![\"cacti\"](\"http:\/\/familyblog.datdec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_1914.jpg\")
<\/a>Cacti!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>More cacti. It was everywhere and we took a lot of pictures, but I won’t bore you with them all. :)<\/p><\/div>\n
Approaching Sedona.\u00a0 Sorry for all the car pictures.\u00a0 The AZ DOT said the road north of Sedona, leading to the Grand Canyon, was impassible, so we had planned to have lunch in Sedona then go back the way we came to the highway, then on to the Grand Canyon.\u00a0 My plan was to stop on the way back at a viewing area and take pictures, and let Eve out of the car to find the red rock she so desperately wanted.\u00a0 However, when we got to Sedona a chipper young girl at the information booth swore the road was open and the view was amazing, so after lunch we proceeded north.\u00a0 Sadly there were no more Sedona viewing areas from there and no more opportunities for red rock collection.\u00a0 I owe Eve another trip to Sedona!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Nearing Sedona. The rocks became redder and much more impressive.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>These kids are AWESOME travelers!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>There were about five hundred (or so) rotaries on the road to Sedona. I thought at first my navigation was broken and repeating itself, then I realized there were just that many traffic circles!\u00a0 They really DO NOT want you driving fast on that road!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Sedona rocks<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>More rocks.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Can you imagine this in your back yard?<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Coming into Sedona. Sorry for all the car pictures.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>We had lunch at a place called Wildflower. Basically a Panera-type restaurant. It was yummy. We ate on the deck and the view was fantastic!\u00a0 I think maybe we were looking at Castle Rock on the left and Cathedral Rock on the right.\u00a0 Maybe.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>They had bagels, of course, but they were happy.<\/p><\/div>\n
After lunch we followed the information girl’s advice and headed north through Oak Creek Canyon.\u00a0 The roads were narrow and twisty, and the views were amazing!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Heading out of Sedona, towards Oak Creek Canyon.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The rocks and vegetation out here are just so different and so interesting. I wonder if AZ natives feel the same when they drive through VT?<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Oak Creek Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Alan held down the button and took about 20 pictures in a row, trying to get a nice family shot. It didn’t work, but looking through them all is hysterical. I won’t bother posting all of them, but this is probably the best one.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>After watching us laughing hysterically trying to take a selfie, a nice couple passing by offered to take a picture for us. :)<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The kids enjoyed the view. Lex said that Oak Creek Canyon make Quechee Gorge look small by comparison.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Yep, I think I’d agree with him!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Jeesis enjoyed the view. Bamboo is next to her on the left.\u00a0 I was terrified Jeesis would go over the edge and that would be the end of our family vacation. Thankfully everyone survived the canyon!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>See all those road switchbacks? Yep, we drove that road!<\/p><\/div>\n
Now, finally, off to the Grand Canyon!<\/p>\n
<\/a>As we approached the Grand Canyon the terrain leveled out and became more scrubby.<\/p><\/div>\n
The goal was to get to the Grand Canyon in the early afternoon, stay a few hours, have dinner there, then head home in the dark.\u00a0 We got there a little late, but otherwise did ok. \u00a0I took a million pictures and it’s hard to pick the best ones….<\/p>\n
<\/a>So pretty.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Sometimes there were fences, sometimes there were no fences.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Grand Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Grand Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>A family selfie at the Grand Canyon. We got a better one taken by a stranger, but it’s on my phone and may or may not make it to the blog.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The rock formations are just amazing.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>We waited awhile to take a picture at this spot. We waited for a group of pretty young Italian (?) ladies to take 1001 Facebook photos. I think my kids are better than any of their photos! :)<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Eve was apparently watching closely because she very much wanted a picture here without Lex. When he walked away, she whipped out this pose… just like the young ladies before us. Sigh.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>See the people down on that ledge?! Thanks, but no thanks!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Another one, no fences, no fears! (and probably no kids!)<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Grand Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Alan and the kids. Hold on tight to those kiddos!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Here is Lex’s Facebook profile picture!! :) (He wasn’t really THAT close the edge, FYI.)<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>And Alan’s FB picture! :)<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Grand Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Grand Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n
Last summer Lex had a pretty bad reaction to a bee sting<\/a> and this year he is really jumpy around any flying, buzzy thing.\u00a0 At one point we are standing on a ledge, overlooking the Grand Canyon, and a big bug buzzes right by.\u00a0 Lex immediately starts spazzing out and trying to run away.\u00a0 Alan and I of course freak out a bit, because he is jumping around and running on a ledge of the GRAND CANYON!\u00a0 I got him calmed down, away from the ledge and the flying thing, and tried with all my terrified momma-heart to explain to him taht a) it was NOT a bee and b) a bee sting is better than falling off of the ledge into the GRAND CANYON!\u00a0 He was not convinced and decided to play it a little safer and stay away from ledges and bugs, to the best of his ability.\u00a0 Poor kiddo… but also a very smart kiddo!<\/p>\n Poor Lex. Do you see him up there?<\/p><\/div>\n It amazes me that such a wide variety of vegetation can grow along the side of a cliff.<\/p><\/div>\n Who holds the key to the future of the Grand Canyon?<\/p><\/div>\n Apparently Eve does!<\/p><\/div>\n Lex likes the science.<\/p><\/div>\n They brought their own money for gift shops on this trip. Eve bought a stuffed animal everywhere we went, including a humming bird from the Grand Canyon?! Lex was a little more thrifty with his money, but he bought a multi-purpose safari tool (compass, light, etc.) at the Grand Canyon.<\/p><\/div>\n We lasted about two hours before everyone was tired and ready to go.\u00a0 Truthfully they were tired by the time we got there and Eve was in tears within the first 30 minutes.\u00a0 Family vacations, ya know.\u00a0 But we powered through and had a great time!\u00a0 We stopped for pizza on the way out, then hit the road for a short, 4hr trip back to the hotel!\u00a0 Eve conked right out, but Lex stayed awake for the whole trip and we all went to bed around midnight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We decided to extend our vacation through the weekend so we could go to the Grand Canyon together as a family, once Alan’s training was complete.\u00a0 Every time we mentioned the trip to an Arizona local they said, “Oh, you … Continue reading <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>