Christmas Road Trip - Day 15

Day 15: Palo Pinto, TX - Memphis, TN After a rather leisurely morning at the ranch with a yummy breakfast of homemade waffles and bacon, we hit the dusty trail once again. We had many miles to cover - more than I had realized. We made a stop in Fort Worth, TX to see the Stockyards and a cattle drive. It was fun to how things were done in the old west. We toured around a bit and then Jackie did a stockyard maze while the rest of us gave her directions from above. She completed it in 22 minutes - not easy! It was one of the things contestants had to do on Amazing Race 5.

After the stockyards, it was on to Dallas. We took a quick detour to see Pioneer Plaza and the place where Kennedy was assassinated. There wasn't much to see but as a history buff, it was cool to drive the route.

And back on the road we went. Santa Barbara seems like another trip! We're so glad we did this road trip of road trips; however, we're all ready to get in our own beds! We're praying for one more day of safety and good attitudes. Tomorrow - home!

Christmas Road Trip - Day 14

Day 14: The Ranch
This was a super fun day on our trip. We went to the Texas ranch of some great friends of ours. They were so gracious to have us, especially since their kids just left that morning from their Christmas visits. Maddie and Jackie were especially excited to go to the ranch and ride the horses. We had a fun ride through just a small bit of their 1000 acre property. I rode a mule named Molly and let me tell you, she had a mind of her own. I mostly kept her under control but there is truth to the saying "stubborn as a mule"! The girls wanted to keep trotting - a little rough on the rump if you ask me.

John, Colin, and Abbey rode 4 wheel ATV's while we rode the horses. They too had lots of fun exploring the land via trails and no trails. No accidents and tons of fun!

After exploring the ranch, we headed back to the main house, which is set at the top of a ridge with an incredible view! The home itself is amazing too. There were beautiful guest suites and a bunk room for the kids to sleep in. A pool and hot tub overlooking the river below and miles of Texas were like a fancy resort, which is what we felt like we were staying at with the benefit of good friends as hosts. It was great to catch up over a delicious home cooked meal and s'mores in the outdoor fireplace.

Just one of many beautiful views at the ranch.

It was great to see some familiar faces again after so many days and miles on the road. What a wonderful day!

Christmas Road Trip - Day 13

Day 13: Albuquerque, NM - Abilene, TX This was one LONG driving day. There really is nothing but flat land between these 2 cities. We were beat by the time we got to our hotel so we just ordered Domino's pizza, took a dip in the pool, did some laundry,played some Nurtz and called it a day.

Nurtz in the hotel room. Watch out Bergtholds, we're getting good!

One thing I have been grateful on this trip is that our van has worked so well. She's getting a little on the "older" side of her vehicle life expectancy and it is just so nice that she has started each time and has done well on the trip. I realize we still have some miles to go so I am trusting that she'll go the distance!

These driving days allow for lots of time together in the van. Most of it is good. Maddie and Jackie have been playing card games, coloring, and using different lotions and sprays to freshen things up in the back. We don't always know what they're doing but we hear giggling, singing, and talking so we think they're having fun. Colin & Abbey have been reading a lot and listening to their tunes. Once in a while we shake up the seating just for a little change of pace.

Christmas Road Trip - Day12

Day 12: Grand Canyon to Albuquerque Written by Colin


Our journey continues through the frigid cold. We awoke from our bungalow and ventured out in the balmy -13 degree morning. Our party still remains six and the wagon is becoming a cramped asylum. Luckily, this morning, we received help from the natives who were of the company of a notorious man by the name of Ronald. They gave us our morning rations but for a hefty price. Our oats and coffee cost us nearly a days wages back home. We then left the canyon behind and looked for warmer weather and a flat road. Snuggled up in our blankets, we passed through the  Flagstaff Outpost and gave way to the desires of the young ones for a bathroom break. The road was finally panning out into what the natives call the high desert. The drivers continued to switch to relieve the monotony but our three stowaways were becoming a little restless. The card games have been exhausted as the hundredth game of Nurtz commenced  The two youngest have resorted to using our supplies (particularly the lotion) as dolls for their entertainment. From the window of our wagon, we saw a curious little sign for a meteorite crater. To extinguish the boredom, we ventured a look. We saddled up the wagon and wandered up the rim to find a lively Hispanic conducting tours. He showed us and explained the history of the crater but for a few of our greenbacks. The hole was darn near a mile wide and made by some large space rocks. I sure don't believe in such tom-foolery but it makes a good tale for the young-ins. Afterwards, we unhitched the chassis and continued on hoping to get to the next trading post by sun down. We weren't making good time according to our sundials and we needed to refuel. The only station for near 100 miles was a little native ranch called Gallup. We pulled in to some unfamiliar parts. The natives didn't look too friendly upon us Yankees in their territory. Fearing nothing less than a riot, we scuttled out of town and back to the road. Our mama took over the next shift and drove our team all the way to the inn in Albuquerque. Tuckered out from the days ride, we settled into the beds and got some evening rations from the local vendor. The card games came back out after their brief spell out of service. I guess Nurtz is a game that dies hard on the boring road home east.

Meteor Crater - a mile wide and 500 feet deep

Dad & his girls at the edge of the crater

The desert of northern Arizona. Beautiful mountain in background.

Christmas Road Trip - The Grand Canyon

Day 11 - Phoenix to the Grand Canyon We left balmy Phoenix this morning for the colder but more beautiful Grand Canyon. As we made our way up I-17 toward Flagstaff we went from cacti everywhere to snow falling in the mountains. Our first stop was to be Sedona for lunch. Unfortunately, we drove by the exit and then realized it about 5 miles later, the next exit not being for another 9 miles! We decided it was worth turning around for and are glad we did. The red rocks of Sedona are spectacular!

Red Rocks of Sedona. 

We drove through the cute towns and stopped at a trailhead but decided it was too cold to hike without the proper clothing, which we did not have. So we must come back another time to take advantage of all there is to do in this area. We scouted out a Subway for lunch and pulled into a picturesque parking lot to eat our sandwiches. Cheap with a beautiful view! John and the girls hit the local dollar store for New Year's decorations and the ingredients for Shirley Temples so we could bring in the new year right.

Back on the road for another couple of hours to get to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. We got there around 4:00 and were able to see the canyon from the south rim visitor's center. Amazing does not even come close to describing this incredible natural wonder! If it wasn't so cold, I'm sure we would have spent much longer looking at it. Again, we'll need to come back when it's warmer. It's supposed to get down to -2 tonight!

As the sun set, we headed back to the little town of Tusayan to our hotel. We checked in and then went to find dinner. Hmmm. . . not many choices and a number of them were pricey as they had New Year's specials for a night out. We ended up at the Plaza Bonita Family Mexican restaurant. Thankfully, they had something for everyone and it didn't break the bank! Then back to the hotel to watch the ball drop and bring out the party gear! And, I think we'll be calling it a New Year before midnight this year.

Christmas Road Trip - Day 10

Day 10 San Diego, CA - Phoenix, AZ We started the day off a little slower today. Before heading to Phoenix, we went to the San Diego Persidio Park & original mission site. The views from there are spectacular and it was a gorgeous day so we could see in all directions. Next we headed to the Mission Beach area and walked along the boardwalk. The waves were huge today! Knowing we will be driving many days on flat more barren lands, we soaked in the ocean view and beautiful sunshine. It's also a great place to do some people watching. Always a favorite pastime of mine.

It was time to hit the road. The drive from San Diego on I-8 East was actually quite beautiful. We traversed through some mountains or at least some steep hills. About an hour out, the terrain became very rocky like nothing we had seen before. John had planned a stop for us at the Desert Tower about halfway between SD and Yuma. The guy who ran the tower was full of information and the tower itself was an eclectic collection of memorabilia and artifacts from all over America and especially the desert.

The gentleman who ran the place told us where to get lunch in Yuma - Lute's Casino. Lute's was not a working casino but a step back in time with an old west feeling and lots of Americana all over the walls, ceilings, tables, anywhere something could be put. It was a great lunch stop!

Back on the road. We got a bit off the beaten path by taking 95 east instead of I-8. It was more of a 2 lane highway and took us right through the Yuma Proving Grounds which is where the military trains and tests weapons. It was barren, that's for sure. We made a stop somewhere along the way to get a picture of a cactus. We took this until it met up with I-10 and then made the final leg into Phoenix.

We're all getting a little road weary. Emotions were a little quicker to come out and patience ran a bit thin. Hopefully a good night's sleep will do the trick. Overall, everyone has done really well and so has the van. For those things, we are grateful! Tomorrow it's off to the Grand Canyon!

Christmas Road Trip - San Diego

Day 9 San Diego Today was a day of being tourists in San Diego. We spent the majority of the day at the San Diego Zoo - a world famous zoo that did not disappoint! The animal habitats were amazing as well as the variety of animals to see. We did not make it through the whole thing.

The giraffes were Abbey's favorite. Jackie wanted to make sure we made it to the reptile house. All of us had a great time walking and viewing God's creativity seen in the animal kingdom.

It began to rain and got quite chilly around 3:00 so we left the zoo and headed to the harbor area. We took a little walk around Seaport Village and the younger girls got official San Diego sweatshirts. It was a tough choice for Jackie whether to get pink or purple. She settled on purple and seems happy with her choice.

We then went over the Coronado Bridge and did a rolling tour of Coronado as the weather was quite rainy by now. Back to San Diego Old Town we went for dinner at Guadalupe Cafe with authentic Mexican food and a mariachi band to boot!

A great day in a great city. Off the bed and on to Phoenix tomorrow!