Going to Mexico is Easier Than Going to Canada

I've just lost the entire post I'd written about visiting Nogales, Mexico, so this will be brief. Maybe spotty, like my internet connection. Le sigh.

We made a day trip there, as we judged anything outside of a few blocks from the border to carry too many warnings. The kids had three items on their list to find that morning: a colorful Mexican blanket, an iron wood bird, and a tin art mirror, and we had great luck finding them and non-haggling the price down. (The trick is to ask the price, hold it, then hesitate a while. I found this out by accident, as I was genuinely not sure about the purchase, but then the shopkeeper brought the price slowly down to half the original quote. It seems like a good no-guilt way to bargain.)

The Arizona and Mexico side of Nogales are separated by a fence. 

The city was very walkable and colorful. If "shop 'till you drop" is your personal mantra you'd love being the center of attention here and scooping up lots of beautiful treasures. As shopping isn't on our roster of family hobbies, the shopkeepers waving us down and imploring us to shop in their stores wasn't exactly our siren song. (Neither was the call that they have "anything I want" from the doorways of the pharmacies. What I really want is a sunscreen for my face that doesn't make me look shiny and attract all of the dust in the southwest, but I don't think that exists.)

Also, the border crossing was nothing like I expected. I'll sum up what was deleted when my internet imploded: Canada border, mean; Mexico border, nice. (If there was ever a horrible contest to make babies cry with just a glare, those US agents that work the Canadian border would be a tough team to beat. They've got attitude to spare.) After literally being waved into Mexico, we were sure returning to the US side would be tough. Wrong there, and also wrong at the other border checkpoints along the freeway further inland. Every agent we saw working there seemed perfectly capable of doing their jobs without instilling illogical fear into anyone with a passport in their hands. 

When we passed through our last checkpoint both agents smiled at us and wished us a good afternoon. Our entire family said the same thing as we did when we saw this door art in Mexico that morning: "Whoa, that is so cool."

The Slow Tour Through Tucson

Finally, the mythical clouds parted and the government shutdown ended . . . and sighs of relief were emitted from all our fellow travelers on the road! We felt lucky to have had so many national park visits completed before this happened, as we overheard more than a couple of people say that they had to fork over lots of $$$ to take helicopter tours over the Grand Canyon, as they'd flown out there anyway and it was the only chance they'd get to see it. With the saguaros, at least they were visible from the state park and entry road, but we were still so happy to get to chat with the rangers (we just love a good ranger!), and visit the east portion of the Saguaro National Monument.

This was officially the slowest hike we've taken. We only went about a mile to the Freeman homestead and back, but were out for about an hour. We also finished all of our water, and were the only people out in the desert in the middle of the day. (Super clever of us.)  Our other desert hikes that we took in the early mornings were much more enjoyable! 

We did love the variety of plant and wildlife that we saw. 

Their energy was high though when we checked out the presidio in downtown Tucson. 

That night we found El Super, their local Mexican grocery store. Heaven. By the time that we walked out our cart was well stocked with fresh salsas, tortillas, baked goods, and a happy amount of fruits and veggies. 

No lard, though. 

Our kids would willingly unload any other possessions and replace them with quemada, a goat milk caramel we found there. Did I mention this place was heavenly?

Puppy Dog Eyes Lead us to Tucson

So, originally we didn't plan on visiting Tucson. Then, with the government shutdown we thought it was surely off the list as seeing the Saguaro National Monument was the only draw there for us. Then, the little guy gives us his big sweet puppy dog eyes look, and asks if we can still go, because maybe we can see it from the gate. 

Awww,  sure sweetie, we'll drive 280 miles west just for you to see them!

If you go to the park on the west side of Tucson, though, you do pass through state land with plenty of saguaro to see. It was declared "the best day of his life". 

(Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but putting that out there really made the drive all worth it!)

I thought that we'd just see a few, but they grow just like a regular forest. A lot of these with the multiple arms would be about 150 years old.

With the monument closed, we checked out the nearby Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum instead. We went in the morning, and thought that we'd be done by lunchtime. 

After an hour in the hummingbird aviary it was clear that we were in it for the long haul. (For bad planners, they have sunscreen dispensers in the washrooms--genius!)

While some hummingbirds were shy, this little guy was a bit cheeky. He'd turn as if he was giving you his best angle, and was so far out on the branch he was nearly in the path. 

This photo isn't zoomed in; he really let me be that close!

Did you know that the inside of a cactus is woody? They had excellent exhibits and demonstrations while we were there.

Prairie dogs! These are some funny creatures to watch; they seem super paranoid, as if they don't realize that they are in a zoo and are on constant lookout for predators.

To say this is a museum is a bit of a misnomer, as it's really more of a garden and zoo full of desert life. Since it was all so foreign to us, being more familiar to cedar and salmon, there was a lot for us to learn and marvel over. We loved the javelinas (so ugly they're cute), and the variety of cacti.

More than six hours after we got there this little guy is still so happy and grateful that we let him linger as long as he wanted. 

That's hard to see in this picture, isn't it? ;)

We were bummed we didn't see the coyote in it's museum enclosure, but spotted one in the parking lot. (Right after we saw the sign not to feed the coyotes any cookies. Cookie-eating coyotes must be a problem there?)

Since it was a full day there, we'd gotten a recommendation to watch the sun set over the desert, so pulled to a nearby spot to hike up. Hiking in the desert made me a bit nervous, as falling on a cactus just seems like something I'd manage to do. However, we all stayed upright!

While the sun was setting in the opposite direction, the view of the moon rise over Tucson had everyone else captivated.

Not the best sunset I've captured, but there seemed to be a fair bit of pollution in the air making the colors a bit muddied.

Our first full day there was such a success, we stayed all week!

More tomorrow~

Judy

Meandering in Flagstaff and Sedona

A funny thing about travel, is that you can see the same place on two different days and love it or loath it depending on your mood. 

Oak Creek Canyon between Flagstaff and Sedona.

When we first pulled into Flagstaff we were in the latter category, as we had a rash of bad drivers around us on the road and a hard time finding good groceries. Hungry Parks are grumpy Parks. Then we were confused Parks (sorry, that should be the last third person sort of reference), as we tackled some hiking trails in Sedona. 

I think northwest hiking could be in the 'hiking for dummies' category, as given the landscape you can't help but stay on the trail. (Hint, if you're standing in the ferns you're off of the trail.) In the southwest, it seems to be more criss-crossing and meandering, with no markers. We'd take a trail only to see it end around a corner, then double-back and try again on another fork. Great hiking for short attention spans, but not particularly rewarding otherwise. We had a decently paced two-hour hike, but probably went no more than a couple of miles into the canyon. 

Checking out some fish along a slow spot in a side stream.

We did have an awesome, or, well, bad, parenting moment (depending on your perspective). Coming to a point where we needed to cross a large creek, Kevin and I were debating crossing points along the bank. His back was to the water as he's telling me that there's no place here for the kids to cross safely, and then I look up and start laughing. 

"What?! No, really, these rocks are too far apart for them!"

"Yeah, just look on the other side of the creek."

There they are, already across and checking out the rest of the trail. Ugh. This isn't the best/worst part. We're going across and both of us get stuck, where we're not sure we can navigate across without falling in. Our oldest nimbly comes out and takes our backpacks, so we can balance better, and easily crosses with them. Meanwhile, I'm still perched on the edge of a rock like a toddler on a diving board for the first time, psyching myself up that my wee legs can make the leap. Their earnest encouragement and congratulations after we crossed were both endearing and embarrassing.

Our next day was so much better, as we met friends for lunch in Flagstaff. We'd walked by that same restaurant the day before, but it didn't catch our eye. It was, however, amazing! Custom order salads, and yummy soups and sandwiches. (I think it's called the Mix, in downtown Flagstaff.) The company of good friends is what we all miss the most during this adventure, so it was so joyful to spend the day with them. We also did a family hike together, but this time the meandering pace was purposeful as both of our youngest (who just met each other that day) are little naturalists that want to take the time to explore all of the plants and wildlife along the trail. 

Seeing him have a companion to share his interests, even for an afternoon, was so much fun.

The seven sacred springs proved too irresistible for the dog, much to the delight of all the kids.

The day before we'd also dismissed Sedona as a bit too touristy (think t-shirt, fortune telling, and ice cream shops), but our friends knew a great local pizza place that made us change our minds entirely. After so much (SO MUCH) togetherness for us on this trip over the past weeks, it was also a bit of a treat that our waiter seated the kids on one side of the busy restaurant, and us on the other, and that we all behaved ourselves and felt grown up. 

It was so good to wrap up our Flagstaff and Sedona leg of the trip this way!
~Judy

Things you need to see in the Navajo Nation

I can have my kids read history books, or discuss current events, but seeing things in person is a whole different experience. Talking about the Bennett freeze and it's effect on the Navajo economy was quite the conversation to have when they see houses without power right in front of them. 

Traveling, though, also gives us a different lens to process luxury versus necessity, as well as consider different priorities for different families or communities. Would you trade strip malls and everything in them for a wide open landscape in their place?

Outside of Tuba City we ventured north to the Antelope Valley Slot Canyon. This is run by the Navajo Nation, and the tour was worth every mile it took to get here. 

From the surface, the slot canyon doesn't look like much.

Once you head down into the canyon it's time to pick your jaw up off of the floor and take a good look around. This was hands-down the most beautiful place I've ever been. 

This was Kevin the entire time. Looking over his pictures that night we had a huge laugh when the kids pointed out the time stamp on his photos (12:38, 12:38, 12:38, 12:38. . . ), as he was taking about ten snaps a minute. 

Our tour guide, Sheldon, was a great photographer and offered to take some family photos for us, in addition to being VERY patient with our slow amble through the canyon.

If left to our own devices we would have stayed there all day. Its smart to run hourly tours, so folks like us don't just stand there for eight hours staring up at the changing light.

From the canyon we headed out to Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon Recreation Area. We had about 15 minutes to check out these cool dinosaur tracks at the visitor center before the government shutdown took effect. 

We ended the day with a wade in the lake, which seemed better suited for boats than for swimmers, but I'm still glad the departing ranger let us walk on in to the park as he closed up shop. 

The morning that we left we said goodbye to the three stray dogs living in (or around) our RV park; if our trailer was any bigger I think that the kids would have tried to take them all with us. 

This article below isn't from the most academic of sources, but I came across it while we were there and found it to be insightful and worth discussing with my older kids. Race discussions in our family tend to be of the joking-around-about-ourselves variety (as we are a multi-racial family, and apparently I'm pink, not white), so it's good to throw in a different perspective for them now and again.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/joeflood/how-the-redskins-debate-goes-over-on-an-actual-indian-reserv?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=buzzfeed

Sunsets and Fry Bread in Tuba City and the Grand Canyon

After a full geek-out at the four corners monument we continued on our way through the lower portion of monument valley towards Tuba City. (Sadly, no giant tubas.) 

In Kayenta we checked out a Hogan, which we later saw on each of the Navajo homesteads. The kids learned that this was the traditional home center for teaching and gathering.

We originally planned on heading to Flagstaff first, but changed plans as the government shutdown was on its way. (I'm still behind on blog posts, obviously, from the slow start when we were in cell-free land and then adjusting to school on the road.) Anyway, it was late in the day and we found an RV spot, ominously named 'the end of the trail' park. 

It turned out to be a great stopping place, though, and we ended up staying there four days, using it as a base for exploring the surrounding areas. Plus, it was part of the hotel, so we could saunter in for morning coffee and the nightly fry bread. (We'd pop our buttons if we stayed here much longer, or weren't hiking everyday!)

The first morning we set out for the Grand Canyon, with the first stop at the Desert Viewpoint. It did not disappoint! As a side note, the Little Colorado Canyon along the way was quite a sight, too.

We also took a quick climb up the Watchtower but I was too eager to get going further to stop and learn anything about its history, and the interior art was certainly not authentic, so I don't feel too guilty about rushing through this one.

With just one day we opted for a long rim hike, rather than going into the crowded canyon (full of people like us getting in as much as we could before the park closed). We went to the end of the shuttle route and then hiked back in. This was a fun hike, as we had constant great views.

These are my daughter's artsy photos. 

I think the this one would be good to put up for Halloween!

While the canyon was just as beautiful as expected, I nearly lost my mind over the sunset on the drive back towards the reservation.

I always thought that living on the west coast, in a city on the bay, that we had cornered the market on beautiful sunsets. So wrong! These sunsets are probably what kept us staying in the area so long.

These photos are actually taken facing east. They are also just from my iPhone, with no filters, so I imagine a proper camera would capture it better.