Salt Lake City was just the first stop on our Family Rafting Trip. I flew in with my OKC grandchildren, after making a big “boo-boo” …arriving at the airport and discovering that United had changed the flight departure half an hour earlier! Of course, we missed that flight and arrived in Salt Lake City hours later than planned! (That makes TWO unnecessary mistakes on my part!)

Lesson #1 – Always double-check with your airline to make sure there are no schedule changes. Bad me!!

Then, we had booked at the Comfort Inn and Suites SLC North. There are two Comfort Inns that are both considered “SLC Airport” Comfort Inns. It took a while to sort out exactly which one we were staying at (thank goodness, I had my cell phone) and get the shuttle to ours in Woods Cross, UT, further from the airport than the other one….

Lesson #2 – Unfortunately, I’ve done this before. With so many Days Inn, Best Western’s, Comfort Inns, double-check exactly which one you are staying at. (It would be nice if I remembered this and didn’t keep repeating the same mistake.)

But, we are here and “ex-Marine”, son-in-law, and other four grandchildren arrive safely around 10:30pm. A huge sigh of relief from me.

We are staying in two rooms – one for girls and one for boys. Hugs, kisses and sleep because our driver is supposed to pick us up at 7:00 am for a 4+ hour drive to Moab. The Comfort Inn and Suites SLC North starts serving breakfast at 6:00 am, and what a self-serve breakfast it is. Make your own waffles, doughnuts, cereal, hard-boiled eggs, coffee, juice, cocoa. Kids are on a “sugar high” which perks everyone up since we got up before 6:00 am.

When our driver doesn’t appear at 7:00 am, I know exactly what happened…sure enough…HE is at the other Comfort Inn waiting for us. Arrives in 15 minutes with a mini-van and we start off.

Anyone with children or grandchildren knows what a four-hour ride is like. First, is the discussion between the six kids who is sitting where and next to whom…then I dispense pills for those who get carsick…then we stop for water…then we stop for pee breaks…then everyone has to change seats because “it’s not fair” that so-and-so got to sit there for most of the trip. And, there is the …”How much longer?” and, “Are we there yet?”…in addition to the sporadic “Grandma, make him/her stop (fill in the blank…talking, looking) to me.” Sound familar?

Finally, Moab…and it’s raining! It never rains in Moab….