Day 9, 10 and Home! Southwest Road Trip

On day 9 we slept in a little too long in Las Vegas and got on the road too late to make it to the Grand Canyon. We were feeling okay about it considering we had such a great vacation already. We hit the road and stopped to see the Hoover Dam which is massive and has all sorts of cool art deco style statues and buildings around it. Before we reached the dam, there was a security checkpoint that we were waived through. We encountered another checkpoint later near El Paso.

We spent the night in the Wig Wam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona. It was such a neat experience. Each little room is a separate wig wam. It is quite cozy! They were built in the 1940’s so they have nice old fashioned features like tiled bathrooms and gas heating. The tv in the room had cable but dated back to the 1970’s so it had poor picture quality. We made the most of it, flipping over to Nick at Night and watching The Andy Griffith Show. It looked perfect on an old tv! It was nice to wake up in a Wig Wam on my 36th birthday!

On the morning of day 10 we ate at a little diner in Holbrook called Joe and Aggies that had been around since the glory days of Route 66. There was a group of old men at one of the tables, having their morning coffee and shooting the breeze. The food was greasy and delicious.

We were going to stop and spend some time in Marfa as our last stop but we were all so ready to be home that we just decided to head straight back. We drove for about 12 hours and spent the night in Fort Stockton, Texas and now we are home. James has been a serious trooper about the driving. It is so nice to see the Texas landscape again after 11 days on the road. We are also appreciating the nice Texas climate. So happy to not be freezing!

It was such an amazing trip with tons of great and varied experiences. We were sure happy to see Zaphod and he to see us. It’s good to be home though even if it does smell a little dog-y around here!

Day 7 and 8 - Southwest Road Trip

On day 7 we woke up in Durango, Colorado and drove the whole day to Las Vegas. We drove out of snowy mountains and into the desert of Monument Valley.

We stopped at Four Corners where Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico meet and ate Navajo Fry Bread. Our route wound through the border between Utah and Arizona, passing in and out of each state several times. We saw beautiful mesas and stone structures. It was such an amazingly beautiful drive. I can't believe how much the landscape can change from one place to another. We drove for about 10 hours, arriving in Las Vegas around 8 pm.

Our little Prius is so fantastic for this trip. We are getting great gas mileage! The gps navigation system is pretty cool. We have been able to program our destination in and have the computer tell us how to get there. It's saved us a lot of backtracking time and scratching our heads trying to figure out maps. The directions it gives are really clear.

Las Vegas was more fun that I could have imagined. The main strip is overwhelmingly big! It reminds me of Disneyworld Epcot Center because each casino hotel has a different theme. The first night we went to dinner at the Venetian. Boy that place is snooty and stinky but also incredibly beautiful! They have a canal running through it!



On Day 8 we got up pretty early and went downtown to the old Vegas strip to play Black Jack at the $5 tables. On the way there, we drove through some neat old neighborhoods. It's cool to see a residential side of Vegas! I also really liked seeing the old hotels that must have been where people stayed in the 1950's and 60's when downtown was THE spot.

Regarding Black Jack - I have to say, I totally get it! Now I understand why people love to gamble. It is way more fun that I thought it would be. I played a couple of hands but I am not that good at it. I mostly watched James play. It is so exciting when you win a round. I was good at telling James when to get up and walk away when his winning streak was over. We made a good team. When we left to come back to the hotel, we were up $125!

I love the old Vegas casinos downtown. They have a more relaxed quality and some of them are really old like the Golden Gate and the Golden Nugget. I find the history of Las Vegas really interesting.

In the evening we sent the kids off to see the Blue Man Group show and we went out for the best sushi we have ever had at Okada in the Wynn Hotel. Another thing I really wasn't prepared for is how much beautiful design there is in Vegas. The Wynn was my favorite with little areas of trees wrapped in Christmas lights and big white spheres hanging in them, big beautiful lanterns, rich colored mosaic flowers and metal vines running through screens. They also had a fine jewelry store there that had the most amazing selection of unique and vintage inspired jewelry.

After dinner we tried to get standby tickets to Love, The Beatles Cirque de Soliel show but we not able to. So, we walked to the Bellagio and watched the water fountain. They play songs and the jets shoot water in different directions, dancing along with the music. It's pretty spectacular. We watched for about four songs before surrendering to our sore feet and heading back to the hotel.

We are eating pretty good on this trip. My pants are getting tighter.

I heart Vegas!!

Day 5 and 6 - Southwest Road Trip

On day 5 we left the mountain cabin and drove up to Salida, Colorado where Crystal and Daniel live (my sister and brother-in-law). We drove through beautiful mountain passes, one of them with was pretty icey. Forest was driving and he handled it impressively.

Once we arrived at Crystal's we bundled up and went out to the ski slopes where Daniel works to see the New Year's Eve festivities. It was REALLY cold up on the mountain. We stood out in the -5 degree weather and watched a lovely parade of skiers carrying flares coming down the mountain. It was so pretty and I got a little teary-eyed! Afterward they had a fireworks show and it was so beautiful the way it reflected on the snow and trees. The cold was really exciting. I have never been so cold! I could feel my nose hairs freezing.

Afterward we came home and Crystal made us a delicious dinner of pork tenderloin with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing, acorn squash, asparagus and bread. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal after eating out so much! We played Scattergories and laughed until midnight.



On day 6 James, Forest and Jessica went up with Daniel to ski while Crystal and I hung out. We took a nice walk around the quaint downtown area. Salida is such a neat little town. The snow crunched under our feet and we had to walk on the sunny side of the street to stay warm. It was so nice to hang out with Crystal. I am so lucky to have such a cool sis. The skiers all had a great time. James hadn't skied since he was 17 but reported that he did fine and only fell once! Forest and Daniel skied together and James said they were skiing fast. Jessica chose a snowboard and had a lot of fun skiing all day. Everyone is sore and tired tonight!

Happy New Year!!

Day 3 & 4 - Southwest Road Trip

We got up early on day three and ate a yummy breakfast at Pasqual’s in Santa Fe. My huevos muerllitos (sp) had peas and fried bananas on them. It was surprisingly good!

In the afternoon Adam and Victoria arrived and we met up with them in the plaza. We picked up some groceries and headed up to the mountain cabin. Wow! It was so beautiful up there! The first night we made baked potatoes and veggie chili for dinner. After dinner we played Outburst which was pretty hilarious. Girls against guys. The girls won the first night but the guys won the second night so it ended up in a tie. There was a lot of smack talk.

After the game we all went out to look the stars. James turned all the lights off in the house so it was completely dark. The sky was littered in stars. I could barely make out some of my favorite constellations because there were so many little stars around them. It was so quiet and peaceful up on top of the mountain.

On day four we made breakfast tacos and then got ready to go out. We walked up to the top of the hill and saw some buffalo and yak. There are tons of little mountain towns up near Truchas. The houses all look dug into the snow and there a lots of art galleries and studios. We didn’t have time to go to many galleries but we did get to see the Sanctuary of Chimayo which was beautiful and primitive. Victoria told me that people visit the sanctuary from all over the world because it’s supposed to have healing powers.

I am so glad that we got to spend the time in the mountain cabin. It was such an amazing experience!

Day Two - Carlsbad Caverns and Santa Fe

We took the long walk through Carlsbad Caverns. It was just one of those times when you find yourself truly in the moment. It was so beautiful. And big. It is crazy that the entire cavern was formed from just a little bit of acid! The formations were lovely. It's nice thinking of a cave as a living thing. Water dripped on us and we felt the cave actually breathing.

In the evening we drove to Santa Fe and watched the temperature drop to 16 degrees. We splurged on a nice hotel near the plaza. James and I took a late night walk through the streets of Santa Fe. There were people passing us who were having so much fun, talking loud and laughing. It is so lovely here and the air smells like pinon wood burning. I think it really amazed Forest!

I am so glad that Forest and Jessica came with us on this trip. We have had lots of laughs! I enjoy exposing Forest to new things and broadening his experience in life. I think the road trips I took with my family growing up were pretty formative so I am happy to give Forest that experience as well.

Day One - Southwest Road Trip

Today we drove through West Texas. We saw wind turbines, a cotton field, a dust storm and a bad accident. I was such a typical mom in the car pointing out interesting sites to the kids in the back seat.

It was a pleasant drive but I was a little antsy, having lost my phone at my parents house. I felt so disconnected. Also, after working so hard to get ready for the trip, it's hard sometimes to slow down and just start enjoying everything. That's okay though, I think I am on track now!