A Beautiful Southwest Road Trip

 August 2 - 24, 2024

Seattle, Washington - Tombstone, Arizona (with three states in between)

August begins as July ended - with Tessa and I traveling with family. Jeff's roommate has "made other life plans" leaving him in a city that has become unaffordable for most single incomes. Time to come home and regroup! 

This adventure begins at the Tucson airport where Tessa is treated like royalty. The smaller Alaska Airlines plane gives her much less room than her previous experience on Southwest, but she manages to sleep most of the three hour flight. One walk to stretch in the aisle about half an hour from landing is all she needs to stay comfortable. 

All tucked in.

Sea-Tac airport is under construction so Jeff makes the smart adjustment to have me meet him at the first metro stop from the airport. For a bit I'm in a Stephen King movie where I never find my way outside....but once over the sky bridge, signs finally direct me to the station I need. The train stops and there he is!! It's only been 8 months but I've sure missed this guy :-)

After a tasty lunch in the cute downtown of Renton, we spend the afternoon doing some last minute clean up and packing of his apartment. We spend the night at a nearby hotel, enjoy breakfast in the morning, and after waiting for a final piece of furniture to be picked up, we head toward Oregon. He's shipped boxes earlier in the week and we're able to easily get everything else in his little Hyundai. Tessa has more space this trip :-) 

Leaving the big city behind I'm grateful we're heading east on 90, and not going into the city - the traffic goes on for over 50 miles! 

I take a pic every 10 miles.

This is the 5th pic!

We have a route planned with tentative stops that change a few times as we travel. Much cooler than my last road trip, and beautiful clear skies with wide open views the whole way. I absolutely love this part of the country.

Once over the Snouqualmie Pass, the green of the PNW becomes this incredible golden landscape which I love. 

Modern "pictographs" decorate this abandoned cabin with 100 mile views.

We spend our first night in the wide spot in the road known as Goldendale, WA where peeks of Mt Hood are "what there is to see here".

A beautiful part of Oregon, into the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

We see less than a dozen other vehicles all morning.

I love these tiny burgs along the way that know where they are in the world!

Cathedral Rock shows off the beauty of this NM.

Our next stop is Boise, ID. Last time was in the motorhome when the large slide was stuck in the out position and I thought we might be living here permanently! One night in a nice hotel, a delicious meal with a good wine, and I like Boise better :-) 

Our good weather continues through the diverse drive to Provo, UT.

That diversity includes a lot of this eye-stretching terrain. 

We arrive early in Provo as planned so we can go see the new Deadpool movie in the theater. It's a good call as we enjoy it a lot - laughed through the whole thing. Leaving the building it looks like we're in the theater showing Twisters! High wind and very dark skies. A quick food pick up and we're tucked in our room for a quiet night in the city. 

There were big mountains when we got here!

Another cute little town, we stop for fuel in Helper, Ut, just north of Moab.

The skies in Moab really pop against the beautiful red rock.

Like the Painted Desert in Arizona, not all the color is red.

Great green chili, we enjoy lunch at this local icon.

I think Hwy 191 is one of the prettiest in the country, and with few other vehicles on the road it's a great drive.

I wish I'd taken some pics at the Atomic Blue Motor Inn where we stayed in Monticello, but their website pic captures the cute, mid-century vibe. Great little motel!

Mexican Hat

Valley of the Gods

Twin Rocks in Bluff, UT.

I admittedly have several favorite places we've visited across the country, but Monument Valley is way up high on that list. No matter how many times I come here, that first view of the well-known monuments still moves me. We've caught up with the heat, and while we take our time driving through the incredible beauty, we don't stop until lunch at Amigo in Kayenta (another must-do in the area).

Bear (with honey pot) and Rabbit - wonderful!

Their blue corn fry bread is the best!

Our final stop is the one we've both most looked forward to. Jeff has never been to the Grand Canyon so we're staying at the Cameron Trading Post to remedy that. I've always stayed at the RV park here, and the hotel is a lovely surprise. All the places we've stayed have been nice, but this room is gorgeous. It's a destination of its own!

Cameron Trading Post has a long history, built in 1916.

There are a lot of cool pieces in the room, including this great ceiling lamp.

The Little Colorado River runs behind the hotel.

Hwy 64 is a lovely 30 minute drive along the Little Colorado River Canyon. 

I think this is the best way to see the Grand Canyon, with a lot less people!

In addition to the canyon, the east entrance has Desert Tower!

And there it is! Jeff is duly impressed :-)

We make a couple stops at the roadside tables then we're back on the road south. It's uneventful until the chaos of road construction and lots of people that is Phoenix. Which is also hot on this August afternoon. We're all three ready to get out of the car and stretch out. Dinner delivered and an early night at our last stop in Tempe. 

I love spending time with Jeff, and this was a great trip for getting caught up. Back at the house before noon, we unload the car and call it done! 

Our summer has been very monsoon-light until they finally show up at the end of the month. Every afternoon we get lots of water, thunder and even occasional hail!

Cassidy turns one - girl's got range!

Another grand starts school - yay Penelope!

The city honors Oliver for reading 1000 books before pre-school!!

Big M celebrates another August birthday - we have six in the family!

Not quite caught up, but life has slowed back down again. I'm looking forward to Fall!

A Grand Time

 July 1 - August 1, 2024

Tombstone, AZ and some California

Letting myself get this far behind with blog posts is self-defeating. Every time I sit down to "get caught up" I'm overwhelmed! I'm sure I'll miss something (oh no!) that I'd want to remember in the future, there'll be some photo I can't identify, so won't include, that is really important (or was important when I took it), a fun time with a friend will be left out and result in loss of said friend (as if) - the self-talk is exhausting! 

Alas, jumping in seems the only real option. 

Jumping......

July is all about having time with Ezra and Elliott. Plans have been made and adjusted and finalized for a "go-get-them" date of July 18th. 

Prior to leaving, Bill's numbers finally meet the required level for effective in-home dialysis so that's a timely relief! Again, not something we could have ever managed on the road.

Tessa and I stop in Palm Desert where I'll learn in a couple days the 108 degrees is "mild" :-( A quick overnight visit with Brian in Frazier Park, CA; pick up the boys from where they're house-sitting with Shalise; and we're down the road mid-day for our big adventure.

Regardless of the heat, Tessa is happy with a nice patch of green grass to explore.

Deciding she's liking this hotel-life - watching the Olympics.

The last stretch in SoCal - always six lanes backed up here.

These are seasoned-travelers who normally power through many hours in the car, but it's vacation with Nawma and we're making a couple stops to play in hotel pools and eat poorly in our room and fun restaurants. Because we can.

Back at the same hotel in Palm Desert it's now 118 degrees. The look on Ezra's face when he opens the car door is priceless! Being a mountain kid for the last several years, these temps are only something he's seen in video-game-hellscapes! Elliott and Tessa are also unimpressed. I'm just focused on getting two kids, one dog, and an amazing large amount of "stuff" unloaded and into our room. Comfort Suites are consistently great stops with plenty of room for all of us. 

Even though it's shaded from the buildings, the pool area is still very hot, the warm water not particularly refreshing, and we're all hungry. We opt for mac and cheese for the boys and a lovely glass of wine with salad for me just across the road before a quiet evening hanging out with movies and Legos in our room. It's a hot, but good start to our trip.

Tucked in to her own space.

First leg fun with stretchy robots. 

"Big kid do it!"

"Hi Mommy and Daddy - we're at our first stop!"

Making sure big brother has finished before leaving the table.

Post-bath wind down time. Ahhhhhh....

An hour of swimming before we pack up and move on in the morning. Cooler is better :-)

A great way to start the second day.

One thing very different between RV and car travel is restroom breaks. Four travelers NEVER have to go at the same time! Only one adult means everybody goes inside every time, including dog in service vest avoiding hot asphalt. Another good reason for shorter travel days - I can usually make it to the hotel :-)

We try to remember a check-in pic for parents and PopPop each morning.

Tempe gives us a slight break with only 115 degrees upon arrival. Early check-in gets us settled with plenty of time for lots of swimming in the (shaded again) nice pool. It's the most fun I've had in a long time!

My going under water is stressing Tessa - this is a very new experience that she clearly doesn't understand is fun and not an emergency. The boys continue splashing and jumping while I spend the last half hour on the lounge with my protector. 

In 1994 their dad and uncle and I took a ten-state trip. I have pics of them playing in a hotel room with sticky straws on the window. 30 years later I send them these pics. For me, it's like yesterday.

Pizza in the room and we're all asleep early after our active day. We're up early and on the road with coffees and hotel waffles - always a great start. 

Making it an official road trip.

Very focused.

Public restroom advice. Cracked me up :-)

We're glad to pull into the driveway, and PopPop is excited to see us all. Tombstone's cooler temps are very welcome! I once again appreciate the higher elevation of our desert home where it's 25 degrees cooler than Phoenix. 

Homer!

Robosaurus!

When the grands are here we're especially glad we stuck with thick carpet for the rebuild.

"I dance here."

Tessa is great sharing space, including snuggling up on the couch. 

The house really comes alive with the addition of two kiddos! I have a great time playing with them. Lots of water play, library, movie theater, soccer play in the park, Legos and Xbox, kid food, rough-housing, and only a couple "we're kids!" kerfuffles all go by way too quickly. They catch up with their parents each evening, but never have issue with being far from home without them for the first time. Well-adjusted children are a blessing :-)

In the shade of the front porch is a great spot for water-table fun.

And even better for the sprinkler pool.

No greater sound than the joy of your grandchildren.

Ezra as fountain statue. 

Sierra Vista has a lovely library with lots of interactive play - and great air conditioning!

Morning bird watching.

The whole theater to ourselves adds some adventure options we don't usually get :-)

The movie is really cute, and the sun is really bright!

They love showing PopPop "this, and this, and this"

Too hot for much soccer in the park, but we gave it a try.

They each have their own ball - smart Mom!

Shade makes the playground a better option.

In the blink of an eye it's time to return to California. We get on the road early enough to make a stop at the wonderful Children's Museum in Tucson where we spend a couple hours playing. 

Back on the road with the sun to our backs.

Lots of vehicles to play in and on at the transportation exhibit. 

Elliott isn't quite sure about the robo-chair.

Interactive anatomy is a challenge :-)

The building area has multiple materials in separate spaces - we spend a lot of time here. 

The outdoor area includes large musical instruments, bubble makers, water tables and these fun foam building blocks. 

Another great pool all to ourselves on our first return stop.

Our return trip hits a couple snags with a left-behind bag of special Legos (major Nawma-guilt) in Goodyear, AZ, followed by our only unpleasant hotel stay in Beaumont, CA. But I get the boys returned safely to their parents mid-day on the 29th with lots of fun stories to share. 

I'm beyond grateful for this time with these special boys, and for the trust their parents have in me to take them on this big adventure. I'm already looking forward to doing it again!!

Ready to brag about how organized we are until the next stop and find we've forgotten the Legos :-(

"Here we come Mommy and Daddy, see you soon!!"

We all enjoy a tasty dinner under the pines near their home and coffee on the porch next morning before I head out. A dear friend from my working and activist years lost her husband a couple months ago so I make a one-night stop at her lovely home in Orange County. Closer to the coast, it is a delightfully cool visit on her patio. I'm so happy to have this time to catch up with Lupe. Tessa meets her first tortoise (in the city, not at her desert home), and does NOT like being followed by this weird looking creature! Sweety has been with the family 30+ years and we are clearly in her space :-))

Back home snuggles with Mommy.

At Lupe's, Sweety comes over to make friends with Tessa who finds a chair to get above the "assault".

Despite the terrifying yard beast, Tessa could get used to this soft green grass.

The next morning I aim for Casa Grande but have to bail in Gila Bend when a large dust storm meets up with a thunderstorm over the top of me. The hotel is nothing exciting, but it is clean and safe, and I'm out of the weather. I'm glad we didn't have this temporary drama when I had the boys!

The two storms converge ahead. 

When I get to the hotel the back hatch on the car won't open all the way because the wind is so strong!

Once they move on, the storms leave behind beautiful skies. I sleep well.

Back home I make ready for Maggie's visit. This dear, dear friend and I always have such fun when we get together as part of larger gatherings. This time we've planned for a just-us visit. Perfect timing as she's able to drop Tessa and I at the Tucson airport on her way back to Tucson.

A much quieter visit than the previous week, we see Trap at the theater, make a day trip to Bisbee, and spend girl-time while bird-watching on the front porch. I share her with Bill a little bit too :-)) 

We love spending mornings with the Quail families.

Progress continues on the buildings damaged in the Valentines Day fire in Bisbee.

Our monsoons show off for Maggie each night.

I'll save my week of travel from Seattle with Jeff for next time - hopefully with much less delay in posting.

Our Virginia girls, Reese and Penelope, enjoying their July 4th celebration.

A fun day at the park for Henry.

July 4th fun for M&M