Colorado

It was a little bit of deja-vu when we tagged along on Erik’s work trip to Denver in March. Two years ago the kids and I joined him on a conference trip to the (other) Mile High City (blogged about here and here). We visited some of the same kid attractions and a few new ones, and it was eye-opening to compare the ease of travel this time with the relative ordeal of our previous trip! We’ve surely gone from a baby and a little boy to two kids. Now Luke and Eleanor enjoy the same kinds of activities and feel so at home wherever we go with their best friend by their side. I’m so delighted to see how their friendship gives them a sense of security and sparks natural play at any kids’ activity, whether it be mobbed with kids or empty. The trip was also simplified by my a-little-less-is-more attitude. I wasn’t as insistent that we fit numerous attractions into each day and I brought a few toys and books and let the kids have some playtime in the hotel room to decompress from time to time.

This year we returned to the Museum of Nature and Science twice. It’s hard not to when admission is free with our membership at Explora in Albuquerque, and it takes a few visits to see everything that the enormous museum holds! They were in the process of constructing a new and improved young child discovery zone (plus some other exhibit space I think) and we can’t wait to return when that’s finished too. The kids loved the wildlife, gems, space, dinosaur and human body exhibits, most of which have a little section geared toward younger kids. Eleanor never completely forgave the museum for one grievous shortcoming though. We checked just about every bathroom in the huge facility and not a one is equipped with a manual flush. She can’t be the only tot who is terrified by the sudden whoosh and spray of the capricious automatic toilet. I love to save water, but not at the expense of underwear… can we get a manual flush somewhere please? (:

The conference hotel was right downtown, a perfect location for walking to an excellent story time at the Denver Public Library. On the way back, we strolled past the capital building and other landmarks and Luke was sure to give the pigeons a friendly chase or two. Another day, we walked over to the Firefighters Museum and enjoyed their story time and soon had the museum to ourselves. We did our duty responding to emergencies with their play-friendly fire truck, fire gear, hoses, and walkie-talkies. The small and friendly museum was a great deal with this coupon.

We never made it to the pricier attractions like the zoo and children’s museum, but those are terrific options too. If our last day in Denver hadn’t been monopolized by wintry mix, we would have spent some time at Westlands Park, a public park in South Denver with glowing reviews for its innovative playground.

We enjoyed two evenings with sweet friends who recently moved to Denver, spent a few crazed hours in Ikea (my second trip, and I still want to love the store but actually find it frustrating, especially their shopping carts and out of stock items!), and did plenty of swimming in the hotel pool. On the way home we spent a night in Colorado Springs to allow for some mini-hikes around the Garden of the Gods. The views were spectacular and we even bumped into Sarah B., a friend from NJ, and her friend who happens to go to our church in ABQ! Luke especially loved scrambling around on the enormous boulders by Balanced Rock and holding the map for our hikes. Eleanor was more taken with the deer and bunnies that we saw, and snack time.

It was a wonderful getaway, and despite a few meltdowns along the way the kids thrived on sleeping at three different hotels (my favorite was the Inverness – such a lovely location and facility!), new experiences, and more Chick-fil-A than they’ve had since then. We’re all hoping Erik has another trip up that way soon!

Oh, and on our drive home we stopped at the Rio Grande overlooks back in home sweet home New Mexico. What a perfect nature escape pit stop right along the road back down to ABQ.

Oak Creek evacuation

Back in May we headed west with camping gear on board. We’d reserved a prime campsite along Oak Creek, just a little north of Sedona, AZ in a glorious forest of towering ponderosa pines. Here we are making oatmeal in the chilly morning air.

By midday the temps warmed pleasantly. The kids cooled off their feet in a sparkling brook mid-hike and we thought about letting them swim.

It really got toasty when we drove down to Sedona for more hiking. But the beautiful red rocks made it worthwhile!

Our favorite spot was the magical creek that ran just behind our campsite.  Down a little hill you entered the kids’ secret realm. The creek was filled with interesting bugs, darting minnows, and stocked with interesting rocks and sticks. The perfect lush oasis for our desert-dwellers to explore.

On the afternoon of our second full day of camping, we started off merrily on a hike that was lauded in the guidebooks as a must-do for the region. We didn’t know that this hike would prove the turning point for our trip. Here we are heading into the trail; I love this photo because you see Luke, ever the gentleman, carrying my backpack for me proudly.

Here we are rushing back on the same trail a few hours later, with a very different mood.

A couple miles into our leisurely hike we started smelling smoke but assumed it was from local campfires. Then 20 minutes later thicker smoke rolled in and sirens began to blare from the direction of the road. We turned back toward the trailhead and as ash started to fall we walked faster. Within a mile of the trailhead came the final warning – we passed a grim search and rescue team who told us to get to our car and drive north immediately. A forest fire had started just 4 miles away and was spreading fast.

The road south was closed but our campground was just off the road a mile north. As we pulled into our site we were the only people in an entire campground of abandoned tents and RVs. We threw our tent and gear into the car amidst the eerie emptiness, uneasily broken by the sounds of emergency vehicles careening south on the adjacent road. I pleaded with Erik to abandon our gear and speed away. But he assured me it would just take a few minutes and we finished our take-down and loaded the car in record time. When we jumped back in our seats, ready to rush off, Eleanor stopped us. “Wait!! Do we have Luke?!?” Even though the kids were both sitting in the second row, they had zero visibility of each other due to all the gear chaotically jammed around them. We had left them in their car seats while we packed and the tenseness of the moment had kept both kids quiet. Sweet Eleanor wanted to make sure that her best friend and beloved brother wasn’t being left behind! Luke assured her that he was present and we headed north to Flagstaff, passing speeding fire trucks and earth movers all the way.

We’d been planning to camp for two more nights but couldn’t find any campgrounds that weren’t already closed or very smoky. The rapidly growing fire eventually consumed 22,000 acres of forest. So after a night at a Flagstaff hotel, we drove down to Phoenix for a more city-style vacation. We enjoyed the Phoenix Zoo, a trip to Ikea (where we bought the perfect sink for our kitchen renovation), and lots of time in the pool at our fancy hotel.

It was still a fun trip but a little less peaceful than the quiet camping retreat we’d envisioned, with hotel-hopping and plan-making at the last-minute. Plus we were all a little shaken up by the drama and tragedy of the Slide Fire. The kids kept asking if their caterpillar friend that kept visiting our campsite would be okay and if our campground would still be there. It was sobering to think of how quickly the fire could decimate such a beautiful forest, and how close we’d been to its devastating power. But thankfully, according to the final reports our campground escaped the flames and no people were injured in the fire. Maybe one day we’ll go back and visit that friendly caterpillar and its sweet creekside home again. Only next time we’ll be sure to avoid fire season!

{More pics here.}

One last day in Spain

There’s so much to see in Andalucia that we could have easily spent our last day exploring Malaga, spelunking through sea caves, or returning to Granada. But the guidebook’s review of Sevilla was so enthralling that we decided to make the longer drive to and from this historic city. Also, I was pretty sick with a bronchitis type bug, so Erik enjoyed the scenic countryside while I napped. When we arrived, we instantly fell in love with the city’s easy-going grandeur and soaked in a few of its most renowned destinations.

We started out at the Alcázar, another royal palace with Moorish roots followed by Christian renovations. Like the Alhambra, it was constructed around serene courtyards, stunning tile work, water features, and gracious gardens.

 

The massive Cathedral of St. Mary was our next stop.

Its gargantuan proportions reduced us tourists to tiny ants along the floor.

I could have sat in its charming orange grove courtyard all afternoon (plus I had a fever) and the tower views were spectacular!

Then we meandered through the university to the lovely Plaza de España. Despite its grand expanse, it welcomed us with a relaxed family atmosphere as kids played and paddle boats plodded by.

Then we walked along the river, enjoyed a peaceful dinner,

Had a déjà vu sculpture moment, and suddenly it was time to drive back to Malaga for our flight home.

There was still so much to see, but truly, the treasures of Andalucia could never compete with these two little wonders. What a joy to return home to their sweetness! And what fun it would be to bring them along to explore more of Spain one day.

Splendid Spain, part 2

I’m back to continue the tale of our February trip to Andalucia. After Colleen and Ryan’s exquisite wedding, we spent a relaxing day exploring the nearby Mediterranean beach towns.

Our first stop was Nerja, an upscale vacation town known for its “Balcon de Europa”. The expanse of blue-green seas, rugged cliffs topped by white-washed homes, and tropical vegetation were just as impressive as their delectable ice cream!

Then we followed the coastal road east past the occasional ancient fortification or tile-roofed beach house.

We soon arrived at Almuñecar, where more gorgeous coastline mixed with Roman, Moorish, and Christian ruins from the town’s colorful history.

Our final coastal stop was Salobreña and we arrived just as the setting sun bathed the stone walls in a golden glow and tinted the distant Sierras purple.

I loved the narrow cobbled streets that wound up to the castle, though their compatibility with modern transportation is questionable. We were grateful for Aunt Marian’s legendary driving skills, she just folded in the mirrors and forged ahead as the ‘street’ got narrower and narrower until we reached the top!

The next morning we bid farewell to the Palacete, (where we stayed for the week and the wedding was held) but not without taking a few more pics and a  video to document the rustic mountain road that takes you there. Minimal medieval-era guardrails separate traffic from steep drop-offs and you never know when a group of goats or bicycles might be hiding around the next hairpin turn. But when you finally arrive, the location is well worth a few heart palpitations. The Palacete dates back to 1492 and is set atop terraces of avocado trees,

Overlooking the sleepy town of Otivar.

And don’t get me started on the sumptuously grand yet comfortable interior, and the picture-perfect grounds! To have the private run of such a paradise felt like an extended daydream of a royal family vacationing at their country chateau.

I’ll be back soon with the final Spain installment, our whirlwind tour of Sevilla!.

Skipping off to Spain (back in February)

On our own, I don’t think we would have ever decided to leave the kids for 9 days and jet off for Europe. But when my sister announced that her wedding would be a European destination event, of course we were going. And once you travel so far, shouldn’t you stay a day or two to take in the sights? So that left us with an extended trip to Southern Spain, highlighted by Colleen and Ryan’s beautiful wedding!

Our first day we toured the Alhambra, an enchanting palace unlike any other royal dwelling I’d seen. The Moorish architecture was bright and white-washed, welcoming nature inside with reflecting pools, gardens, and bright inner courtyards resplendent in lacy white and gold tile. Despite their grandeur, when you actually consider living inside them, other European castles tend toward gloomy and confining, but the Alhambra felt dreamily idyllic, albeit on a grand scale. Even the chilly damp day couldn’t make it dreary.

The next day we drove out to Ronda, a darling town stunningly situated on either side of a plunging gorge. Terraced buildings, winding cobbled streets, and glorious views over the peaceful countryside punctuated every turn. We ate lunch at a restaurant looking across the fields, ancient bridge, and waterfall. Never have I dined with such a captivating vista and there was such a surreal magic to the almost-empty, spotless town that I felt as if we were walking from set to set of a Disney fairytale.

Day 3 was spent back at our home base near Otivar in the giddy excitement of wedding preparations! We selected flowers at a local market,

Enjoyed a joyfully anticipatory rehearsal dinner, and prepared the grounds for the big day.

All the guests stayed at the exquisite Palacete de Cazules, and the wedding was held in the private yellow-stuccoed chapel on its grounds. It was the perfect size for the gathering and so authentically Spanish-countryside-destination-wedding inside.

Colleen did a gorgeous job crafting her own bouquet,

And I loved the way she and my parents and brothers displayed local fruits amidst flowers on the table for the reception in the main house of the Palacete.

Then we retired to the regal bedrooms to dress for the occasion.

Finally, we simply walked across the courtyard to the romantic chapel for the lovely ceremony, reverently performed by an Anglican priest.

The tropical grounds were lush even in February with a brilliant overlook of the valley toward the town of Otivar. Perfect for photos and appetizers!

Dinner was delicious, followed by dancing, the requisite Ferry family serenade, a touching slideshow, and other spectacles!

So much gracious glamour and simple elegance, just right for my beautiful sister who epitomizes both! We’re so happy for you Colleen and Ryan and wish you endless joy and blessings in your new marriage!!

{I’ll be back soon with part 2 of our Spain trip, where we visit the Andalucian coast, Sevilla, and say goodbye to the Palacete! Until then you can find all our wedding week pics here.}