After months of planning and weeks of excitement the "big boys" (Blake & Garrett), Brian and Renee (Brian's sister) made their way to the Arizona desert for a few days of visiting and some good old-fashioned camping.
The first stop was spending time in Phoenix and getting up close and personal with some amazing animals at a raptor rescue and rehabilitation center, thanks to "Aunt Nee Nee".
Barn owls
The boys getting to face to face with a Great Horned Owl
A Red Tail Hawk
Burrowing Owls
A Spotted Owl (currently on the 'Threatened' list)
After some time in the city, they headed off to their camping site at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. This particular park offers log cabins at the campsites (ideal in 25 degree weather) complete with electricity and beds. And while they didn't "rough it" in tents, the plumbing was across they way, so...still camping in my book.
One of the many highlights was getting to THE meteor crater. Come to find out, it's pretty spectacular. A crater two miles in radius, more than 500 ft deep and solid iron fragments weighing 1400+ lbs is pretty impressive. That, and the fact that it came from outer space.
Not too far from camp was the Montezuma Castle National Monument. These are the cliff homes of the Sinagua that were built right into the mountainside and required ladders to enter. It's amazing that what seems like archaic times still has people of modern day mystified. Apparently, we're smarter than we look.
There was plenty to do around camp too. There was hiking. A LOT of hiking.
And fishing. But not as much fishing as hiking...and even less fish.
THE fish.
There were trees to climb, a soccer ball to kick around, Legos to play with (yes...Garrett's obsession didn't stop just because he was away from home), meeting real cowboys, making man-made fossils, putting walkie talkies to good use
and learning the fine art of whittling. Blake earned his first big boy pocket knife and spent much of the time whittling a long stick which he ultimately decided was the perfect walking stick.
SO Blake.
And my little geologist didn't miss the opportunity to find a heart-shaped rock which was my prized souvenir.
The grand finale was passing the test and being sworn in as Junior Rangers.
Like I said, a week to remember. The bar was set pretty high on this one and somehow I think camping out in the back yard just isn't going to cut it in the future. As for the twins, well they are guaranteed an unforgettable guided tour of the Arizona desert....in about four years!
Barn owls
The boys getting to face to face with a Great Horned Owl
A Red Tail Hawk
Burrowing Owls
A Spotted Owl (currently on the 'Threatened' list)
After some time in the city, they headed off to their camping site at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. This particular park offers log cabins at the campsites (ideal in 25 degree weather) complete with electricity and beds. And while they didn't "rough it" in tents, the plumbing was across they way, so...still camping in my book.
One of the many highlights was getting to THE meteor crater. Come to find out, it's pretty spectacular. A crater two miles in radius, more than 500 ft deep and solid iron fragments weighing 1400+ lbs is pretty impressive. That, and the fact that it came from outer space.
Not too far from camp was the Montezuma Castle National Monument. These are the cliff homes of the Sinagua that were built right into the mountainside and required ladders to enter. It's amazing that what seems like archaic times still has people of modern day mystified. Apparently, we're smarter than we look.
There was plenty to do around camp too. There was hiking. A LOT of hiking.
And fishing. But not as much fishing as hiking...and even less fish.
THE fish.
There were trees to climb, a soccer ball to kick around, Legos to play with (yes...Garrett's obsession didn't stop just because he was away from home), meeting real cowboys, making man-made fossils, putting walkie talkies to good use
and learning the fine art of whittling. Blake earned his first big boy pocket knife and spent much of the time whittling a long stick which he ultimately decided was the perfect walking stick.
SO Blake.
And my little geologist didn't miss the opportunity to find a heart-shaped rock which was my prized souvenir.
The grand finale was passing the test and being sworn in as Junior Rangers.
Like I said, a week to remember. The bar was set pretty high on this one and somehow I think camping out in the back yard just isn't going to cut it in the future. As for the twins, well they are guaranteed an unforgettable guided tour of the Arizona desert....in about four years!
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