The SW Trip

This tour of the southwest was sort of a continuation of our trip in September but also included some different stops and we had Pete with us this time, which was terrific.

I am prone to over-scheduling, so we only spent a day in each place, except for the Grand Canyon. Turned out Google was our friend by over-estimating the travel time by at least a half hour for every drive and as a result, we ended up with some extra time.

It was a great trip. Chilly but in general the weather cooperated with mostly sunny or only partly cloudy days--a treat compared to the snow and rain forecast the week before we left.

The recap:

Day 1
Got up at 4am and the car service arrived at 4:30am to get us to our 7am flight.

It was in the 30s at home but the 80s in Tucson, so we layered up and stripped down to shorts and tees before we left the plane.

We arrived in Tucson and picked up our little Prius to head out to Saguaro National Park. I had bought the kids NP Passports, so they got their first stamps of the trip at the visitor's center and we purchased our America the Beautiful pass which gets us into all the National Parks, Memorials, Forests and Shorelines for a year.

The Saguaro cactus are truly amazing. Some look like people in various positions, some like many-armed sea creatures. The are overwhelmingly tall and there are thousands of them.


A Saguaro (Sa-wa-ro) cactus


another kind of cactus

I found it interesting that at all the parks we went to, and a lot of other places there were signs announcing that you could not bring a loaded weapon. Big problem out west still?

We found dinner and headed to the hotel for the night, very tired from the 3-hour time change.

Day 2
Off to the Grand Canyon via Sedona's Slide Rock State Park. But first a stop at the airport to switch to a 4 wheel drive car and a grocery store to fill our cooler with snacks and lunch stuff. What's a vacation without cheese balls, I ask you?


Red Rock! After all the brown desert, these suddenly rise up red.

At first I was disappointed that a cold front had blown in from the west bringing temps down to the 50s from the 70s of the previous week. I thought it was the weather keeping us from swimming and sliding at the park. THEN I put my foot in the water! Brrrrr. No way would I have gotten in that water no matter how hot out!

We had a great time anyway climbing around on the rocks and I was stunned that no one fell in.

The land was owned by a farmer who routed the river water up to his apple orchard and you can still see the century old irrigation system he ran up the canyon.


Climbing


Hiking back

We got to the Grand Canyon while it was still light out and while we drove around trying to find our lodge (the signage at the park is terrible) we came across a family of deer. I could swear we all took pictures of them, but don't seem to have any now. Very cute and very unconcerned about us. Something more to love about National Parks.

Day 3
Pete and I rose early to watch the sunrise at the rim. Kate and Zack had risen early the last time to see it and decided to take a pass on it this time.

It was lovely but the wind was crazy cold. After the sun came up, we headed back to the room to wake the kids and layer up in everything we had. I was game to try hiking down into the canyon, a big deal for someone as afraid of heights as I am. We wanted to be warm.

Zack got dressed before the rest of us (the one and only time during the trip) and went outside to come across a large elk! He came to get the rest of us and we followed him around the side of our bldg. Again, we kept our distance and he paid us no mind at all.


Elk browsing in the trees.

We tried the Bright Angel trail, reportedly the easiest hike, but the melt off was freezing on the trail and my nerves could only take going down past the second switchback. Aside from the heights, the ice just worked my last bit of courage. Still, it was more than I had ever planned to do before and the rest of the family was disappointed but wanted to stay together.

We also got to see another family of deer heading straight down the side of the canyon. One seemed to look after a woman turning around on one of the trail switchbacks and seemed to wonder why she was going to all that trouble instead of walking right down.

We hiked the rim trail for the rest of the day. The expected snow turned out to be just a flurry and we were definitely over-dressed. We shed our layers as the day progressed.


A short way into the canyon.


Too close to the edge! (Pete tells me it really wasn't)

In the evening, Zack wasn't feeling very well and the kids and Pete watch Space Balls. I had never seen it before and wish I hadn't that night but they loved it. I would have preferred to watch the sunset but I lost track of time.

Day 4
Drove along the Desert Rim of the canyon and climbed the watchtower. It is the nicest view of the canyon in my opinion and much more rugged than the South Rim trail. No place to stay except a seasonal campsite and it is not on the shuttle. Keeps it quiet and it's a nice way to leave the area.

Next stop--Wupatki National Monument. There are many Indian ruins. We stopped to see the main ruins and also a smaller group within the park. Sadly, Zack was not feeling very well and didn't enjoy the hike as much as he would have.


Wupatki

The road from Wupatki leads around to Sunset Crater a volcano that blew up a recent 1000 years ago spreading ash and boulders all over the Wupatki area, 30 miles away. It was a huge event in the lives of the native people and they told stories about it. The ash also helped agriculture in Wupatki.

We didn't realize that the ranger station closed at 5pm, rather than sundown, so we didn't get to walk all of the lava trail--big bummer--but we did get to see a good amount from the smaller trail and the road. The black ash sand is very cool looking. Zack was surprised at how grainy and rough it is. He expected it to be finer.


Sunset Crater


The warning sign at Lenox after our hike

Zack was feeling better and joined us for the climb up Lenox Crater, a much older volcano that gives a good view of Sunset Crater. It was a steep climb but we needed the training (see Carlsbad).

We stayed overnight in Flagstaff. Skipped the observatory program there. Too tired!

Day 5
The Petrified Forest and Painted Desert.

A little petrified wood went a long way for Pete and me, but the kids loved it and wanted to see a lot. We did the trail at the visitor center and then the Long Tree trail. Petrified wood--or maybe just all that fresh air--made us giddy and we joked and laughed all afternoon.


Petrified Forest

The drive out of the park was long and pretty brown and dull. I was thinking to myself "this is the Painted Desert?" but then you go over a hill and there it is. Really lovely after all the dry desert.

I wished we'd had more time to hike the rim trail there, but we were hungry and tired so just looked for a bit and headed on to Albuquerque.


Painted Desert

Day 6
The l o n g b o r i n g road to Roswell. My advice? Skip the "museum" which looks like someones basement collection of clippings and dioramas and just go to the gift shop. The kids were underwhelmed but it's on the way to Carlsbad, so wasn't out of our way and a good place to stop for lunch in the car before we left.


Roswell Museum

On to Carlsbad Caverns through a lot more dusty desert.

We got to the park entrance at 1:58pm and read the sign telling us the natural entrance to the cave closed at 2pm! Up the long winding road that takes you to the visitors center. I gave the ticket guy my best sad brown eyes and he allowed us to try to get into the entrance at 2:10pm. Never hurts to ask!

We were instructed to keep moving at a pace as the clearing ranger was 3 minutes behind us. We clipped along until we passed a family with an audio tour and knew we were no longer the last family on the path.

If you go--DEFINITELY go in the natural entrance if your knees can take the downward grade. Well worth the extra hour heading into the cavern.

When we reached the bottom, we toured the Big Room.

Not sure what's up with Katie in this one.


On the way out of the park, we noticed these palmy looking plants that had big blooms on top. Found out at this exhibit they are a kind of yucca.

Day 7
Up over and through the Lincoln National Forest to White Sands National Monument. Warm but WINDY! We could see the sand spinning up in the wind from the distance.

At White Sands you buy sleds (that you can then sell back for a 3rd of the price you paid) to slide down the dunes. Too fun! Pete finally got his relaxing beach vacation less the water. We all took turns sliding down. The trip back up the dune was difficult, the sand is very fine and your feet sink right down into it.

Unnerving to read the sign showing us what unspent munitions look like and instructing us not to touch them. The park is right next to the White Sands missile testing range.


Katie and Pete sledding

We spent the night in Las Cruces.

Day 8
We had planned this as a travel day back to Albuquerque for our flights home the next day but it turned out to be pretty fun.

It's only 3 hours from Las Cruces to Alb. so we took it easy, sleeping in and heading through Hatch, NM the "Chile Capital of the World!"

Pete enjoyed perusing all the different chile powders, while I was cracking up over the giant at the RV store next door.

The Chile Capital


Am I in Texas? Check out the hat at his feet!

Got to the Explora! Museum in Albuquerque and stopped in before dinner at an adorable Taqueria with great food. Then went to El Patio for the best sopapias with honey.


Making giant bubbles


working on a Rube Goldberg contraption

Day 8
Home.....?

Pete's band was playing in Atlanta this night, so he left us early in the morning to catch a flight there. Our flight had a layover in Salt Lake City. It turned out to be a much longer layover than we expected.

I had some heart palpitations (a minor recurring problem) getting onto the flight. They usually subside within 2 minutes. This time they went on well beyond the planned pull back from the gate. Much to Delta's relief I thought it would be a good idea to disembark.

I have to say that Delta was great. They booked us on a flight for the next morning, got us a room for the night, insisted on having me see the EMS people and gave us toiletries and tees. Naturally, everything was fine with me by the time EMS arrived and as I saw our flight take to the skies along with our luggage.

We took a shuttle to our hotel and were lucky enough to be within walking distance of the Mormon Temple, which we had never seen before. We toured the genealogy building and walked through a museum explaining the history of Temple Square. I had no idea that the temple we see today was built by pioneers who brought the granite down from the surrounding mountains via ox cart. Kate and I both noted that all that granite could have made some nice houses for the settlers but, obviously they had other priorities.


At the Temple

Extra Day 9
Home again! An easy flight (until the bumps on the approach) and the longest ride of my life on Super Shuttle, which decided it would be a good idea to go to from BWI to the National Harbor, then Crystal City via Old Town, then back down the hwy to our house during rush hour. :-P

Good to be home.

Time to plan the next adventure!

Zack's black belt test

Forms and Kicks


Squat Jumps (about 500 of these)


Push ups (about 850 of these)


Sit ups (about 850 of these too)


two-on one sparring, he also did two rounds of one-on-one


one board


two


three


four


Five!

He will get his belt some time in June. Didn't realize what a tough kid he is.

Katie's Teeth

They are getting straighter!

Doctors

January and February were all about doctors.

I needed a breast issue checked out so saw a specialist before Christmas. She wanted an MRI in January, which led to a spot being found, which led to an MRI-led biopsy (ouch). The biopsy turned out to be in the wrong place, so she went in surgically to remove it.

Now our insurance company is questioning the MRI-led biopsy and they want a "letter of medical necessity." Uh....do they think I dropped in for a biopsy on a whim? I only went because my doctor ordered it. Hello? And let me tell you, if I was going to drop that much money just for fun on breast surgery they would be way perkier looking than they are now LOL!

So, two weeks of taking it easy and not lifting anything. That was not very easy. I had no idea just how much lifting I do. Especially when 2 feet of snow falls in VA!

Just over surgery and blizzards, my high school friends Nanci and Lorraine and I were able to find a day that we could all get together. We had a wonderful day shooting the breeze and then a leisurely dinner.

At around 11pm, we headed out to our cars when Nanci said "watch out for that ice." I step over some ice, but hit the next patch and BANG fall backwards and smack my head on the ground. Quite a few minutes laying on the ground and a trip to the ER for a CT scan later, they tell me I'm fine. Three days after that, my own doctor tells me it was definitely a concussion. Ouch--again!

A day in bed, and a week of dizziness and head/neck ache, I am just now feeling back to "normal." And really ready to be done with doctors (and insurance).

However, despite spending a awful lot of money lately to confirm I am fine, I am grateful to be healthy and here.

The year, 2009

A rundown of last year. Not sorry it has ended. Wishing for better times in 2010. The details of the year are mostly included in previous posts.

January
Pete and I went to Cancun! I won the tickets, we took an inexpensive hotel and got a great package of amenities from a hotel that wanted to sell us a timeshare.

February
We attended a big birthday party on LI for my brother, Phil, for his 50th.
Pete was chosen to attend a prestigious leadership program at Yale. On his way home, we all met up in NYC for the weekend.

March
Mostly the normal routine: Skating, Tae Kwon Do, art class, friends, meetings, work, scouts.
We were planning to go on our year-long RV trip around the country, but it was around this time that the economic outlook and business potential for Pete on our return started to look very difficult. We decided to cancel the trip and find other alternatives.

April
Attended more Park Days, which are nice for Zack and me, but really not that interesting for Katie.
The highlight of the month was heading to Boston to join Team Lazy in MS Walk Boston. The team raised lots of money for a great cause ($4,000?) and also had a great time.

May
I worked the WGBH events at PBS Showcase in Baltimore. My parents came up to pick up the kids and bring them back to NC for the week. After the event, I went to NC for a few days. I am now very grateful for that trip because the kids got some good time with my dad. He was undergoing radiation at that time, but was not uncomfortable from it.
Later in the month we headed to Boston to celebrate my in-laws' 50th anniversary. My folks came to this party as well and I'm again grateful we got to see them, although my dad's knee was hurting a lot, he did get to dance with Katie.

June
This moth was pretty chill, with the normal routine. Zack took his last belt test, his next will be his black belt.

July
Zack went to Boy Scout Camp where he had a great time and decided to stick with scouts for another year.
We went to Hershey Park and this time made it a two-day trip. Very worth it, since we had never been to the water park section. We all had a great time and Pete and Zack get some good alone time riding all the scary rides that Katie and I don't do.
Later in the month, the kids and I went to NC to visit G'ma and G'pa. So glad we had this time. Dad's knee was on the mend and radiation was over. He was feeling pretty well and even took the kids to the beach the day before we left. I am glad they have that memory! It was just a few days later that his colon gave out. We would never had expected or guessed when we waved goodbye in the driveway that the rest of the year would take such a terrible turn.

August
A lot of this month was spent in preparation for our planned 5 week trip around the west. Lots of doctor and dentist appointments, laundry, travel book reading, list making and packing.
We also met my brother in NC to celebrate my dad's 75th birthday. This trip had been planned as a surprise before he fell ill but was well-timed as it ended up falling between his operations. I'm glad we were all together.
The last weekend of the month we headed to SF.

September
Spent in San Francisco, down the West Coast on the PCH, Palm desert and, finally the Grand Canyon. Still need to recap the really fine trip we were having as a memory for K&Z. Really will do that soon. Jeannie and Johno joined us in SF and were excellent travel companions.
Talked to mom about every other day and dad, maybe every two-three days. He sounded like himself that first week or so but then was very eager to get off the phone. I remember asking Pete to try to keep him on the phone next time they spoke. I was on my cell with Pete while we were at the Getty Center in LA. I spoke to dad last on 9/16 from Palm Desert before we headed out to Joshua Tree...
9/18 we got the news of dad's death and made the trip back to NC. No words for how this all felt, but the response from my parents' friends was overwhelming and I am so very grateful for all the support and prayers from all my friends and family that held me up--and continues to hold me up.

October
Kind of a blur to tell you the truth. Pete took the kids to Boston for a week and I went back down to NC to lend a hand to mom and also to see and say goodbye to my aunt Gloria. She got her diagnosis of lung cancer in August and was fading rapidly. She had a really good day that day and it was nice to see her in such good spirits and able to chit chat.
Halloween we got together with friends which helped me make it a nice holiday for the kids despite feeling like I was walking through jello the whole month.

November
My least favorite month of any year. I have disliked Thanksgiving since childhood and always anticipate November with dread. This year, it was just another dreadful month since Sept, so I guess that lessened the particular dread for it this year. Maybe.
Pete was on tour with The Jet Age for most of the month. His last out of town gig of the tour was in Durham, NC, so the kids and I stopped in with mom for a few days, then met up with Pete in Durham. The club allowed the kids to see the show and they rocked! Celebrated mom's birthday while with her with A Christmas Carol 3-D and Mexican food.
Thanksgiving was spent with mom coming here for a few days and we had a very nice day with the Griski/Grace clan. So wonderful to be around friends who are really family.
Sadly, just after Thanksgiving we lost my aunt Glo. She was such a wonderful character. We'll miss her a lot.

December
How did the end of the year get here so fast? And how could things have changed so very much, so very quickly?
Katie is now sporting braces and looking more like a teen than my little girl. Zack is training to be a black belt and is beginning to actually take care of that long hair he is sporting. I've also noticed in the last week that his voice is beginning to crack!
Mom came again to spend Christmas, then went to LI and came back for New Years. We did some things differently this year including not leaving cookies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer. (sigh)

Good to get the whole year down and note that there was a lot of good before all the really bad. Life happens. Grateful for friends, family and healthy wonderful miraculous children. Here's to 2010 and all the life it has in store for us.

**

Katie's new brace face

Katie got braces today. I'll try to take a picture every week, then at the end I can string them together into a movie and we'll see how she's changed.

I will get around to posting about the rest of our trip. Feeling more up to it but haven't had a second to devote to it.

Dad's Passing

For those who were following our trip on the blog, I wanted to update it to say that we ended the trip at the Grand Canyon due to the death of my father, Phil. It was a long road back to NC to be with the family.

He was a great father, grandfather and man. There are so many people who loved him and pulled me aside to tell stories or repeat a joke he had told them.

I miss him.

You can find a link to his obituary via the Legacy web site (I don't post last names here, but it is the first part of my last name).

I'll get back to summing up our trip, which was really wonderful, at some point. Just not ready to do it yet.

More SF

Tuesday and back on the bus to the Exploratorium. This time I forgot our membership card aaaaaagh! Called our museum and they wee nice enough to fax a letter confirming our membership, which allowed us to get in for free--a savings of at least $30. Yay! In return, I agreed to write an article about all the museums we get into with our membership (ATSC and AZA) during the trip.

The museum has discreet areas in a very open space, so I was able to let the kids roam freely in each section and they enjoyed the independence. They also loved the museum. We spent 5 hours there.


Drawing, ofcourse!

Wednesday, we went to GG park to visit the CA Academy of Science. Sadly, they do not reciprocate with our sci museum, so the price was steep--but it included a 3-D movie on bugs and a digital planetarium show--and if you haven't been to a digi planetarium, get to one ASAP--it was AMAZING. The museum itself has lots of hands on activities and an entire aquarium too. Another 5 hour visit and we could have stayed even longer.


Zack checks out Homo Sapiens and Neaderthals

Thursday we scouted around town a bit on the cable car. Went to the Cable Car Museum and down to Chinatown and the SF fortune cookie company--a great place where you can see them make the cookies. We were the only people in the shop, so we got lots of warm free samples. Back down to Fisherman's Wharf to Boudin's for soup in bread bowls and a look at their museum on the history of SF sourdough. Onto a bus up telegraph hill and Coit Tower, walked back down to Levi Plaza to check out their archive exhibit and play in the fountain for a while before heading back to the hotel.


The view from Telegraph Hill


Cable Car Museum

Pete was able to do dinner with us and we went to Chez Panisse in Berkeley. It was without a doubt, the best meal we ever had. I can't gush enough about it.

Friday, Pete was done with his conference but still had to work from a local office. He left and then came back around lunchtime to help us change hotels. Even though we were only going a couple of blocks, we have so much stuff it took a cab ride to get there.

We had lunch together and Pete went to work while we hit the Contemporary Jewish Museum which I enjoyed and the kids took some interest in. They enjoyed the exhibit on Jewish music and I enjoyed the exhibit on the Jewish Russian theatre.

OK, heading to bed now. Will finish up San Fran in the next post. zzzzz

San Francisco

San Francisco was great!

Pete went on a separate flight because of work, so he dropped us off at the airport and went home to prepare for his flight. We all arrived in SFO about a half hour apart and cabbed it over to the Westin Market St. Hungry, we walked over to Lori's diner (one of many around town).


Here's Kate enjoying pancakes for dinner


and Zack with French Toast

We tried to stay up pretty late to make the time change, but konked out around 9pm PT


Here's the view from our room. We could see the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge from opposite ends of the window.

This cool building was near our hotel. Zack liked that it looked like a leaning building. It is the Contemporary Jewish Museum, which we visited later in the week.

Sunday we met up with Pete's friend Chris and her partner Jen for a hike around the Presidio. It was chilly but very lovely and a great chance to chat and move around after travel the day before.


Here we are near the GG bridge.

Monday, Pete was off to his conference and the kids and I headed back to the Presidio to see the Palace of Fine Arts and visit the Exploratorium. BUt, I forgot it was Monday and so the museum was closed. DUH! It was a nice day to walk around though, so we walked around the duck pond, then, as payback for the disappointment of the the museum, I took us to Ghiradelli Square where the kids got some icecream. We then walked down the wharf to Pier 39 to see the sea lions and check out the shops. Katie ended up part of a magic show, riding on the magician's back while he walked over broken glass! Kate and Zack them rode the carousel and then we visited the Aquariumof the Bay.


the Palace of Fine Arts


Ghiradelli ice cream


with the sea lions


Kate and the magician

getting close with an octopus at the aquarium

Much more to tell but it's getting late. Will catch up next time we have wifi.