The Wild, Wild West

After school ended, we took a trip out to Arizona. Scott says "vacation," I say "trip." There is a difference. (It was part vacation, I will admit, but it was also part trip.) The difference: vacations are restful, trips are not. But I digress.

On the way there, Jake decided to make himself a turban to pass the time on the plane.

We got to Phoenix, unpacked, repacked and left the next day for an adventure of EPIC proportions.

Our first stop: Meteor Crater. (Oohs and aahs are appropriate here.) It's exactly what it sounds like. A meteor crater.

The size was impressive and the visitor's center was interesting. It was only about 110 degrees in the shade that day, so we didn't linger.

Our next stop: Grand Canyon. (Oohs and aahs are even more appropriate here.) We stayed two nights in Tusayan (still trying to find out how you pronounce that); and saw the sun set over the canyon the first night. It was truly amazing.

The next day, after braving the IMAX (and I say that, because I remember getting motion sickness the last time I watched a Grand Canyon movie in an IMAX), we headed back to the canyon. Scott and Jake hiked, along with some Amish people, (not together, actually, I just thought this made for a funny picture), and Maggie and I sat by the canyon while she sketched in her sketch book.

That evening, we went for a walk and found a really cool lizard - some Western Blue Bellied thing (thanks for looking it up on Wikipedia, Dana!). It would play dead when Jake flipped it over.

The next morning, Scott got up at 4:30 (AM) and hiked 6 miles down into the canyon and then had to hike six miles back out. He was back around 8 (AM). He impresses me - but that's why in my mind, this was a trip and not vacation.

We headed back towards Phoenix, stopped in Sedona to hike in Oak Creek and have a little lunch. Maggie also sketched the view from the restaurant.

After Sedona, we hit Montezuma's Well. It was impressive. 800-year old homes built by native Americans in high cliffs that surrounded this huge pool of water. They also dug a one-mile irrigation ditch, which we dipped our feet in, since it was a pretty steamy day.

And then, back to Phoenix for vacation. The kids enjoyed the pool, we enjoyed lots of time with the Johnstones and got to see the Diamonds as well (bonus!!).

We spent a couple of evenings walking after dark in the "cool" weather. The first night, Jake, trying to be funny, said, "We'll probably run into some rattlesnakes." About five minutes later and a block from our condo, I saw something in the street next to the curb. "That's a snake!" to which Scott replied, "That's a stick."

Then, the stick slithered up on to the sidewalk in front of us. It was a Mojave rattlesnake. Yikes! Scott thought he'd kill it with a rock, but when it coiled up and started rattling, we decided to high-tail it out of there. Jake kept saying "I'm frucked," which alarmed Scott and me almost as much as the snake. He explained that the snake freaked him out, so now he was frucked. (Past tense of freaked...) We asked him to stop saying that and just say freaked out.

Maggie cried all the way back. I tried to reassure her that snakes couldn't get into a second-floor condo. Jake was pretty sure they could climb stairs or come up through the plumbing - helpful child. Maggie slept with me that night.

The next night, Maggie suggested another walk (surprisingly), so we trekked on again. Same place, new snake. This time a baby sidewinder. (Now I was frucked.) Scott and Jake killed this one. Maggie cried again, this time because, "You know I like animals," and not out of fear.

And thus endeth our evening walks in Arizona.

A week after the fun began, we were back in cold, rainy Minnesota. We might have crappy weather here, but hey, no rattlesnakes coming up through the plumbing!!