Bear Lake, UT and West Yellowstone, MT

The Lautzenheiser Family trip this year included two parts. Part One: Bear Lake on the border of ID and UT. Part Two: West Yellowstone. Scott’s cousin, Kelly, lives in Idaho with her family so we invited them too and they joined us for the Bear Lake part. Because traveling with two dogs is a lot, we opted to leave Topo home and give Pepper the opportunity to explore on her own. While we sure missed Topo, it made it so much easier with one dog.

We stopped in Cedar City to break up the eight-hour drive to Bear Lake. It was so fun to see all the kids meeting. Kelly and Trent have three kids: Rose (10), Nathan (8), and Abbie (6), so they fit along perfectly with the usual cousin crew of Tyler (12), Ella (8), and Miles (6). The kids played endlessly on the bounce trampoline at the KOA while giving the adults time to catch up.

We travelled to Kemmerer, WY to dig up 50 million year old fossils. We spent the day at a quarry where you’re allowed to keep whatever you recover! Scott’s persistence rewarded him with a super cool stingray fossil. Our house is now adorned with fossils in nearly every room, haha!

We spent the next day exploring Bear Lake, which really is the Caribbean of the west. The north side of the lake (which doesn’t allow dogs) has the whitest beaches with the bluest water. It truly looks out of place with the surrounding snow capped mountains. The kids enjoyed playing in the warm pools of water at the lake’s edge as the lake itself was still very cold.

We said goodbye the Idaho crew and ventured north through Jackson Hole, through the Grand Tetons and into Yellowstone. Fortunately, we had a wonderfully clear day that we were able to enjoy the grandiose of the Tetons. Although we didn’t have a lot of time to explore, we stopped to check out Jackson Lake and get our usual souvenir mug and Christmas ornament.

For this part of the trip especially, I’m so grateful that we just brought Pepper. Because of all of the wildlife, dogs aren’t allowed much of anywhere in Yellowstone; Pepper had to stay in the car a lot. She was amazing! While Topo would have barked the entire time we were gone, Pepper just laid down in the front seat and patiently napped for our return.

We had three full days in Yellowstone with the Show Low Crew; one of those days was gorgeous, the other two were cold and rainy. Despite the poor weather, we made the most of it. If I knew I would be camping in the cold and rain, I would have said, “Heck no!” But because we had electricity at the KOA, we plugged in extra heaters and stayed super toasty.

Yellowstone day one highlights included: Old Faithful and Yellowstone Falls. Day two highlights included: a bear sighting, hundreds of bison, a coyote, and some sulfur pools. Although everyone did so well with the excessive amounts of driving time (Ella read two books on the trip), we decided that day three would include less time in the trucks; we ventured to nearby mud pots and steaming pools. This shorter driving day gave us time to enjoy a dip in the indoor pool to warm up. We wrapped up the trip with dinner and shopping to get our required souvenirs.

I hadn’t been to Yellowstone since I was kid. For Scott, it was probably 15 years ago. I’m so grateful that we had the opportunity and means to show Ella and Miles this beautiful land. As we jokingly say on most of our trips, “People come from all over the world to see this.” And for Yellowstone, they really do!

Gold Butte, NV

With a big camping trip ahead of us this summer (Bear Lake, ID and Yellowstone, WY), it was important for us to take Pepper on a camping trip beforehand to make sure she was a good camper. And, she did great!

After a very busy week at work, we met Duane in Gold Butte, NV over the long Easter weekend. We were hoping to get the same isolated campsite we had six years ago and to our pleasant surprise, the site was available! The weather was spectacular; days that weren’t too hot and nights where the trailer heater didn’t come on.

The same camping spot we had six years ago over Easter weekend!

We visited Devil’s Throat, a giant sinkhole and little Finland. Little Finland is an area of uniquely carved sandstone rocks that feels other worldly. After driving around on bumpy roads, we were happy to spend time playing at the campsite, riding the quads, and searching for Easter eggs.

I love how were afforded the days off to take short camping trips throughout nearly every season with the kids. Pretty places that aren’t packed with people are becoming harder and harder to find. Weekends like this (although a lot of work) are always good for the soul.

Springer Spaniel Surprise Mission to Phoenix, AZ

Since mid December, we knew we were getting a Springer Spaniel puppy born on Dec. 8th in Phoenix, AZ. The kids, however, were clueless to this. We told them them that we were taking them to Prescott, AZ to see the super cute town and then needed to pick something up from our friend, Demetri (the breeder).

We enjoyed an impromptu stop at the Hoover Dam and an evening in Prescott, all while fielding lots of questions like: Why isn’t Topo coming? Why are going to Prescott? Why aren’t we meeting any friends there? Why are we staying in a hotel?

Fortunately, the kids were not on to us at all and when we showed up to meet Pepper and her parents, they still had no idea; they just thought our friend Demetri had Springer Spaniels too.

Meeting Pepper!

After a 4.5 hour drive home, we were home! We introduced Pepper to Topo, who was uninterested and annoyed with Pepper’s insistence at playing. To remind Topo how loved she is, I took her out to the desert for an unbothered run while the kids played with Pepper.

Pepper is super sweet and spunky. She is using the doggy door, peeing in the grass (and on the carpet) and so far, sleeping in the kids’ room. We look forward to her livening up our house and growing our hearts even more!

New Harmony, UT

Valentine’s Day weekend was spent in New Harmony, UT, where we met our Salt Lake City friends about halfway. We stayed on a farm, where chickens, peacocks, cows, deer, and goats scattered the property. The kids were even able to hold the baby goat.

The weekend crew!

When we weren’t hanging out around the house, we were exploring the surrounding beauty including a short hike in the Kolob Canyon area as well as a bike ride along the Virgin River. All of the kids were amazing hikers and bikers.

Valley of Fire

We spent a beautiful, MLK weekend camping at Valley of Fire. I made the reservations months prior with the realization that I may be cancelling them if the weather was bad; we lucked out with a perfect, sunny, unseasonably warm January weekend.

After arriving Saturday afternoon, we set up camp and drove to our favorite area along Fire Wave to enjoy the sunset. Then we set out to do an evening hike at Mouses’s Tank along a State Park sponsored ‘night hike.’ They encouraged hikers to walk the tealight-lit path with headlamps shining discreet red lights. It was neat to hike at night, something we’ve never done.

Sunday, we explored the Fire Canyon area and spent time with Lili, Brian, and Nolan, who joined us for the afternoon and stayed for s’mores. It was great to have some company (both for the kids and adults).

Valley of Fire is the perfect long-weekend campsite: just an hour away, full of endless red rocks and beauty, where the scenery or excitement of seeing a bighorn sheep never gets old.

Virgin, UT

Lautzenheiser Family Christmas was at Duane’s new-ish house!

The Family without Beth :(

Unfortunately, the day before we were all meeting, Beth ended up in the hospital with chest pain and dizziness. Fortunately, she is okay, however, we greatly missed her presence at Duane’s. I gave her a hard time that I was going to have to drink all the wine by myself, which may or may not have happened ;).

We enjoyed a traditional Christmas morning of exchanging gifts with each other followed by an always beautiful drive up Smith’s Mesa and along the backside of Zion. We’ve done this a few times and it’s just as impressive each time.

Duane played tour guide and brought us to Little Black Mtn, area full of petroglyphs. Over 500 carved pictures covered the rocks; scientists estimate that they represent native populations in the area spanning over 8,000 years. We then ventured to Glitter Mtn, an area that Scott and I had been too long before kids. This old selentine mine is open to the public for your mining pleasure. Adults and kids enjoyed chipping away at the layers attempting to pry off large intact pieces.

We wrapped up our trip with a stop at the Dinosaur Discovery site at Johnson Farm, where over 1,000 dino tracks have been preserved! Everyone (especially Miles) thought it was super cool to imagine these giant reptilian beasts walking along the same paths we were on.

Last year, we weren’t able to all be together on Christmas, so this was a great reminder that a home base with nearby adventures are always a win for the Lautzenheiser Family.

Show Low, AZ

We hadn’t been to Show Low for seven years, so we thought what better place to meet my parents for Thanksgiving this year; the kids would get to see their cousin Tyler who they hadn’t seen in over a year. We had beautiful weather (sunny and 55) for our visit which made exploring the area even better!

Thanksgiving Day itself was a bit chaotic as my dad hurt his foot in the morning. While my mom and I prepared Thanksgiving and Evan entertained the kids, Scott took my dad to the ER (the only place open on Thanksgiving). After an x-ray they saw that he broke a metatarsal on the outside of his foot. Unfortunately, until he would be able to see an orthopedic surgeon, he was instructed to be non-weight bearing on that foot. This made it difficult for him to get around for the next couple of days. Despite the rough start, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Evan’s house.

Not only had it been seven years since we had been to Show Low, but it been that long since we had seen Harmony (Tyler’s mom). We were able to squeeze in a visit in the evening with her. Ella was just a baby when she last saw Harmony and Miles had never met her before.

Over the next couple of days, the kids laughed so hard with Tyler while we explored the surrounding area. We went to Rainbow Lake to feed the ducks and then attended a super cool raptor show at the White Mountain Nature Center. The birds (a red tailed hawk, a Eurasian Eagle Owl, a turkey vulture, and a crow) we saw were so impressive. Our favorite was Azul (the crow) who was able to perform quite a few tricks including catching a piece of foil out of the air and proceeding to put in a recycle bin and close the lid.


With a long drive ahead of us, we all headed home on Saturday morning, but not without a stop at Petrified Forest National Park just north of Show Low. The kids had a great time climbing on the giant pieces of fossilized wood and we were able to purchase a relatively inexpensive piece to add to our rock collection in the front yard. The 200 million year old pieces of wood were a nice reminder that old is beautiful!

I am particularly grateful this Thanksgiving for good health, amazingly kind and hard working kids, and the ability to travel to see family and pretty places.

Virgin, UT

I’m just going to let these pictures speak for themselves.

Kolob Reservoir

Fall colors are a must for me so a quick visit to Duane’s in Virgin was just what I needed! Saturday, we did a drive up to Kolob Reservoir, where the aspens were simply on fire! I’ve read that the conditions need to be just right (temperature and precipitation) to get the orange and red pigments to show in the usually golden aspens. The conditions were spot on for me!

Sunday, I didn’t have many expectations (as I was completely satisfied from Saturday), as we set out to Browse Guard Station on the other side of the valley. Oh my goodness, the bigtooth maple leaves were an incredible vibrant red! I could not stop staring. And a bonus, there is a 100 foot sequoia tree at the guard station. It was planted as a sapling nearly 100 years ago; while many of the saplings didn’t take to the area, this one did!

Thank you, Duane, and Utah, for the splendid beauty!

Brain Head, UT

Labor Day has become one of my favorite holidays; mostly because it’s after the school year has started, we’ve gotten into our groove, and I can ‘hopefully’ breathe a sigh of relief.

We spent this Labor Day camping at Duane’s property in Brian Head, UT. We soaked up the cooler temperatures, time with family and friends, and quad riding, all while taking in the beauty of the area.

It was wonderful to hang out more with Beth’s daughter, Sarah, and we finally got to meet her boyfriend, Jordan. They were both so kind to Ella and Miles; Jordan even spent time teaching the kids to skip rocks. I’m pretty sure if there is a Guinness book of world record holder for rock skipping, Jordan would be champion.

The kids were thrilled to zip line again and tube down a giant hill. The prices at Brian Head for these activities are much less expensive than when we did this sort of thing at Mammoth, so this cheap mom was super happy to send them on their way! Camping in Brian Head never disappoints.

Michigan: The Grand Haven, Mackinac Island, and East Lansing Edition

Each summer we return to West Michigan to enjoy the cooler temps (cooler than Las Vegas), the beaches, and the time with family. This year we scheduled three ‘chunks’ for our 10 days there.

The family on MSU’s campus with Scott taking the picture.

We started with slow, relaxing time in Grand Haven at my parents, who get everything ready for us: car, booster seats, food, snacks, beds, and toys! While there, we were able to see my aunt and cousins, spend time in the waves, walk the Grand Haven Pier and thanks to the Madsens, go TUBING! The kids and I had so much fun bouncing across the wake as Mrs. Madsen drove the boat. The water in the Grand River was so warm that spent a little extra time just swimming.

Tubing!!

Because Miles (very strangely) threw up a couple of times one night, we spent one day relaxing around their condo and it was so nice. The kids played on the hammock and we helped my Dad put his new electric bike together. I’m not sure if it is because the kids are older, but our time there felt so peaceful.

Chunk number was to travel the four hours north to visit the well known Mackinac Island. We stayed in Mackinaw (yes, they are spelled differently, which I learned is slightly complicated, but partly based on Native American roots/English roots defining themselves as well as clearly indicating which is which for postal reasons). City. One of the few times I set an alarm this summer was to ensure we caught the ferry earlier enough to get to the island, beat the crowds, and grab the 16” wheel bikes that apparently are hard to come by on the island. My goal was to have the kids biked the entire 8.2 perimeter of the island and they killed it! Yes, I may have bribed them with fudge and lollipops, but after a bit of a rough start for Miles (too many people and too much rushing from his Mom), their little legs were amazing! Enjoying the peaceful sides of the islands (where the crowds are humungous) was very nice. We enjoyed a well deserved lunch at the local brewery, Great Turtle, who is only able to sell their beer on the island. While we’re grateful to have enjoyed great weather, it was extra humid this day so while I would’ve loved to have explored the fort on the island, I know not to push everyone’s limits. Because we were so close, I wanted to cross the Mackinac Bridge. We enjoyed breakfast a quick stop to take in the bridge from the Upper Peninsula side.

Our time lapse video driving south from the UP to LP.

Our drive back to Grand Haven included a stop in Ludington, where the water was crystal clear and incredibly warm. I wish we could’ve spent more time playing in the water because it was the perfect summer afternoon.

Our final chunk was probably what I was most excited for…a stop in East Lansing, where my alma mater, Michigan State is located. I had not been back to campus in any significant way since I graduated in 2004. (I made a small stop one Christmas break to put roses at the feet of the Sparty statue the year they made it to the Rose Bowl in 2014). I loved my time at Michigan State; I made so many friends, learned from so many different types of people, had my first ‘real’ boyfriend, learned to fail (literally failed two physics tests, but still managed to earn a 3.0), and grew up so much there that I graduated and at 21 years old, I drove across the country to teach in Las Vegas.

My oldest niece, Zaina, is starting her junior year in high school so she starting her college research and my brother’s family was headed there for a campus tour; the perfect halfway point to spend time together! We met them at a super cute college campus hotel, The Graduate (they have various hotels around the country on college campuses, all their decor is themed for the nearby university). It was super cute with key cards of famous Spartans, MSU wallpaper, and a very academic setting with lounge areas decorated with shelves and shelves of books. While Zaina and Vivi watched Ella and Miles in the hotel room, the adults walked down the hall to the outdoor bar, which had fun cocktail drinks and a great ambiance. It felt so refreshing to adult conversations with Scott and Gloria. There were plenty of laughs and we shut the bar down!

The next day, we met my parents for breakfast and walked around the campus. My mom saw her old dorm (Yakeley Hall), we stopped by Beaumont Tower, the student book store, and of course, the MSU Diary Store where enjoyed some incredible ice cream made by fellow Spartans. Ella and Miles loved spending time with her cousins and I was grateful for the opportunity to show Scott where some of the best four years of my life were spent.

Some of my favorite moments in Michigan, however, weren’t these highlights, but simple things; blueberry picking and the kids helping my mom make blueberry muffins, searching for turkeys and deer in the woods, and walking to the park with Ella and Miles. The kids learned the way to the 0.5 mile distance park from Grandma and showed me the first time I went. Part of the walk is through a forest and man, did I feel all the feels walking through there. It just felt like home.

Scott has always encouraged our summer visits to Michigan; I think he enjoys our time there more than I do. For some reason, this trip was especially magical.

San Juan Mountains, CO

The annual summer Lautzenheiser trip looked a little different this year without Grandma L, Evan, and Tyler, but we still managed to have a great time! Although the San Juan Mtns are far, and we’ve been there multiple times, it is still worth the drive to see the sights.

The Red Mountains along Corkscrew Gulch Trail.

In order to break up the 10 hour drive to our VRBO in Silverton, CO, we stayed a night in Williams, AZ. It was the perfect stop as we were able to explore Canyon Coaster Adventure Park and the new to us Poozeum. The Poozeum is, as you might be wondering, yes, a free museum dedicated to the fossilization of dinosaur poop. With Miles in full dinosaur phase this was a ‘must see.’ The owner was super nice, and the museum was really well done. We didn’t leave without a commemorative sticker, fossil, and Poozeum t-shirt! Next, we headed to the nearby Canyon Coaster Adventure Park with a unique mountain coaster. The kids had a great time and we were happy to be out of the Las Vegas heat.

We arrived in Silverton a day early and stayed in a super cute bed and breakfast, where after driving for seven hours, we were able to celebrate Scott’s 43rd birthday at a Mexican restaurant.

While we waiting for Duane to arrive, we hiked around Molas Lake (where Scott and I had camped probably nine years ago) giving Topo and the kids a chance to run around. The town of Silverton is incredibly quaint; we enjoyed the Golden Block Brewery and watching the trains (from Durango) bring in the tourists for the day.

The next three days were spent in the jeeps. Unlike three years ago (the last time we were here) when the kids were restless in the jeeps, this time (without carseats or booster seats), they had a blast. When the kids weren’t taking in the sights, we played lots of ‘20 questions.’ Although we didn’t see a bear as we had hoped to, we did see two moose very close. Miles kept track of all the wildlife he saw and has become quite adept at naming various birds. We saw alpine lakes, green rolling hills, wildflowers, waterfalls, snow pockets, and mountain summits. It was truly spectacular. Topo was thrilled to be in the snow, hunting marmots, chasing smells, and cooling off in ice cold lakes and streams. Watching her makes us all smile.

Our drive home was a little more eventful. Just as we were headed through Ridgway, Scott noticed the jeep pulling from side to side as we towed it behind us (this same thing happened before). Instead of going 50 mph the entire way home, we opted to rent a Uhaul trailer to tow the jeep on instead. In Grand Junction, Scott arranged for the rental of the flatbed and after a short delay, we were back on the road.

With all the hustle of getting going after getting the trailer rental, we forgot to get gas. I bet you can guess what happens next, haha. Pulling a flatbed with a jeep on top used up more gas than we thought and there are lots of rolling hills on the 70 between Grand Junction, CO and Salina, UT. Long story short, Scott will say that we technically did not run out of gas (as we had about 20 more miles we could’ve gone). I will say that I called roadside assistance in Salina, UT and Darrin drove the 40 miles to bring us gas. Prior to calling someone, however, Scott and I were trying to siphon gas out of the jeep (which was in no shape to drive). Despite our best McGuyver skills (using a Camelbak hose) we didn’t have any success.

The kids did a great job with all the driving. We listened to James and the Giant Peach as an audiobook, Miles spent most of his time simply looking out the window and Ella played Taylor Swift on her iPad. I do hope we can do a cross country road trip one of these summers. To be continued….

North Rim of the Grand Canyon, AZ

We spent Father’s Day weekend completely off the grid camping along a forest service road, just a couple hundred feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon!

No caption needed.

Jamaica had suggested this trip back in February and we were totally up for it; it had been four years since we had last been to the N. Rim of the Grand Canyon. Jamaica’s friends (Bart, Bonnie, Booker, and Bondi (their dog)) made the trek down too (after picking up their new camper in Denver) and everyone got along so well!

We met the group at the Sand Caves near Kanab, UT for a short, but hot hike to the caves along the side of the freeway. The caves were created as the hillside was mined for sand. The hike had a fun rope to assist in the ascent and descent of the cliff. Continuing on to Jacob Lake, we stayed the night in the cabins there so we could get an early start to find our campsite in the forest.

Although the spot that Jamaica and Brian had before was taken by other campers, we ended up with a great site not too far from Locust Point; close enough we walked to watch the sunset, but far enough away no kid (or dog) was going to find themselves at the edge of a cliff.

With Sunday being Father’s Day, we made sure to have a nature craft for the kids to create for their awesome dads. While Bart and Bonnie biked the Rainbow Trail, Jamaica and I facilitated the creation of “Dad, you rock!” cards, which I think turned out fantastic!

Throughout the slow days, the kids played while the adults chatted. Despite being at nearly 9,000 feet elevation, it was still quite warm with daytime temps reaching 80 degrees. Miles got more quad riding experience as he and Scott nearly had the forest service roads to themselves. I road with him one time and was in awe as I watched him navigate rocks and bumps in the road all by himself!

The weekend was much hotter than I thought it would be, however, it was quite nice to sit around catching up with Jamaica and learning more about Bart and Bonnie, who are avid runners and bikers. Their son, Booker, who is three, kept referring to me as “Whiskey” or “Frisky;” either of which I took as a compliment. We had a hilarious game of kid charades before watching the sunset over the massive canyon walls. With a couple cocktails in my system, reminiscing on all the laughter the day held, I quite literally fell asleep with a smile on my face that night.

With the Salt Lake City crew having a much longer drive home than us, they headed home while we decided to add a little more driving to our trip with a trek south to the N. Rim Visitor Center and Lodge. While there, Miles was able to stamp his National Parks book that he had been carrying around religiously, flipping through the pages that explained all of the national parks. Until our next stamp, kid!

Monterey, CA

The Pacific Coast (California, Oregon, and Washington) has been one of our favorite places lately. After we had to cancel our spring break trip to California, I was ready to book another trip to the central coast. While everyone was sleeping, I booked our flights, car, and AirBnB…I didn’t even ask Scott. Fortunately, I do most of our vacation bookings anyway, so I knew he wouldn’t care.

The stop at Bixby Bridge, south of Monterey.

Our AirBnB was only one block from the Monterey Aquarium, which is one of the best in the country! Scott has fond memories of this aquarium, which is why we made it stop number one of the trip! It was very cool to see the almost seamless blend of wildlife inside and outside of the aquarium: otters, sea lions, seals on the rocks nearby while sharks, kelp forests and penguins highlighted inside. Our favorite part was probably the ‘deep sea’ section which highlighted the creatures in the darkest, most unexplored parts of our oceans.

While our AirBnB was only one block from the aquarium (and decked out with classic arcade games), it didn’t have a kitchen, so we ate out….a lot. While Ella and I enjoyed the clam chowder specialties, Miles surprisingly chose dumplings on more than one occasion.

Destination number two was the central coast down to Big Sur. Although the kids were not thrilled with the drive, they were excited about tide pools and big trees. We started the day exploring the coast at low tide, before embarking on the 17-mile drive along the famous Pebble Beach golf course. We stopped for lunch at Carmel-by-the Sea, which has the cutest, most artistic houses (that aren’t huge) along the bluest water. The gusty winds kept us from spending more time at the white sand beaches. Much to everyone’s delight, the rest of the drive to Big Sur (and the giant redwood trees) was well worth it. A short walk through the scented, towering trees was a nice break from the coastal air.

Our last two days were spent covering other nearby attractions: Fisherman’s Wharf, Dennis the Menace Park, and the Monterey Zoo. While none of it was as impressive as our first two days, it was (dare I say it) nice to be cold.

I feel like we will continue find the closest tide pool once a year and maybe even Redwoods National Park might be worth the long drive.

Virgin, UT

We just can’t get enough of Duane’s new place!

My parents hadn’t planned a spring visit to Las Vegas and they hadn’t yet seen Duane’s new house, so we decided to invite ourselves to his space for Mother’s Day weekend and it was wonderful! We stayed in the motorhome, my parents stayed in the guest room, while Duane and Beth were amazing hosts.

The Mother’s Day crew!

Shortly after arriving, just as Beth was starting the microwave, we all heard a loud ‘bang’ down the road. A utility box had blown, but fortunately Duane was prepared with candles and a generator. While we would’ve been prepared for a weekend without electricity, a couple hours later we were back in action.

Saturday we took a drive along the back side of Zion. The red and white rocks were the perfect backdrop to the fluorescent green grasses. I felt like I was in The Sound of Music.

Later in the day, while the kids played the games on Duane’s Golden Tee arcade game, the adults enjoyed some peace and quiet. Saturday evening, while Beth headed back to Las Vegas to be with her daughter for Mother’s Day, we cooked up some killer pizza in Duane’s pizza oven and took the quads out for a ride. Miles did great riding home by himself! My Dad even took a quad for a spin!

Mother’s Day was Sunday and my mom and I got to go on a walk just the two of us. It was so good to have uninterrupted conversations with her.

Before heading back to Las Vegas, Duane took us to a cute park where we cooled off in the Virgin River.

Valley of Fire, NV

We spent Easter weekend with the Bonderov-Green Family camping surrounded by red rocks! This is our second time camping at Valley of Fire with Lili, Brian, and Nolan and every time we have a blast. The kids play great together and the adults get to have uninterrupted conversations.

Miles, Nolan, and Ella on White Dome Trail.

Before Easter weekend, we all agreed that if the temperature was going to be 85 or higher, we wouldn’t go. Fortunately, Friday brought in strong winds that cooled the weekend off enough for us to enjoy the not too hot days and the cool nights.

We hiked White Dome Trail, which was more impressive than I remember. Along the path, there is much variety, including slot canyons, sand, historical movie sites, and small bits of rock scrambling. It is also a hike the kids had never done.

It wouldn’t be a weekend in Valley of Fire without spending time climbing the sandstone rocks and searching for bighorn sheep; we were lucky enough to do both. The kids hunted for Easter eggs and played archers while the adults enjoyed beer and whisky. The weekend ended with a hilarious game of charades by the fire. Just imagine, five and six year olds acting out food.

Reservations have already been made for another Lautzenhseier-BonderGreen camping trip in January. This time, we’ll be hoping that it’s not too cold to keep us away from this nearby beauty.

Flagstaff, AZ

It’s not often that the Mainos have time during the school year to travel, but Pat had time off from the Golden Knights so we ventured to Flagstaff. We were hoping to be surrounded by a winter wonderland, but we didn’t have much snow.

The Maino-Lautzenheiser crew.

The kids (with the exception of Mason) were able to sleep together in a room with two sets of bunkbeds. It was so fun listening to their wild antics throughout the weekend.

Although there wasn’t a ton of snow, we were able to enjoy some of it at the AirBnB, a nearby park, and by driving up to the Lowell Observatory. The Observatory was impressive; we were able to view the sun through a solar telescope, the kids were able to play in a wonderful science focused area and we learned a lot about our solar system and beyond. Did you know, based on some fancy equation, there are an estimated 349 other planets home to intelligent life?

The next day we visited Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. This park is home to the remnants of a volcanic eruption 1,000 years ago. The landscape around the lava flow areas was beautiful with contrast of the black lava rocks, green trees, and snow capped mountains.

It wouldn’t be a Lautzenheiser-Maino trip without a visit to a couple breweries. Mother Road Brewing Company was a hit. They had great customer service, excellent beer, and unique tater tot dishes that were so delicious! There is no better way to spend Valentine’s Day weekend than with a family we love.

Virgin, UT

Glamping! We went glamping for the first time with the Ekbergs. Sometime in January or February we usually meet them somewhere between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. This year, we stayed in the covered wagons at Zion White Bison Resort. Despite the wind and cold, we had a weekend full of adventure and laughs.

The Ekberg-Lautzenheiser crew at Observation Point.

We explored lava tubes and sand dunes in Snow Canyon State Park. This state park is only two hours from Las Vegas and has so much to explore! Our second day we explored Zion National Park. With the hopes of driving up the canyon ourselves (the buses don’t usually run in Jan. and Feb.), we were unable to get past the Lodge as there were already too many people. A hike to Observation Point made up for it though.

The glamping wagons were super nice; we had a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen, hammock, and firepit to enjoy while we were there. Even Duane was able to join us Sunday evening for dinner and s’mores around the campfire. It is always a good time with Brian, Jamaica, and Bodhi.



La Jolla, CA

After exhausting many of the areas in the AZ, UT, NV, NM area, we ventured West to San Diego for Family Christmas! Duane, Beth, and my parents made the trek out. Even Aunt Shirley was able to join us for a day, Unfortunately, Scott’s mom, Evan and Tyler weren’t able to join us.

The crew, except for my mom and me.

We made it pretty clear to kids that their Christmas gift this year was theme park fun: Sea World and Legoland. Fortunately, friends and other family members’ gifts still made Christmas morning fun.

Our home for four nights was a solid AirBnB just a block from the ocean! My mom and I got to walk together one cool, cloudy morning and the kids got to navigate the tight, hilly streets of La Jolla on their bikes for a somewhat ‘don’t let them get hit by a car’ stressful adventure for me.

Day one was spent with everyone enjoying Sea World! The kids did a few kid friendly rides and then we right to the sea animals…that’s what we came for. The dolphin, sea lion, and orca shows were incredible. Surprisingly, the sea lion show was super funny and entertaining. We were also able to enjoy beluga whales, walruses and penguins. Miles was thrilled watching the walrus swim right up to the glass where he was standing. Even though it was neither sunny, nor warm, the highlight was probably enjoying the Shipwreck Rapids Tube ride that everyone but my mom and Miles (he wasn’t tall enough) were able to go on. Thanks to my Dad for initiating the idea to get just a little more soaked.

Day two was spent at the coast near our AirBnB, exploring the tide pools (just as the sun came out) and enjoying a hilarious, fun-filled Christmas dinner.

For the kids, we saved the best for last: Legoland! Duane and Beth joined us, while my parents relaxed at the house. We squeezed in all the rides we could, including the kids’ first legit rollercoaster: The Dragon, which they both loved and we would’ve done again if it weren’t for the long lines. The lego creations throughout the park were impressive; from Miniland (recreations of cities all over the world) to the humungous Christmas tree, there was always something incredible to look at. It wouldn’t be amusement park fun with playing a few of the overpriced games to win the giant stuffed animal prizes.

Although we didn’t have all of the family with us, it was still a wonderful trip with people we love.

Jerome, AZ

We met family in the cutest, hillside town of Jerome. As we are exhausting all the meetup locations for holidays between Las Vegas and Las Cruces, we went back to this cute, old mining town. My parents, Scott’s Mom and brother Duane, were able to meet at a 122-year old restored AirBnB.

When we first arrived and realized how many stairs it took to get from the parking area to the house, and noticed that the stairs connecting the top floor to the bottom floor were outside (yes, you read that correctly), none of us were thrilled. The house we stayed in, however, turned out to be amazing. The views were gorgeous and the kids loved running around the entire house, carefully navigating the steep, run-down stairs with Topo dashing close behind.

My Mom and I started Thanksgiving Day walking the crumbling streets of Jerome. The city was so quiet on the holiday; it was nice to explore without the busy sidewalks. We then spent Thanksgiving Day watching the Lions win a close one against the Bears and feasting on a delicious meal prepared ahead of time by my Mom.

The next day, while waiting for Duane to arrive, we explored downtown Jerome and all the cute shops it has to offer. We drove to nearby Clarkdale, AZ to hop on the Verde Valley Santa Train. The train depot was so well done with tons of amenities prior to hopping on the Santa Train. Beautiful golden cottonwood trees lined the tracks as we chugged along to the ‘North Pole.’ When Santa arrived, he gave Ella and Miles some reindeer boogers (green jelly bellies).

Saturday was my 42nd birthday. I was able to watch the sunrise over Sedona with Miles on my lap and received the most adorable hand-painted wine glasses by Scott and the kids. After we sent Scott’s Mom on her way back to Show Low, we drove to Cottonwood to enjoy a hike on Jail Trail. This hike, at the site of an old town jail, meandered along a nearby creek with yellow leaves covering the trees and ground. It really was a perfect birthday hike for me as fall colors will always have my heart. Scott, Duane, and I went out on the town while my parents watched the kids for the evening. Jerome’s streets were lined with luminaries, its sidewalks showcased carolers singing holiday favorites and they had Santa in their firehouse. While I wish the kids could have seen all of this, it was so nice to enjoy a dinner out without their constant demands.

I will always do my best to be with my parents for the Thanksgiving holiday and while it was nice to travel to someplace other than Las Cruces for the holiday, we will most like do Thanksgiving in Las Cruces or Las Vegas next year. Up next: San Diego for Christmas!

Virgin, UT

It had been nearly four months since we’d been out of town and I was itching to go somewhere. With the three-day Veterans Day weekend upon us, with nothing on the calendar, we reached out to Duane to see if wanted some company in his big, new house in Virgin, UT. With beautiful weather in store, we set out to spend a couple of days with Beth and Duane.

Our amazing hosts, Beth and Duane!

Our first day there, we rode bikes, the kids drove the quad around, Topo ran wild, and we made homemade pizzas on Duane’s new pizza oven. The next day, I was set on Miles using his new Camelbak that he received, but has barely used, for his 5th birthday in September. We drove to the Lambs Knoll area and found a beautiful area, full of fallen leaves, some still hanging on, and even a surprise slot canyon that made me a bit claustrophobic. We drove up to Kolob Resevoir, where there were pockets of snow on the ground. While we were out and about, Beth was back at the house prepping food for some afternoon football.

We left on Monday morning, but not without a visit to the ghost town of Grafton, UT. Established when LDS members traveled from Salt Lake City, they settled in Grafton over 150 years ago.

Although it was a quick trip, it felt amazing to be surrounded by fall colors again. With two kids and a dog, we managed to leave Duane’s beautiful home in tact.