrock Depot in Dinosaur, Colorado for homemade ice cream.  If you can believe it this was Viola's first real ice cream cone.  She was definitely a fan.

 Good times with good friends.  And the dinosaurs of course.