Days 24 – 21

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Mom

Day 24:

We went to the Folsom Zoo today. There were lots of different animals to view and the boys really enjoyed it. Troopers favorite animal was the bobcat and Scooters favorite was the squirrel monkeys. After seeing all there was to see at the zoo, the boys went on a small train ride with big sister. It was super fun. For dinner we had sushi for the first time which turned out to be extremely delicious! We got some good practice using chopsticks.

 

Day 23:

We went on a really enjoyable bike ride today. The whole gang went, and everyone had a great time. We biked on the Folsom bike trail along the river. In the evening we went swimming in the epic pool provided to us. The boys practiced their swimming and perfected the art of jumping in the pool with style.

Day 22:

We had a low-key day planned for today. We went on a walk around the first gold discovery site in Coloma, California. We saw some old buildings and got to check out the gold discovery museum.

Day 21:

Today we headed to the Sacramento, CA airport to pick up Papa Bear who flew out to visit us. After picking him up we headed to a family members home to spend the week in CA with them. We caught up with the fam. and took a nice walk around Folsom, enjoying all the scenery.

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Days 20 – 18

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Mom

Day 20:

We had little stops here and there today. Our first stop was somewhere that reminded us of home, Avila Valley Barn. They had fresh fruit and vegetables, baked goods, jams, and animals! We bought a couple of strawberries, peaches, blueberries, and pickles. The boys got some food to feed the goats and we checked out all the interesting animals they had.

Our next stop was Morro Rock. The boys climbed on some rocks down by the ocean and we got to watch surfers. There was a man standing near our van flying a small quadcopter that had a video camera on it. He was flying the thing way out over the ocean to take pictures of the surfers. He ended up wrecking the thing into the ocean and was wading in the water (in his jeans) to find it, which he eventually did. It was a good show. Also, we discovered that the seagulls were super brave and were determined to get our sandwiches. The boys gave in and began to feed them which attracted a whole seagull army.

Next, we went to a sea lion viewing point. It has become a very popular spot for the sea lions and there were tons! They are funny creatures to watch. They like to lay on the beach and toss sand on themselves which is quite amusing.

Our last stop was Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. We did a small hike that led to a beautiful waterfall and had views of turquoise water. It was perfect.

Day 19:

We started the day extremely excited to do all the activities the KOA had to offer but alas, most of the activities were only available on the weekends. However they did inflate the jumping pillow and allowed us to swim. It was a fun morning. We left the campground after lunch and headed for the Channel Islands Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is extremely informational and offers a lot to look at. Although we did not actually go out to the islands, the boys were allowed to use the Visitor Center to learn about the islands and become Junior Rangers!

Afterwards we set up camp at Pismo Beach State Park.

Day 18:

We went to the CA Science Center today. There were all kinds of cool things to look at and learn about. The coolest part was being able to see the Endeavour, a space shuttle that actually went to the moon and back several times. We learned so much about space travel. We then began our search for a campsite and ended up at the Ventura Ranch KOA. We didn’t know much about the campground but when we got there we were pleasantly surprised. They had all kinds of activities. There was a zip line, a climbing wall, a go kart race track, a jumping pillow, and a pool! We were placed on a lower level in the valley surrounded by teepees. There weren’t many people around so we felt like we had the whole campground to ourselves, except for all the peacocks. Yes, they had tons of peacocks roaming freely around the place. They make the weirdest sounds and we got such a kick out of it. Another strange thing about the place was their obsession with Bigfoot. When we were checking in at the front desk we noticed a lot of Bigfoot items for sale and when we got to our campsite we were shocked to find out that we were located right next to the Bigfoot Waterhole! They also do a “Bigfoot night adventure walk” which we did not participate in.

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Days 17 – 14

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Mom

Day 17:

We decided to be beach bums today and just lounged by the beach at Doheny State Beach. It was well needed and super relaxing. The boys got a nice sand spa treatment.

Day 16:

Our destination for today was Doheny State Park, CA. We had another long day of driving ahead of us. We got to drive through a very barren desert, and stopped for lunch at an ATV/dirt bike place. It was super neat to see some ATVs in action. It was really hot (107 degrees) so we didn’t stay long. It was nice to get some sun though. We continued onward and eventually made it to the coast where we stopped to see the ocean and get some fresh air. A little later we made it to our campsite, set up camp, and let the boys play by the ocean.

Day 15:

We went to Joshua Tree National Park today. We entered at the South Entrance and did not see any Joshua trees around and were later informed that the Joshua trees are not in the southern part of the park but in the northern part. So we made our way up through the park spotting lots and lots of cacti, sand, and dry stuff. We stopped at the cactus garden and walked around the loop. Apparently at this time of year the garden only has one type of cactus though, because that’s all we saw. Although it looks rather soft it is NOT! All those things that look soft are actually needles and can be very painful when impaled into the skin. As we headed north through the park we began to spot some huge rocks! We took a couple detours to let the boys climb on the rocks and they just went to town. Further into the park we began to spot Joshua trees and we also found a trail we wanted to do that led to a very old dam. Hard to believe that there was enough water to actually need a dam in the desert but it was cool to see. On our way to the dam we saw some more Petroglyphs. We were told that the park is also known for its desert tortoises but we did not get to see one. The highlight of this park were the huge rocks that the boys made into a playground.

Day 14

Today we checked out the Hoover Dam. We got to visit the museum which gave a lot of information about what had to be done to build the Dam and so on. It was very interesting. Then we got to walk the whole way across and get a good look at the structure. We spent a good while touring the Dam and then had to head to our next stop, Indio CA. It was a long drive but we made it and rewarded ourselves with some IHOP!

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Days 13 – 11

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Mom

Day 13:

Today we went to Grand Canyon National Park. We parked at the first Visitor Center and got to check out a view of the Grand Canyon. We noticed some rain clouds out in the distance and as we drove further into the park it began to thunder, lightening, and rain. When we got to the next Visitor Center it was actually snowing! In the meantime we finished up the boys Junior Ranger books and headed to the Geology Museum in the park. There was suppose to be a wonderful view from the museum but the whole canyon was covered in fog. It was a little disappointing, but at least we got to see the Canyon in the beginning.

 

Day 12:

We got to explore Zion National Park today. A lot of the National Parks use a shuttle system to get around the park and we decided to give it a try. The boys got to sit in the front of the bus and enjoyed pretending they were driving. We did a short hike to a little desert oasis where there were some small waterfalls.

Afterwards we headed to our next destination and on the way we stopped at Lees Ferry which is where the Grand Canyon begins. It was a beautiful area and the boys got to play in the sand. As we continued driving we got caught in a dust storm! We had seen it off in the distance and as we kept going we realized it was coming right toward us! If you have never experienced a dust storm it is very similar to a blizzard. You cant see anything! It was quite an experience.

 

Day 11:

We are on a roll with visiting National Parks. Today we headed for Bryce Canyon National Park, Mom’s favorite Park from our last road trip. We knew that we wanted to do a good hike but we weren’t quite sure which one. So we went with a hike that was named the most popular in the Park and that was rated moderate in the difficulty level. It was a loop, and a little over 3 miles round trip. We started off right at the edge of the canyon with an amazing view! The rock formations seen in most of the photos are called “HooDoos” and the hike we did has the best view of the “Amphitheater” which is made up mostly of “HooDoos”. The trail led down the cliff face, zig-zagging back and forth downward. The boys had to find “benchmarkers” on the information boards along the trail for their Junior Ranger books. So we took a bit of a detour from our loop to find one of them. On our detour we met a horse riding tour! It was really neat to see all the horses walking down the trail, although they left behind some remains that we would have been happy without seeing. We made it back up to the top of the canyon, a little out of breath, but happy we completed such a great hike. The boys were named Junior Rangers of Bryce Canyon National Park.

We then headed for Zion National Park, where we would camp for the night.

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Days 10 – 8

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Mom

Day 10:

Today we got to explore Capitol Reef National Park. This park was particularly interesting because of the beautiful orchards (that I did not seem to get a photo of) and charming little homestead that reside in it. The homestead is referred to as the “Gifford Homestead”. It was originally built in 1908 by a family that had a whole farm there! They raised chickens, ducks, cows, sheep, and pigs, and also had an extensive garden. It was such a beautiful place! We got to look around the house and enjoy the thought of what it would have been like to live there.

We decided to do a hike in the park as well. The hike we wanted to do was at the bottom of the canyon. We had to drive on a small, rough, dirt road to the trail head. As we went lower and lower into the canyon mom got more worried. There was a dark rain cloud looming above us that looked threatening and she had read that flash floods were likely at the bottom of the canyon during rain storms. But we proceeded as bravely as possible and made it to the bottom without a drop of rain. From there we began to hike a trail that was lined with big walls of rock. The reason this hike is popular is because about halfway down the trail you can see names carved into the rock, done by late century settlers that passed through. Not all of the names were carved into the rock, some of the names were created by bullet holes! Those were my favorite.

The boys certainly enjoyed the hike, finding many small caves within the wall to climb into. It was amusing. At the end of the hike it was beginning to rain so we got out of there! Luckily, we did not perish in a flash flood.

 

 

Day 9:

We took off fairly early to get to Arches National Park because we read that the park gets full by 10 A.M. We got to the Entrance Station around 9:00 A.M and there was already a line backed up to the road. As we waited in line (for almost a half hour) to get into the park we noticed that the line was backed up ONTO the main road. Apparently we got their during the rush.

Our goal was to hike to the Delicate Arch, the most popular arch in the Park. We heard that parking was pretty sparse at the trail head but somehow we found a great spot! It was a miracle. The trail was a little over 3 miles round trip. It was fairly strenuous with a couple spots that had steep drop offs but definitely worth it! The arch was very neat and the boys were proud of making it to the destination. The hike down was just as strenuous as going up. It was pretty hard on the knees and the boys were getting tired. But we made it! It was a great accomplishment. On the way down we spotted several lizards and a snake! We had a picture taken before and after the hike. We look good in both photos, although maybe a bit more slumped over and red in the after.  We explored the rest of the park afterwards (at a fairly slow pace). The boys became Junior Rangers at this Park as well!

 

Day 8:

Today we remained in Utah. We went to Natural Bridges National Monument. On our way there we found some really cool Indian ruins, some sort of tunnel system they used to get to their houses and what not. Too bad the tunnels were blocked off by huge stones. The boys would have loved to climb through the tunnels and explore! We took a short hike around the place, spotting lots of lizards without success of catching them.

When we got to Natural Bridges we first stopped at the Visitor Center so that the boys could get their Junior Ranger books. Then we drove around the Park and got to hike some trails to see some “natural bridges”. We also hiked a trail that allowed us to see some old Indian homes on a cliff ledge. In the meantime the boys worked on their books and completed them. They were later named Junior Rangers of Natural Bridges National Monument. On our way back to the hotel we took a road that led to the “Moki Dugway”. We had no idea what to expect but what we came to was amazing! If you haven’t heard of the Moki Dugway you should look it up because its pretty cool. Its a part of the Highway except it is along a cliff face, winding back and forth with breathtaking views! It is not a road that should be taken by a person afraid of heights.

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Day 7

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Mom

Today we had a lot of driving to do. We went from Alamosa, CO, through Wolf Creek Pass, to Mesa Verde National Park, to Four Corners and ended the day in Blanding, Utah. The climate/scenery changed greatly throughout the day. As we headed to Mesa Verde we had to go through the Rio Grande National forest which lead to Wolf Creek Pass. Little did we know how high in the mountains we would be and that it would be so wintery! It snowed most of the time we were on the mountain. However we made it safely to the bottom despite the slick, steep road down.

 
We had about another hour of driving to Mesa Verse and it rained most the way there. When we arrived we were disappointed to find that the weather was the same as the drive there. It was blowing rain and very cold, a high of 58, which felt even colder with the rain and wind. Because of the weather we decided to not go the whole way into the park. We did get to check out the Visitor Center which was pretty interesting.
From here we went to Four Corners! It was still pretty cold but at least there was sunshine! The boys were impressed by the idea of being in four states at once and posed for the photos wonderfully. We bought a couple dream catchers, some magnets, and a present, specially hand crafted for a member of the family.

 
Then we took off for our hotel which was in Blanding, Utah. The scenery was amazing on the way! Flat land with big, strangely shaped rock forms, blue sky with poofy, white clouds, and red sand with different colored horses in large fenced in areas.
It was another great day on our 2015 Road Trip!

 

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Day 6

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Mom

We started off the morning pretty early because we heard there was a threat of rain in the afternoon at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. When we arrived at the Park we stopped at the Visitor Center first so that we could get whatever we needed for the boys to become Junior Rangers! We then went to the parking area closest to the Dunes. We had to cross a small river (Medano) by foot to get to the Dunes! It was very, very cold!

 
Just as we were arriving to the actual dunes we were met by a school group who said that a Ranger sent them back because storms were coming. We could see dark clouds. So we headed back across the freezing water. When we were closer to the van the boy started playing in the sand on that side. As we began to feel drops of rain we decided we must head for the van. Not quite soon enough. It started pouring! We jumped in the van and turned on the heat. It blew and hailed and we were warm in the van. We worked on the junior ranger books the boys had to complete. By the time it stopped raining we had just completed the parts the boys had to do.

 
Since there was blue sky we decided to hike back over the cold river up to the dunes. We took two boogie boards and lids from plastic containers to slide down the sand on. It did not work. The boys resorted to sliding down the dunes on their bellies which was just as much fun.
We spent a lot of time at the dunes playing in the sand and sliding around. It was great fun!

 
Afterwards we returned to the Visitor Center and turned in the boys’ hard work. They did a wonderful job and took an oath to help take care of our National Parks. They received certificates, patches, and badges. They were thrilled!

 
When we returned to our hotel we ate lunch and went on a adventure around the property. What we found was amazing. The hotel had a water park! We had no idea. The boys were completely beside themselves. We got geared up and hit the water park for a little over an hour.
All in all it was a wonderful day!

Categories: 2015 Western Trip

Day 5

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Mom

Spent most of the day in New Mexico… This was at El Rancho de las Golondrinas in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

“Scooter” crushing corn to make flour.

The "gang" at El Rancho de las Golondrinas in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The “gang” at El Rancho de las Golondrinas in Santa Fe, New Mexico

"Trooper" making a candle out of beeswax at the ranch.

“Trooper” making a candle out of beeswax at the ranch.

We made a stop at the Rio Grande.

Looking at the Rio Grande

Looking at the Rio Grande

Rio Grande

Rio Grande

Here are some random photos from New Mexico

New Mexico scenes

New Mexico scenes

New Mexico scenes

New Mexico scenes

New Mexico scenes

New Mexico scenes

New Mexico scenes

New Mexico scene

Arriving at the Colorado border!

Colorado Welcome Sign!

Colorado Welcome Sign!

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Day 4

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Mom

Today we drove through the lone star state of Texas in heavy rain.

IMG_1713

Driving through heavy rain in Texas

 

Our first stop was at the Pioneer West Museum in Shamrock, Texas.

Pioneer West Museum in Shamrock, Texas

Pioneer West Museum in Shamrock, Texas

 

Then we went to The Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Groom, Texas where it poured rain the whole time.

The Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Groom, Texas

The Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Groom, Texas

 

Then we trudged through mud to spray paint the Cadillacs which we couldn’t even get to because of the puddles. The oldest boy got his shoes sucked off.

The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas

The Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas

We made it to New Mexico.

Entering the state of New Mexico

Entering the state of New Mexico

Beautiful Santa Rosa, New Mexico.

 

Santa Rosa, New Mexico

Santa Rosa, New Mexico

Santa Rosa, New Mexico

Santa Rosa, New Mexico

Blue Whale

Blue Whale

 

 

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Day 3

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Mom

Visiting the Martin Park Nature Center near Oklahoma City, OK.

Martin Park Nature Center near Oklahoma, OK

Martin Park Nature Center near Oklahoma, OK

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