Weekend Family Getaway to Sedona Arizona - Day 2

Day 2 in Sedona. A nice  relaxing morning in our cabin, drinking coffee outside near the fountain.

Our first stop was to the Palatki Heritage Site to visit the Palatki Ruins and Petroglyphs. This was by far the highlight of our trip. Both the ruins and the Petroglyphs were short structured tours with a docent explaining the history and meaning of what we were seeing. I'm not sure that Grady got much out of the history lesson, but Gracie absorbed it all and was full of questions. Both kids enjoyed the scavenger hunt that we were given at the registration desk.

After visiting we headed back in to town for lunch and some Christmas and touristy shopping. We lucked into live music at the Tlaquepaque International Day of Peace which was perfect for the boys while the girls shopped for jewelry.

The next stop was an offroad jeep tour with "A Day in the West." Tim did his research for this activity by watching numerous youtube videos of all the companies, and comparing reviews and groupon deals. We were quite happy with this tour, and the driver. I've said this before, but I've become such a scaredy cat since I had a baby; heights, bumps, deep water, and fast speeds all terrify me. At times this ride was fast and steep, but we had seat belts and the kids whooped and hollered and had too much fun. Their ear to ear smiles made it all worth while.

The jeep tour picks you up and drops you off on the main downtown strip, which makes it easy for shopping and restaurants and minimal walking. Parking can be difficult with the traffic, but the jeep tour has a parking lot in the back if you ask. 

After dinner we headed back to Phoenix and to the airport for our flight home. Amazing 2 day kid friendly weekend adventure getaway for the family, and we will definitely be back for more!

Have you been to Sedona? What's your favorite thing to do with the kids?

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 8 - Manitou Springs

July 5, 2014

Day 8 of the great family road trip from Dallas/Fort Worth through Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado began in Colorado Springs. We spent the previous evening hiking Garden of the Gods and listening to the sounds of nearby fireworks reverberating off the stones. We did manage to see some fireworks from the top of the park, but it was quite crowded and the kids were ready for the hotel.

First stop over to Manitou Springs to the Penny Arcade. I didn't think it'd be nearly as fun, or as crowded as it turned out to be. Everyone had a great time here, and the arcade didn't break the bank. Also, Grady miraculously got over his fear of the moving rides, and "drove" quite a few vehicles.

We window shopped and had lunch and a great afternoon. I could have spent a lot longer, and a lot more money here!

Our last hurrah, before heading back home to Texas was at The Airplane Restaurant. I didn't get any decent pictures of the inside, but yes, you actually sit in booths inside the airplane, and the kids can play in the cockpit while you wait for the food.

That's it. The end of the great New Mexico Colorado family road trip. Next Stop... home!

What's your favorite thing to do in the Colorado Springs area? Have you done a road trip similar to this one before?

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 3 - Santa Fe New Mexico and Camping Red River

After our mountain top excursion on NM/CO Road Trip Day 2 to the top of Sandia Peak we headed to Santa Fe. 

I love me a quaint little historic town full of shops and souvenirs just calling my name “buy me! BUY ME!”, and Santa Fe did not disappoint.

I didn't take a lot of pictures of the town. I guess I was too busy walking in and out of the stores buying tchotchkes for the house. The sky was bright and clear and the sun was beating down on us with tremendous heat, so the stores offered a much needed therapeutic break.

Walking around town the kids literally stopped to smell the roses, eh dandelions? 

Santa Fe has so much to offer for someone wanting to absorb the culture and learn the history, and unfortunately we only had a couple hours scheduled. 

One must-see stop though, is The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. 

This church is right at the end of one of the main roads of shops and would be a shame to miss. It's beautiful inside and upon entering you immediately feel the history and get that hold-your-breath stop-time feeling when you know you need to just stop and absorb everything around you. The original church was built on this site in 1610! According to the church website, 

"The only part of this church still existing is the small adobe chapel dedicated to Our Lady La Conquistadora. Brought from Spain in 1625, the statue is the oldest representation of the Virgin Mary in the United States. "

I will say, that I was impressed at how the children behaved in the church. Grady was (for the most part) quiet and behaved. Gracelyn understood the significance and took time alone to pray.

After church we were walking through the La Fonda Hotel shops, and the kids spotted a couch in the lobby, and flopped down. 

It was at this point that we decided to head to our next destination on the family road trip. After all, successful family road trips rely on driving while the kids are quiet and restful!

We camped that night at Fawn Lakes Campground on the north side of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in Santa Fe.

The campground is on the main road, which does have the potential to be loud, however we lucked out and got a perfect campsite in the very back, next to a stream, with nothing but the sound of rushing creek water. We were also near the bathroom which was quite clean (considering).

I will say the sound of rushing water was soothing and yet made me frequently want to get up and use the restroom, however, the air was so cold outside the tent that I chose to suffer in silence all night. Hopefully next time we camp here, it's not so cold at night! And I do hope to camp here again soon.

And that's it for Day 3. Here's our roadmap for the day.

Tomorrow we're headed to Breckenridge Colorado!