Enchanted Rock State Park

We tackled Enchanted Rock on Thursday. Although the sign indicated that the climb could take up to 45 minutes, we made it to the top in about 15-20, and that included many stops along the way to take pictures and let Kris play around. It really wasn't all that bad - the steady incline was a great workout for my sorely under used muscles and the view was great. The only bad part was the hideous sunburn that I ended up with later that afternoon. Like a moron, the morning chill in the air convinced me that I didn't need to apply sunscreen. You would think that I would've learned that lesson by now... apparently not. Anyway, here's some pictures of the Rock...

Jen checking out the sign leading to the Rock. 45 minutes, huh? Is this pregnant, pathetic excuse for a body going to make it, or is Kris going to piggyback me up the rock?

Kris playing around: Take 1.

Trying to keep my hat from blowing away - it was pretty windy up there.

At the top after scrambling around after my hat.

White girl (not for long) checking out the view.

Kris playing around: Take 2.

Kris playing around: Take 3.

He's now decided that he wants to jump from one large boulder to the next even though (or maybe because) the crowd of people in the area were working hard to convince their teenage sons NOT to jump.

There he goes...

... and he makes it (barely)!

Now, how do I get down?

Kris playing around: Take 4

Pretending to climb the boulder he just jumped across.

All in all, it was a good day and we had fun. We ended up spending about 3 hours on the Rock, then headed back to the B&B for a swim in the grotto pool and a little sunbathing on the deck before our afternoon massages.

I think that's when the problem started. Yes, I shouldn't have gone out without sunscreen. Yes, I shouldn't have laid out in the sun after the swim. But I think the real problem most likely started with the massage. I didn't think about how the massage oil would affect my already sunburnt skin. Well, I should have. As it turns out, oil is NOT the best thing to put on sunburnt skin. In fact, its about the worst thing you could do. As the massage therapist rubbed oil into my skin, it sealed in the heat causing deeper and deeper burns. I kept commenting to Kris all that night that my meat was cooking... and although it probably wasn't as bad as that, it sure felt like it. I couldn't walk for about a day and a half afterwards (good thing I decided to fry myself at the end of our trip, and not the beginning).

So, a word to the wise (or at least, the other morons like me): take sunscreen AND USE IT. The times you really need it are the times when you think you don't.