Third grade

How can she be in the third grade already?

Grand Canyon

26 years and 2 days from when we left on our west adventure with my parents, we left out with the Salinas family. And what an adventure it was!!!

We rented a giant Suburban and headed to Newport to pick up our traveling buddies. That night we went to Oklahoma City and then Albuquerque. We spent a couple of nights in ABQ relishing in all of the Breaking Bad nostalgia and then headed to Holcomb, AZ where we stayed in wigwams. The next day we made it to the Grand Canyon! After the Grand Canyon we went to Colorado Springs for three  nights and then home.

Morning 1--We broke my cardinal vacation rule--don't eat anywhere you can eat at home. Here we are at Danver's. Incidentally, it was the only picture we took with the selfie stick.

John really liked this buffalo.

Albuquerque is ablaze with Breaking Bad. Even the donuts are inspired by Breaking Bad, and of course we got some bacon and maple syrup and Day of the Dead and the Simpsons.

The Breaking Bad house. The sign said to stay off the yard since it was someone's home so I stayed safely in the street.

Our hotel in Albuquerque had a indoor water park. I took the kids and let the adults do the work like packing up the car.  There was a surfing area that Lu loved and Emmy was obsessed with the super duper slides.

Old Town Albuquerque was lots of fun.

John was impressed with this guy's leather working. He talked to him for so long that Emmy had to go drag him away.

We have always been rule-breakers.

The guys and kids went to the Rattlesnake Museum but Tara and I opted out.

We hiked to the Rio Grande.

John wanted us to re-enact the cover of Rio Grande Mud by ZZ Top. We failed. He was not happy with us.

Before we left Albuquerque, we rode the tram to the top of the Sandia Peak. This was not an easy adventure for me to get the crew to do. Tara doesn't like to be in cooped up spaces and John is scared of heights. I had just enough battery on my phone for John to listen to the Beastie Boys on the ride up to calm his nerves. Unfortunately, I was the one who had a minor panic attack on the cable ride and got a touch of altitude sickness. The kids=champs.

John ordered a taco burger in ABQ--a burger in a taco shell of course!

In Amarillo, TX, we ate at the famous Big Texan steakhouse. They are famous for their meal that you can have for free if you can eat it an hour. We didn't take the challenge but did play around in the fun areas while we waited on our table.

We stopped at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo. An old hippie took some land off of I40 and buried old Cadillacs nose first in the ground. People spray paint it but it really is a big muddy field. I of course painted Woo Pig Sooie when it was my turn.

The wigwams were so super cool. They were tiny and concrete and very retro. The Vacation movie came out while we were on our trip and they stayed in the same wigwams in the movie. The movie was hysterical to see after what we had just done on our trip.

We all agreed the best part of our trip was Colorado Springs. We were all amazed at how much we loved the area but it was extra special for me that I got to have lunch with my cousin Cathy. She and her husband met me for lunch. I left everyone else so I could really talk to her without disruption and I am so glad I did. I have always adored her, since I was a little girl, but she moved to Colorado when I was in middle school. Since her family and our grandmother have died, we really don't see each other so this was a bonus for me.

Garden of the Gods

Emmy showing school pride for her Idlewild Eagles. She insisted I send this picture to her principal.

When in Colorado Springs, we went to Manitou Springs. It was such a quaint, neat little town near Pikes Peak. This incline is used as training for Olympians and my amazing friend did it!! It wasn't easy and it was pretty but she is an amazing woman. So proud of her. The kids made it just about as far as they are in the picture. Tara was such a rockstar. She made a promise to her work out buddies to do ten burpees in every state. She started out strong and would have done it if I the drive had not been so nervewracking at times. I think this made up for it.

Tara and I took the kids to the North Pole. We had no idea what it was but it turned out to be a Santa themed adventure park.

The ferris wheel is the highest in the world. It is at the base of Pikes Peak.

We made it to the Grand Canyon. Six folks in and six folks out. And what a sight it was.

The kids getting signed in for the Junior Ranger badges at the Grand Canyon.

John and Jorge taking a selfie.

We drove through the Petrified Forrest National Park too. However, it said it closed in thirty minutes and we were quite worried we would get locked inside so it was very Griswold of us.

We white water rafted the Royal Gorge. The kids loved it!

The place. Emmy wants to go back to Colorado just to eat her. She loved the BBQ sandwich she had. She kept calling it her "Saaaaaaaaaaaandwich" and she insisted on a picture of her in front of the restaurant so we could come back; she is kissing the sandwich.

I am not sure if Emmy was really frightened of the bear or getting back in the SUV for the ride home.

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