The Wild Wild West

Bucket list checked for multiple things!  Back in September, I noticed the middle school was taking a Spring Break trip to California.  I started thinking how it would be cool if Isaac and I did that together.  There were lots of cool things on the agenda, but it was expensive for the two of us  (the price was great for what all you were getting).  It got Matt and I thinking that if we were going to spend that kind of money, we might as well go take the entire family out west during Spring Break.  The wheels were set in motion.  The plan was to book our flight from Nashville to Phoenix, rent a van, and end our trip in Las Vegas flying back to Nashville.  Back in the fall, I reached out to my friend Amy Wallace who travels quite a bit.  Ironically, her family was about to take the same sort of trip for Fall Break.  She told me she would take notes and fill me in when they returned.  We met for lunch in November, and with Amy's tips, my travel planning began.  My main priority was to do our best to stay in the same place for at least two nights.  While I don't mind living out of a suitcase day to day, it's also nice not to feel rushed (and I knew I'd want to do some laundry here and there).  Over Christmas break, Matt and I worked on our "loose" itinerary and started booking hotels.  I personally like the Hilton App and hotel chain.  I think they have the most affordable accommodations for a family of five. After looking at reviews and picking Amy's brain, we opted for Alamo car rental.  If you pay up front, there is a nice discount.


My birthday landed on the Saturday (March 30) that we left, so we celebrated it on my dad's that Tuesday(March 26).  We're used to piggy-backing our birthdays anyway.  We both stopped counting a while back.

We left for Nashville bright and early to catch our flight to Phoenix.  I'd been watching NBA tickets for months trying to snag a good deal.  The Suns were playing the Grizzlies in Phoenix that Saturday.  I'm not a huge NBA follower, but the boys love it.  We decided to get two seats for Miles and Isaac close to the action and three seats in the nose-bleeds for Matt, Karson and I.  I secured our tickets while we were waiting to board our airplane.  Matt and Miles got to board earlier than the rest of us because they wanted to make sure families got to sit together.  Oddly, they only allowed the two of them and not the rest of us, so we had to wait our turn.  Because Southwest sits three to a seat, Isaac was able to sit with them when he boarded.  Karson and I got the shaft and had the middle and aisle seat a few rows behind them.  The guy that took the window seat literally slept and kept the window shade down the entire plane ride.  He woke up for a few seconds, lifted the shade, and his big blockhead took up all the space.  He shut it quickly and went back to sleep.  The family of three on the other side of the aisle kept their shade down the entire ride too.  WHAT?!?  It was super annoying to us!  It felt like we were in a black hole vortex for almost four hours.  We flew our plane cookies to pass the time.

Once we arrived in Phoenix, we grabbed our luggage and headed to the Rental Car garage to pick up our van.  There were about eight choices of the same Dodge Grand Caravan so we grabbed one and hit the road because we were starving.  We stumbled upon the best burger joint in Tempe called The Chuckbox then went next door to indulge on some yummy Insomnia Cookies before heading over to our hotel to check-in.

I thought I hit the birthday jackpot when we arrived at Embassy Suites and next door was a Jerry's Restaurant.  (Reference my love for the BG Jerry's here)  Could it be?  What are the chances?  We got checked into the hotel early, and I immediately went next door to take a peek at the menu.  Sadly, it was not my Jerry's.  No spaghetti dinner.  No coleslaw.  No J-Boy.  No hot fudge cake.  A true birthday bummer!  However, the weather was gorgeous and the pool was calling our name.  It was nice getting to relax for a little while before heading over to Talking Stick Arena for the game.  Matt and I made a quick Walmart run after the pool to grab some snacks and drinks to keep in the hotel/van throughout the week and picked up some pizzas for dinner.

The game was very entertaining, and the boys were tickled with their seats and made lots of new friends.  Devin Booker is a beast and scored 48 points.  I think at one point, he had outscored the entire Memphis Grizzlies combined score.  The Nets managed to lose the game at the last minute, and it didn't help that DeAndre Ayton got injured towards the end of the game.

 We enjoyed the game way up top, and poor Karson was struggling with the new environment and her eyes/nose were both watery.  Although the Suns didn't pull out a win, it was a fun Phoenix highlight and a great way to kick off our trip.  After dropping the kids back at the hotel, we ran to CVS and grabbed Karson some Benadryl.  The Embassy Suites room wasn't the best experience - it was hard to keep the room cool, there was a big gap in our front door and the frame, the beds were doubles, and our bathroom floor was insanely hot.  The complimentary breakfast the next morning totally made up for it.  There was a chef cooking everyone made-to-order meals - pancakes, bacon, omelettes, french toast, whatever you wanted.  It was the perfect beginning to our day exploring Phoenix.  We headed over to Papago Park which has tons of trails and hiking, but our primary purpose was to see The Hole in the Rock.

Our plan was to drive to Page, AZ (the longest leg of our journey) at some point Sunday afternoon/evening.  UK was also playing early afternoon, and Matt really wanted to watch the game.  Our mission post-Papago was to find a place for Matt to root for the Cats.  We stumbled upon the Tempe Festival of the Arts which reminded me of the St. James Arts Festival in Louisville.  There were blocks and blocks of vendors, live music, street performers, food trucks - it was the perfect scenario.  The boys could plant and watch the game, and Karson and I could look around, shop, and kill time for a few hours.

 We got henna tattoos from The Henna Shoppe, ate the best Korean BBQ at Hibachibot, looked at arts/crafts booths, enjoyed some street performers, and did some shopping at Urban Outfitters.

 

The fellas watched the game at Loco Patron.  Sadly, the Cats couldn't pull out a win =(.

 

Directly across the street from Loco Patron was Hayden Butte Preserve, about the steepest hill I've ever seen.  Isaac was eager to hike up it.  There's a nice, wide path with handrails, but it's quite a workout getting to the top.  Isaac bounced up it no problem at all.  Me, different story.  I managed to get almost to the top, but there was an even steeper path with stairs when I decided to stop at the landing.  Isaac continued on up the stairs. However, when a toddler, maybe 3-4, got to my point and continued, it gave me new motivation.  If a toddler could do it, I could too.  During our trek up and down, I noticed a guy in a backpack on his way up for the THIRD time.  Guess he was training for something?  I was one and done!
 
Onward to Page, AZ!!!  If I had the trip to plan all over again, I'm not sure we would've began in Page, but when you're looking at a map and trying to figure out a course, it's tough to plan not knowing.  Page was relatively close to Flagstaff which was going to be the third stopping point and also close to the Grand Canyon.  I wanted to knock out the furthest driving point early in the week and backtrack.  The drive to Page is miles and miles and miles of the most beautiful scenery ever, but there is nothing so I'd advise you to fill your car up with gas prior to making the drive. 

We stayed at the Hampton Inn, and our room was enormous with two Queen beds, a nice kitchenette and living area.  The boys were super excited about the indoor pool and went there almost immediately after we arrived.  

Page is the home to Antelope Canyon.  We booked our tour months in advance with Ken's Tours, and I recommend booking early if you plan to do this because the tours fill up fast.  Words and pictures can't describe the beauty of this place, and it was the primary reason for our visit to Page.

Our tour Navajo tour guide Setrina.

After our canyon visit, we headed back to the hotel to eat some sandwiches and then went to see Horseshoe Bend and Glen Canyon Dam.

The kids were ready to crash and burn after a long day of sight seeing, so we grabbed them some fast food and dropped them at the hotel.  Matt and I had spotted a cluster of restaurants on the way to Glen Canyon Dam that we wanted to try out.  We decided on Big John's Texas BBQ, and it was tasty.  Matt got the brisket sandwich plate, and I got the pork sandwich plate.

Sometimes you need a Root Beer float to cap off a great day!

On our way to Page, we noticed that it would be better for us to visit the Grand Canyon while we were in that area rather than traveling from Flagstaff.  Again, it's sort of hard to know the best route until you're out in the area.  I did a load of laundry at the hotel on Monday night.  It's amazing how many dirty clothes five people can accumulate in three days.  Tuesday morning, our plan was to get up bright and early and head to the Grand Canyon.  Initially, I was hoping to "match"  in some of our family pictures.  Who are we kidding though?  I knew that wouldn't happen.  My friend Shelly was able to whip us up some cute Wild West Family Vacation shirts that we wore the day we went to the Grand Canyon.  It was a chilly morning and overcast which made it even cooler.  **I highly recommend getting a US National Parks pass if you plan to visit lots of National Monuments and Parks.  It'll save you some money and is only $80 for a family and good for one year.  

The first point after entering the park from the South Rim is Desert View which is worth a stop.  I knew the GCNP was big but didn't realize that each viewpoint was fairly far apart.  To give you an example, the Visitor Center is about 30 miles from the first (Desert View) point.  The best views are definitely at the Visitor Center, but it absolutely packed and finding a parking space is difficult.

We lucked out in Lot 4 when someone was pulling out, and we were able to grab the spot.  It was super windy and cool, but we'd packed lunch and wanted to eat that before heading down to the scenic overlook.  It was beautiful.

To Flagstaff we go!  The trip was fairly quick, and we managed to make a pit stop at both Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument before heading to our hotel.  Both monuments are on the same loop (right off Highway 89).

 

 Wupatki was home to the Pueblo and rich in lots of the Native American ruins.  The home was three-story and believed to have housed around 300 people.  There was a circular community room, a ballpark recreational area, and the blow hole, which was super entertaining to our crew.  This is a vent of unknown depth linked to underground passages in the sandstone, and either blows out or sucks in air, depending on the ambient pressure.  It was blowing out while we were there.

My energy tank was pretty low by the time we arrived to Sunset Crater, and it was still fairly chilly.  You could see lots of the volcano's destruction (fields of cinder) to the landscape when heading to the Visitor Center.

Karson, Miles and I stayed on the short concrete path that overlooked the volcano, but Matt and Isaac took a more scenic route on the Lava Flow Trail at the base of the volcano and got to see some cool things.


We spotted a Wendy's on our way into Flagstaff and got the kids meals.  They, again, were ready to plant and zone-out at the hotel.  Once we got them settled in, Matt found the BEST Italian Restaurant called Fat Olives.  It was packed for a Tuesday night which has to be a good sign.  There was live music, and the entire atmosphere was delicious. We shared Fettuccine and their famous Belgio Dolce pizza (aka:: what Guy Fieri ate while he was there and 3rd place winner in the 2014 International Pizza Festival).  We finished the meal with Tiramisu and Chocolate Mousse - literally turned into FAT Olives while we were there.

Wednesday was another full day!  We started out at Walnut Canyon National Monument.  This might have been my favorite spot of the entire trip.  The visitor center is smack dab on top of a cliff and straight down is Walnut Canyon - 240 steps to be exact.  I think the only other time I've walked that many steps was the 294 up and down Bunker Hill in Boston.  Walnut Canyon is worth it though.  It's gorgeous.  A lot of the cliff dwellings/rooms (from the Sinagua people) are carved directly into the mountain and situated on a loop U-shaped trail so you get a very close look at they how they lived.  There was something very peaceful and surreal about it.  However, if you're afraid of heights, I wouldn't recommend the Island Trail or the visit all together.

In looking back and planning, I wish we'd stopped at Montezuma Castle National Monument on our way to Page on Sunday because it was a super quick sight to see but not necessarily a quick place to drive from Flagstaff.  We passed the exit on our way to Page, and it would've been simpler to have stopped there during our route. It's definitely neat and a place you'll want to see, but it's a fast visit.

Sedona, here we come...we were all starving after leaving Montezuma, but Camp Verde was limited on food options.  By limited, I mean, I didn't see anything.  We figured as we got closer to Sedona, there would be some restaurant choices.  However, we also wanted to see Chapel of the Holy Cross which is on the way to Sedona.  I had a full tube of Pringles and convinced everyone we could ration them out to tie us over until lunch. Like Montezuma, the Chapel was a fairly quick visit.  We got in, got out, and moved on.

I think I could've spent a couple of days in Sedona, red sandstone formations and rocks everywhere, and right in the middle of the desert.  Lots of shopping, food, hiking trails - reminded me of a mini-Gatlinburg. We found a parking spot and headed into Canyon Breeze to eat.  It was set up like a food court and seemed like it would be a a quick eat.  The Pringles didn't tie us over, so we were all hungry.  I got a sandwich wrap.  Isaac got a pizza.  Miles got a hotdog.  Karson got a corndog.  And Matt got some sort of Chicken Sandwich.  It wasn't the best meal and not real cheap, but it did the trick.  The boys headed over to Cold Stone creamery afterwards, and Karson and I peeked into a few fun shops before heading over to Cold Stone as well.  We'd done so much exploring on Wednesday, our energy level was low.  All of us were ready to head back to the hotel and crash.

I told the kids if we wanted to maximize our time in Vegas, we'd need to leave early on Thursday.  There was a Wal-Mart next door to our hotel so we ran over there Wednesday night and grabbed some donuts (thank you Hostess) and a 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk.  We hit the road fairly early on Thursday because we wanted to make a stop at the Hoover Dam.

 

We came, we saw, we took some DAM pictures.  If you wanna save a couple of bucks, drive over the Dam and park in one of the lots a little further up on the Arizona side and walk down (free parking).

We grabbed some lunch right after our visit at Panda Express and McDonald's.  I'm sure glad we did because everything is insanely expensive in Las Vegas. On the flip side, I was surprised by how family friendly the city seemed. It was clean and beside a few scantily clad street performers, we didn't see anything too risque.  I'm sure it gets a little more racy later into the night.

 

Las Vegas did not disappoint.  I sadly admit though that I don't feel like I was able to truly "give to the city" like I wanted to.  I was pooped!  The city was full of energy, stimulation, bright lights, entertainment everywhere - my brain and body were both on overload.  The Las Vegas Sign is a must-take photo so we went there to get in line which surprisingly moved quickly.

We figured it would be best to drive a few blocks of the strip before heading back to the MGM Grand to check our bags.  I was waiting for our email confirmation code since I like to do online (or app) check-in.  We no more than checked our bags with the Bellhop (who was so kind and super helpful) when I got the QR code for our room.

Trying to navigate our way through the MGM Grand was tough.  Everything is marked, but it's just terribly confusing!  We FINALLY found the entrance to our tower and elevator and made our way to the room.  Miles had spotted Topgolf on the way inside our hotel, and the other kids had spotted the Big Apple Roller Coaster at New York New York Hotel next door.  They were all eager to leave the room, but I wanted to go ahead and get all our things delivered to our room as I figured we might want to swim and relax a little later. 

That's exactly what we did post-golf and post-roller coaster was head back to the hotel, get our swim garb on and find the pool (again, not too easy).  I was a little surprised when we arrived at the pool around 4 PM that it closed at 6 PM and the Lazy River closed at 5 PM.  I'm sure there are valid reasons, but it was a bummer to only get a small amount of time in the pool (we made the most of it though).

We were all done for the evening and grabbed some food.  My head was hurting pretty bad, and I needed to rest for a bit.  All of us were pretty wiped out.

 Friday, our last day, we wanted to maximize our time in Vegas.  Our kids aren't big into shows, so I certainly wasn't going to spend $600+ on David Copperfield or Chris Angel tickets if no one (besides Matt and I) wanted to see them.  Miles and Isaac were both eager to go to Topgolf, and Karson wanted to do the CSI: The Experience - perfect that both entertainment choices were inside/around our hotel.  We all wanted to go to the pool again and spend more time there.  I set the plan in motion - we'd all go visit Madame Tussauds Las Vegas together after breakfast at the Venetian, head to the pool, and then go our separate ways (boys to Topgolf and girls to CSI).

We took the kids across the street to Coco's Bakery.  The bellhop told us it was a nice place to eat with a family and very affordable. It also helped that it was right across the street. Thanks for the tip friend - we loved it.  He also told us about a Tram that we could take from Park MGM across the street which was free and transport us to the Bellagio.  We could save some time walking if we did that since it's a little further down the strip.  Oh my, the Bellagio is about the most beautiful hotel EVER!  It reminded me of Opryland.  The conservatory and botanical gardens were stunning. We were still a few blocks away from the wax museum, but there is so much to see on the strip, it didn't feel too far.

I think wax museums are so much fun! We all enjoyed the creepy/cool statues and posing with them.

I was afraid we weren't going to be able to pull Miles from the PGA exhibit.  It had a putting green and clubs.  He was having a great time.

At the end of the museum was a 4-D Marvels Movie Theatre which was a nice way to round out the event.

We made the trek back to the hotel to grab some food and get our swim stuff on.  Karson ate a leftover Subway while the boys went to the hotel food court.  I took a quick detour because I wanted to take a peek in a cute souvenir shop I'd seen and grab a few goodies.  We relaxed around the pool for a few hours before heading back to the room.

The boys returned to Topgolf and Karson and I did some crime solving at CSI: The Experience.  We even received a graduation diploma for completing our case.  

We'd heard the Bellagio lights were amazing and worth seeing.  AND, while we were there (that week only) the light show was set to the Game of Thrones music with the final season kick-off right around the corner.  It was the perfect end to our trip.

The flight home was quick and uneventful.  We were all super happy to be back in Kentucky (especially our own beds).  The trip was the sort of vacation that felt long, which is a good thing.  We got to cram a whole lot  into one week.  Fingers crossed we'll get to go back and see some more in the future - one week isn't enough; however, it was enough for us this time.