Weekend Family Getaway to Sedona Arizona - Day 1

Day 1 started out at 7am in Phoenix, after arriving at midnight. 

We had breakfast at Seed Café (read about the Sedona restaurants here) and headed straight to Montezuma Castle outside Sedona.

Montezuma Castle has a nice little hiking trail to see the cliff dwellings, and a small indoor museum with artifacts and historical information about the Sanaqua (pronounced Sanawa) people who lived here. Sanaqua means "without water" and I love that kids are learning these things.

Advice from a Cliff Dwelling 1. Find Your Niche 2. Be Constructive 3. Stick Together 4. Rise to the Occasion 5. Stay Close to the Earth 6. Build Upon Strong Foundations 7. Don't Go Down in Ruins

We spent a long time in their gift shop. I'm such a sucker for souvenirs.
After Montezuma Castle, we drove through Sedona, ate lunch, and stopped a couple hiking trails along the road. The main hike we did was the Cathedral Hike; The scenery was amazing. We hiked down to the river, and then turned and headed back. Poor Tim could have hiked this trail all day, but the kids (and ok, me too) were hot and hungry and ready for a little rest. 

Next stop, Chapel of the Holy Cross, built right into the rocks. This place was serene and beautiful, but the courtyard scared me. I'd say it's plenty safe, with a stone bench outlining the perimeter, but I'm already nervous of heights, and having a 2 year old running around, and climbing on the ledge just about did me in. If only I was less afraid of heights, and Grady was more afraid...

 

I love little touches like these signs.

"Please don't pick us [flowers], we're smiling at God."

 



 

"And He shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all ways."

 

 

One thing I absolutely love about this vacation spot is the plethora of activities within short proximity to the downtown area with shopping and restaurants. This meant that we could hike, stop and let the kids rest in air conditioning (eat, drink, be merry), and then take off on another adventure. And we did very little driving in between.  

After dinner we headed to our hotel fairly early, so that we could relax and swim. Swimming is one of the best free vacation activities! We stayed at the Sedona Pines Resort in what was called a one bedroom cabin, but looked like a brand new manufactured home. So clean and so cute. We loved it. It almost felt like we could hitch it to the back of our car and take it home with us!
  The pool at the Sedona Pines Resort was huge, and mostly shallow which allowed for a lot of easy playing. And it was my first time in a salt water pool without chlorine; It felt good and clean. The best part of swimming were the bats. There were bats everywhere and 3 swarming around the top of the pool. At first Gracie was nervous, but then it was just too funny. Once or twice the bats dropped onto the surface of the pool to eat a June bug. It was so fast that if you were not watching them, you seriously would not have seen it happen.

We'll definitely be back to Sedona for more hiking, and maybe even camping.

What's your favorite trail in the Sedona area for family friendly hiking?

New Mexico / Colorado Road Trip Day 5 - Breckenridge, Trail Ridge Road, Estes park

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July 2, 2014

Day 5 of the great family road trip from Dallas/Fort Worth through Amarillo, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe and into Colorado, begins in Breckenridge.

After getting into the hotel last night, everyone was wiped out and needing a shower, still slightly covered in sand from visiting the Great Sand Dunes National Park earlier in the day. This meant immediately donning swimsuits and visiting the indoor pool. After that Tim was gracious enough to go and pick up food for us at a nearby restaurant, while we took turns showering. Thankfully the kids crashed pretty early and easily.

In the morning we headed straight to downtown Breckenridge to have breakfast at an old favorite, the Columbine Cafe. Tim loves their smoked trout and eggs and I'm a big fan of their homemade corned beef hash. This place is always busy, with winter skiers and summer tourists, and this day was no less busy.

We shopped around town quite a bit buying souvenirs, including a music cd entitled Bear Tunes for Kids, which turned out to be perfect for driving through the mountains over the next couple days. This is a must music cd for kids! Here's a link to Amazon's mp3 downloads, so that you can purchase immediately or least listen and preview:

Gracie's favorite song is "I can't wait, to hibernate", and Grady and Tim are still, months later, still singing "The Backpack Tree."

There are other CD's in the collection that I fully intend to purchase:

   and  

While shopping in Breckenridge we had a great surprise... the Budweiser Clydesdales were in town!

It was tough to break the kids away from the horses, but we had more planned for the day. 

Next stop, Rocky Mountain National Park via the Trail Ridge Road.

Within minutes, of the park, Tim saw a herd of elk on a field to the left of us, so we pulled over with a dozen other cars and walked across the street. It was then that we realized why everyone was whispering and moving slowly. A lone moose was standing a few feet in front of us drinking from a stream. We watched the moose for a while until she (he?) layed down to nap under a tree.

Gracie was screeching in excitement. Once we were back in the car she had her journal open was immediately writing an "essay" about her vacation to start discussing all the things she'd seen on vacation. We had to keep reminding her that although it was admirable to be writing the essay and journaling, the excitement was still ongoing and we were still in the midst of the journey. We didn't want her to miss out on more excitement.



A little ways up the road we stopped, and got out to hike:

 and then got out of the car to play in the snow:

Further up the road we saw spectacular views over the mountains, and even saw quite a few bucks and a few marmots. Perhaps next time we do this drive I'll take more pictures to share. I will say that I'm terrified of heights, and a few points on the road I had to look away and not out the window, but Tim really enjoyed the view.

One of the roadtrip games that we created for Gracie was modeled after the board game of Fact or Crap, which I mentioned in yesterday's post about the Great Sand Dunes National Park. If you're headed to the Rocky Mountain National Park, check out this free printable "Fact or False" sheet. Your kids will have fun stumping the parents, or their siblings, and learn a few facts about the park as well.

FREE PRINTABLE!

At the end of Trail Ridge road we arrived in Estes Park, one of my favorite places every, and the sun was beginning to set. We had 2 options: continue to the campground and set everything up, OR, meander around the main street shops, get dinner, and find a cheap hotel for the night with hot showers. Guess which plan won out...? The hotel option. Sorry Tim. I know he was looking forward to camping, and we had packed the car with all our camping gear and rations, but after driving and sight-seeing all day, we (the kids and I) were ready for a hot meal and hot shower.

Have you driven Trail Ridge road? Did you see any wildlife?

New Mexico / Colorado Road Trip Day 4 - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Breckenridge Colorado

July 1, 2014

Day 4 of the great family road trip from Dallas/Fort Worth through Amarillo, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe begins in Red River New Mexico to the sound of the wind in the trees, the rushing stream, and the smell of campfire outside the tent. Did I mention the brisk cold cold air, or that it was July 1st?

The kids look amused don't they!? Perhaps a little too cold for them. 

Even tho the air was nippy, it was fresh and intoxicating and I love it and miss it. 

The kids are watching Tim in awe because the water was so cold.

With the cold water, it's not much fun to wash dishes, and I don't have the hang of it down yet. Rinse and scrub and apply special soap to ensure no bacteria. A lot of time that could be spent playing and hiking. Any recommendations for eliminating the dishes and still being green? Biodegradable dishes?

After breakfast and loading the car back up we headed north to Colorado. First stop, Great Sand Dunes National Park.

I had never heard of these Sand Dunes before, but Tim had visited as a child. This place is amazing! I had no idea.... When we packed the car in Texas we tried packing plastic snow sleds, but there just wasn't room, and I had no idea how much I would regret not having them. 

It was a beautiful sunny warm day, and the sand was hot on our feet. We walked across wet sand where there's sometimes a stream to play in, and then walked up one of the sand dunes. The wind was very gusty that day, and I was tired before we even walked up the first dune. Grady and I sat down in the sand to let him play while Tim and Gracie pushed on further. Many people brought sleds or snowboards. I think you can rent sleds at the visitor center but we didn't look to see. 

Grady played with a toy dump truck in the sand. He's always with a Matchbox or Hot Wheels car. 

Someday I want to bring the kids back here, and we'll bring sleds, and maybe even toys to build sand castles in the wet sand. I may even do a few extra squats and lunges before the trip to strengthen my legs for walking uphill in the sand!

One of the roadtrip games that we created for Gracie was modeled after the board game of Fact or Crap (affiliate link). We created these for each city and landmark we visited, by researching facts online. Simple, yet a little time-consuming. If you're headed to the Great Sand Dunes National Park, check out this free printable "Fact or False" sheet. Your kids will have fun stumping the parents, or their siblings, and learn a few facts about the park as well.

FREE PRINTABLE!

After running in the sand dunes, it was time for the kids to nap, and the adults to drive north. Next stop, Breckenridge Colorado!

Have you visited the Great Sand Dunes National Park?