Originally, we planned to fly to Tuscon, and drive north to Sedona. As those flights filled up, we looked to Phoenix. That day, as those flights filled up, we tried to get creative and realized that Las Vegas, a 5 hour drive to Sedona, would still beat a 20 hour drive from Texas. Our flight was scheduled for 7 a.m., and was getting tighter, but we still were going to try for it. At about 8:00 that night, I repacked the bags however, so that we could carry everything on, realizing that having bags end up in Vegas without us making it there would not be a good thing. (note, repack #1)
At about 9:00, the flights for Vegas were negative. Sigh. We decided that we needed to bite the bullet and just plan to get up at 3:00 a.m. and drive. Otherwise, we might not make it there at all. We packed up the van, packed the food bags, water bottles, pillows, car activities, videos, etc. - anything to help us survive that long of a drive with 3 kids. (repack #2) I threw in some "nice to haves" that we didn't have room for in the carry-on luggage. We set the alarm clocks to get up at 3 a.m.
At 3 a.m. as I was putting on sweat pants and a baseball cap, preparing for the drive, Scott walked in the bathroom and said, "not sure how this happened, but there are now 60 seats on the 7:00 flight to Vegas." Well, I didn't question the "why" but started the process of unpacking the van and once again repacking for the flight. (repack #3) With our early rising, we had plenty of time to catch the 7:00 flight...who cares about not sleeping as long as you don't have to drive?!
In any case, we got the kids up at 4:00 a.m. and easily made the flight to Vegas. In the end, we had 3 full rows to ourselves on the airplane, which was really great for 3 restless kids.
As we made our way to Sedona, we drove through the Vegas strip, and also visited the Hoover Dam to help break up the drive. Unfortunately, we blew nap time, and only Mikayla napped (for just 20 minutes) until we hit the hay in Sedona at 10:00 that night.
At the top of the pass on the way into Sedona, the kids had to get out and experience the snow. They honestly had no idea that it would be so cold and ended up in tears from their fingers hurting...
Well, the headache to get there was most worth it. We hiked everyday, sometimes on two hikes, and enjoyed the heated outdoor pool at the condo. Nothing like sitting in the water with steam coming off as snowflakes are falling!
All 3 kids are quite the hikers, including Mikayla. She was always ready to go, and did not once hesitate to put on her boots and start off down the trail. I was really glad to still have my Beco back pack to carry her; after a mile or so she was usually glad for a break! The boys learned how to follow the cairns and lead the way along the trail.
All the hikes in Sedona are quite unique and interesting. You never know exactly what you are going to get.
Cathedral Rock - labeled as "hard" this involves some pretty steep rock climbing and careful stepping. (Mikayla did not do this one.) While I was indeed a bit nervous at times, the boys did great. The view from the top was quite worth it!
Devil's Bridge - in order to get to the trail head, you either had to have a 4 x 4 vehicle or you had to hike back in about a mile. The four of us bundled up and headed out for a surprise ending on the hike. While the hike itself was beautiful and fun, the "bridge" at the end tested our nerves and created this feeling of imbalance; something we did not expect. The boys loved it, while Scott and I approached it with a bit more caution.
I can't remember the name of this one, but hiking to the top provided a great 360 degree view all around!
The last day, we decided to head to the Grand Canyon since we were so "close." We booked a hotel room (more aptly called "a hole") and headed out. Well, despite the fact that it was freezing, we all got to experience one of the 7 Greatest Natural Wonders of the world. The kids (and Scott) enjoyed the snow, until they realized that snow turned to wet, cold soggy clothes is really no fun at all. They were troopers though, and we all slept well that night!
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