 Monument Valley in Arizona |
With so many gorgeous places that we’ve visited to choose from, I picked Monument Valley to celebrate Earth Day. I think it’s fitting that this special spot is located on lands owned by the Navajo tribe – a people who have such a special respect for Mother Earth.
Check out other photos at DeliciousBaby.com
When I was planning our Arizona vacation using Frommer’s 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up, one of the top things I wanted to do with my kids was take a balloon ride over Sedona. For someone who is afraid of heights, you would think that a hot-air balloon ride would send me into a faint. But for some reason, the idea of being contained in a basket hundreds of feet in the air feels safer than standing on a ladder.
We used Red Rock Balloon Adventures and were very pleased with their professionalism, service, and the quality of their balloons. There are other companies in and around Sedona, but the other balloons didn’t seem to fly over as high as we did, nor did they get as close to the rock formations as our balloons did. The price for a flight is pretty steep (figure $200/per person) but the scenery and the memories are worth it.
The only bad part of the ballooning experience is the time you have to get up to take the flight – before dawn, which for us meant around 5:00 am. Yawn!
There were grumbles from my boys, but their eyes widened when we got to the take-off field and watched the huge balloons inflate. Oh and did I mention it was cold, too?
Brr . . . we were bundled in hats and coats but we didn’t mind.
By the time the sun was up, the balloons were inflated and we were assigned a basket with two other families and a couple.
We climbed in and we were off!
I loved the gentle ascent and the (mostly) quiet ride. We whispered as we lifted off, the only sound the clicking of cameras. And then they released the gas jet to heat the air, inflate the balloon, and make it rise . . .
And my oldest son almost jumped out of the wicker gondola.
It turns out that while he may be fearless when it comes to roller coasters, daredevil stunts, and other “boy” things, he’s not a fan of hot-air ballooning. I guess the loud gas release (which sounded like a roar) spooked him.
In any case, he couldn’t wait to get down and off. So as he huddled into his coat, flinching every time the gas jet released, we enjoyed the gorgeous red rock scenery of Sedona.
The pilots were amazing and got us close to buttes and mesas, then swooped down to graze the tops of trees.
Before long, we landed in an open field and waited for the chase vehicles to come pick us up. We bounced along back roads and back into Sedona and headed to a roadside park where we were greeted with certificates of our accomplishment and a champagne breakfast.
Why champagne? Legend has it that early French balloonists would carry bottles of champagne to soothe the ruffled feathers of farmers whose fields they landed in.
In any case, the light breakfast was a welcome meal for my hungry boys (although they passed on the champagne!)
We were at the end of our Arizona adventure and I wanted to know what my guys (especially my oldest) thought of our hot-air excursion.
He gave me a sour look, shook his head, and pointed to the back of the truck where they were selling t-shirts.
“I want one of those,” he said pointing to a specific shirt, “and I’m never doing this again.”
Sigh. If you can’t read the back of the shirt, it simply says: “Been there, done that, bought a t-shirt.”
There’s something about little (and big) boys and cowboys. Maybe it’s the horses, but I bet it’s the ropin’ and the shootin’ that makes them so excited. Whatever the reason, I knew we couldn’t pass up a chance to experience the Wild West at the Blazin’ M Ranch in Cottonwood, AZ, just next to the Verde Canyon Railroad.
We did a package that included the train ride AND dinner and a show at the Blazin’ M. The train ride finished around 4:30 which left plenty of time to drive over to the Blazin’ M and wander around their frontier town before dinner and the show.
The boys practiced their sharp-shooting skills, tried their hand at roping a fake cow, and took a train ride around the property. Then it was off to the cowboy supper held in a large barn with picnic tables for seating. We worked our way through the hearty meal of beans, cornbread (Wow! Was it yummy!), baked potato, and roast beef served with a selection of lemonade, water, and cowboy coffee. We passed on the dessert since we were stuffed, but before they had the show, they had some awards to give out.
It was the typical kind of door prizes – farthest visitor, person who had visited the most, etc. But then they announced the sharpshooting awards – and wouldn’t you know that my DH won??? Apparently he had the best aim and demolished a paper target.
Sniff. I’m so proud. Plus, he got a free ice cream sundae that he shared with the boys.
Then it was time for the show. A combination of comedy routines, musical numbers, and general good fun, the boys loved it. They even had this person on horseback riding around as the “Ghost Rider.” A little spooky for my youngest until he figured out that it was just a person in a sheet riding a black horse (which he petted after the show).
By the time we were done for the night, we were stuffed, tired, and filled with smiles.
 |
| Verde Canyon |
There are so many fun activities in Sedona, AZ, but we wanted to get away from driving and just relax after driving over 1000 miles on our Arizona adventure, so we headed over to the Verde Canyon Railroad.
The train only goes 12 mph – the better to search for eagles on the way through the canyon. We didn’t see any on our relaxing ride, but we enjoyed the scenery.
 |
| Searching for eagles |
A word of advice for travelers. We paid up for the first class car and it was definitely worth it with a catered lunch, comfy couches to relax in, and a cash bar. Plus, we had our own private viewing area with a fabulous guide.
The coach cars had just as fabulous views but their seats were benches and their outside viewing areas were more crowded. Packages are offered with many local Sedona hotels, so it pays to check out their web site.
After so many days on the road, the train ride was perfect, both to unwind and also share our favorite experiences of the trip.
 |
| Wigwam Village Hotel |
With wild wind and I-40 in Arizona still closed, it’s fortunate we still had Route 66 open as an option to travel on. We passed the famous Wigwam Village Hotel on our way out of Holbrook, AZ then wound our way over to Winslow, AZ.
I’m pretty sure my boys were embarrassed by their parents’ off-key rendition of the famous Eagles song “Take It Easy” which features the lyrics:
 |
| Meteor Crater |
