Maxfield Thanksgiving Weekend- St. George, UT

Jacob, Kate, Zachary, and Gabe in Zions National Park
What's better than rocks and a stream?

It is kind of an unspoken Maxfield tradition that Thanksgiving dinner is eaten Wednesday night
and then the clan meets someplace
where jeeping or hiking can be enjoyed by all.
This year the destination was St. George, UT.
We decided to meet everyone there this year, since 7 hours it a lot less than 12.
We had a wonderful time being with family and  enjoying the beauty around us.
We ate lots of yummy food, including a family dinner at The Cracker Barrel,
Where Maxfields were spotted throughout the whole restaurant.
(The only time I have ever eaten at Cracker Barrel was with a Maxfield male present.)
We swam at the hotel pool.
Played with cousins.
Hiked and picniced in Zions.
Andy of course enjoyed a little golfing with Summer, Gary, and Ben.

He even found a fun and beautiful mini course in the middle of the red desert for the rest of us amateurs to enjoy.
The highlight for me was waking up early Saturday morning and hiking up to Angels Landing with Summer and Maureen in the freezing temps.

Summer and Christin beginning the trek to Angels Landing

Or I should say attempted too.
Summer and I had both read "Undaunted" and had read about this hike.
It sounded pretty scary in pioneer times, but I was sure they had made it safer since then.
Andy and I took Summer on the trail in a stroller in a years past on another
Maxfield Thanksgiving excursion.
We made it to the chains and then came back down.
The hike was exhilerating and the view spectacular.
Let me tell you exercising is so much better in the cold, than in the heat.
For a short moment I had flashbacks of running in the snow.
I knew that at parts we would be holding to the side of the cliff with chains,
and be just a few feet from the edge where we could easily fall a thousand feet if we weren't careful.
I was fine with that as long as I could look at the rock face and not down.

Maureen and Summer
The end of Angels Landing for the 3 of us.
You can see the top in the background.

However, when we got to the little bridge part where you walk across , chains on just one side of you.
No cliffs to stare at.
Just you walking across a four foot wide expanse of rock.
Being able to see down on both sides.
Wasn't going to happen for me.
Summer made it across.
Maureen didn't feel good about it either.
The older I get the more my mind plays with me.
We were so close, but when I saw how vertical the rest of the way was,
and that the only way to make it to the top was to hold on to dear life of a chain.
I knew it wasn't for me.
You really can't see how high up or difficult it is, until you experience it.
Even way down from the road it doesn't look that bad.
And I couldn't really envision it just by reading about it.
But I saw the top of that beautiful cliff.
Someday I know Summer will do it.
She wasn't comfortable going solo and I wasn't keen on it either.
Lots of other people venture up to the top.
And the pros told us on their way back down that we hadn't hit the worst.
For me, this cliff will be a place where I imagine that only Angels can land on.
(or those who have no sense of fear)
I would still hike it again.
And still stop in the same spot and take in the amazing view and be in awe of those who make it to the top.
I definitely want to be there to see Summer up there with the Angels.

All in all- wonderful trip.
Too short though,
There are so many Maxfields, that a weekend trip only allows a short conversation with each one.
The good news-
Con and Kathe bought a winter home in St. George.
We are so excited to make that less than 7 hour trip again and be able to see them soon.
We love the Maxfield Thanksgiving tradition!