The Grand Canyon

Wes can check the Grand Canyon off of his bucket list! We made the two hour drive today so he could see it. 

Tomorrow we head back home to our real lives. Nobody is more excited for that than Evan. 

Sedona Day #3

Today we took the highly regarded Pink Jeep tour up Broken Arrow Trail. We could have walked it, but the Jeep was much more fun - and much easier. 

The views of the Red Rocks were great - unless you are Evan. Then “they are just rocks.”

Our tour guide let us have a little fun with the camera. Notice he did not choose Evan. This might have been intentional. 

We stopped at Submarine point for more pictures and more views. This is my favorite!

And then we headed back down the trail to Uptown. 

Wes and I took the boys back to the VRBO to sleep, and in an effort to beat the next storm, the two of us hiked Airport Mesa Trail. Parking lot #1 was filled with emergency vehicles as they were in the midst of rescuing a hiker on a stretcher. I wondered what we were about to get into, but we trekked on to parking lot #2 and got started on the rocky trail. 

The view at the top allowed us to see all of the Red Rocks at once. However, the energy from the vortex did nothing for me but make me sleepy. The warm sun. The cool rocks. I could have taken a nap. I feel jipped that I didn’t feel my spirit soar or get to take advantage of heightened spiritual awareness or feel the mystical energy promised by all of the print material.

The storms can be heard in the distance. It won’t be long before the rains arrive.  There isn’t much to do indoors when it rains. Maybe I can talk the boys into having our palms read or have our aura pictures taken. Or not. Maybe we can just stretch out and rest until it blows over. 

Upper Antelope Canyon

We got so lucky! The monsoon season started early this year and many places in the desert are experiencing flash flooding. All of the lower slot canyons are closed this week due to flooding. The upper slot canyons closed yesterday due to flooding. Our timing for today’s tour was perfect, and I got to check another place off of my bucket list. 

Page is a three hour drive from Sedona, so we were up at 5:30 for an early morning drive through the desert and onto Navajo lands. But that long drive was worth it! Look at these pictures Wes and Keagan captured in the slot canyon. 

Once we made it through the canyon, we had to hike back across the mountain to the parking lot. It was an  easy hike but made tougher due to thick sand. 

After lunch, we drove by Glen Canyon Dam to snag a picture. 

Then we drove the five minutes to Horseshoe Bend.

And just like that two of my bucket list places can be checked off of my list!

Sedona Day #2

Today’s morning hike took us to the Instagram worthy pictures taken at Devil’s Bridge. We hiked the Dry Creek Bed Trail (and this time the expression on Evan’s face is indicative of how he feels - he’s not into rocks or early mornings or combinations of these two). 

About 3/4 of the way we took a water break and thought we had some beautiful views…

until we reached the apex of the trail and found Devil’s Bridge. 

Going the two miles down the mountain was harder because you had to brace yourself to keep from slipping down the steep, smooth rocks. The sun burned through the clouds, too, so the temp was a bit warmer. However, I will not complain! The temps today are a good 20 degrees cooler than what they were last week. 

After lunch, we window shopped in town at Tlaquepaque. This super cute shopping district screams Mexico with the stucco, colorful tile work, and bronze art work. The fountains, flowers, and fauna made this stop a favorite because all of the colors differed so much from the natural landscape. 

Another stop took us to an eclectic shopping area that included hand-made art work and a greenhouse filled with succulents. 

After a “mid-Mexican meal”, Evan and I walked off our ceviche at Mystic Trail. 

Day 2 is in the books. We have already done so much and have seen so much that I feel like we have been here a week. 

Let’s Go!

Wes got a performance bonus in June. Younger, more practical Kacey would have paid ahead on the mortgage. Older, more time conscious Kacey said, “Let’s take a trip - we are only getting older and who knows how much longer we will be able to do the fun stuff!” This week Wes is getting to check off the Grand Canyon from his bucket list, and I’m finally able to see Antelope Canyon. The boys are along for the ride, but clearly they are “not into rocks.” Sedona is our home base for the week. Here is the view from our VRBO patio.

Our original flight for Sunday was canceled, but by a miracle and some deep digging through the available flight options, we got the same direct flight on Monday. Relieved to be in the air, we soon learned we were arriving in the middle of monsoon season and the slot canyons are closed due to flooding. And here I was worried about the heat! The temps are mild, and we are going to be thankful it is not 100 degrees like it was last week. However, I’m crossing my fingers we get into the slot canyons on Wednesday.

Once we secured our rental car, our first stop was Montezuma Castle, a five story 20 room house built by the Sinagua farmers in the year 1100. This is all you can see today. 

This is not exactly what I had in mind when I envisioned Southwest cliff dwellings, and certainly no match for the Incan ruins we saw in June, but it is still fascinating. 

From here we drove to the old mining town of Jerome. 

It is considered a ghost town with haunted buildings that have been renovated into art galleries, wineries, and restaurants. Quirky is the best word to describe it. This outhouse wishing well was its most unique feature. 

We had lunch here, walked Main Street, window shopped, and had ice cream. The brown rocks, cacti, and withering plants are not beautiful to my eyes, so this corner of green was a welcomed site.

The 3:45 wake up means we all needed naps! I’m hoping to bike ride, hike, eat, explore, and soak up this last week of summer vacation - even if we are hit with monsoon rains. So rest up boys! You gotta be able to hang with Mom. 

Getting the boys up at 4:00 was no easy task, but we loaded them in the car for the .5 mile ride to Chapel of the Holy Cross. 

The views were spectacular! We took a short mile hike on Chapel Trail to get closer views of Two Sisters and Twin Buttes. 

Tomorrow I have two more hikes on the agenda, so the boys get to see even more rocks! 

Ready for Home

I read four books. I had lunch with a former co-worker. I sat by the pool soaking up all of the sun my body could handle and producing mass quantities of vitamin D. Keagan had 8 training sessions, 5 games, 3 recruiting sessions, and (still) 2 healthy knees. I still can’t believe he did all of that in the scorching heat with very little recovery time. They did not play in the rain; this is sweat!

We are headed over the mountains and back home for two short days before we get away for one last summer hoorah. We closed out this summer’s soccer road trip with a Buc-ees stop. 

Camp Sitings

I had big plans of doing only my favorite things while Keagan is down the street playing soccer. I went to the gym, had breakfast at the hotel, and then headed to the outdoor pool to read. Who could possibly be at the Hampton Inn pool at 1000? As it turns out, a lot of people, and they had no intentions of sitting quietly while reading either. My time here was short-lived, but my hotel room is not quiet either. The middle aged couple next door is in town visiting family, and when they return to the room, I hear a recap of all of the family drama. There is no shortage of drama from the wive’s perspective either! I’m betting the man-next- door’s wife and brother duke it out before the family reunion ends. 

I left the room to peruse Target for the second time this week, and after a late lunch, I headed to the fields to watch camp game #1. I’ve watched ID camp scrimmages many times. Despite the differences in location, some things don’t change. For instance, everyone knew Keagan’s name, but Keagan refers to everyone by their jersey number. He knew no names. He never does, but he can tell you their dominant foot, their cleat color, and their hair style. Every. Time. 

Here’s another camp constant: He had a foul called on him. He claimed it was all ball. But that face doesn’t look like all ball. 

Portugal won the first game, but there was no celebration. After almost six hours of soccer in the sun, the boys were toast. 

Portugal won game #2 as well. I thought Keagan played better in this game, but it was also fifteen degrees cooler. 

After the game, he met me on the sidelines to say the food is good, he’s very tired, and his roommate went home with a broken toe. 

I really don’t see how these guys can continue to play at this level and this same pace for another three days! I have said so many prayers of gratitude that my boy is still able to play.