travel

Zion National Park or Bust

April 23, 2009 by Shelli

(Zion Trip, Pt. 1)
In early March, I met Kathy, from Omaha, in Vegas. Our destination was Zion National Park.

I was looking for an adventurous getaway where I could capture some video for the MyZionPark.com website we’re working on while getting some great hiking and sightseeing in. It would be a short adventure vacation.

My husband, Jerry, and I and our sons had been to Zion a couple of times. We had done some serious hiking even with our kiddos, including the 8-mile, steep Observation Point hike. But that had been about 5 years ago and I was eager to do it again, and this time with a digital camera and Flip Video in tow.

Most exciting was our plan to hike Angel’s Landing. On my previous trips with our kiddos, Angels Landing had not been an option. But, since I first learned about it, it beckoned. It’s been like an itch that needs scratched.

Kathy is a chiropractor and is married to my cousin, Jody Kloewer. They have three kids. I was a bridesmaid in their wedding in 1990, and Jerry was a groomsman. That’s how Jerry and I met, so Jody and Kathy hold an extra-special place in our hearts.

Kathy is in great shape, is a real trooper, loves nature and photography as much as I do â€“ and very important, she has an easygoing (great) personality. I knew if she accepted the invitation to join me, it would be a fantastic trip. Also, did I mention she’s a chiropractor? That can come in handy on a hard-charging hiking trip.

So, we met in Vegas, rented our yellow Corvette and off we went toward Zion.

In a few hours we were pulling into the Desert Pearl Inn, our home for the next four nights. Desert Pearl Inn has loads of raving reviews on the internet, and many people claimed it’s the best place to stay while visiting Zion. By the looks of it, I was sold and we booked our stay.

Desert Pearl Inn, near Zion National Park.

Normally I’m only interested in a clean roof over my head, especially on these hiking adventures where not much time is spent in the hotel and all I need is a bed to plop on and a shower to clean the grime off. But this time, since we’d be hiking hard, I figured we’d splurge a little. What the heck, we’d be deserving of nice accommodations.

Some people, including myself before this trip, would say that a hotel can’t really be a reason to visit a place. Until this trip, I agreed. But Desert Pearl Inn made me change my mind. Desert Pearl Inn is situated under the shadows of the towering Watchmen red rock cliff and its back yard is cut by the Virgin River. Our room had a balcony with deck and we had the luxury of the sounds of a babbling brook in the background thanks to slightly-opened windows during sleep after a long day on the trails. But that’s not all. We had a kitchen, a wide screen television, big comfy beds, wood floors, great earthy and rustic interior design, and even a â€“ get this â€“ bidet.

Beautiful, spacious rooms with comfy beds.

A bidet you ask? Well, being a small town girl from Wyoming, I definitely didn’t know what it was. It looked like a mini-me version of the toilet, but it had a faucet. Hhmm. But after Kathy told me how it’s pronounced (It’s French and it’s pronoucned bee-dey), I sensed whatever it was, it was special and it was a luxury to have one. Suffice it to say it’s not a small sink for your kids…

If you’re visiting Zion National Park or the other national park wonders accessed by southwestern Utah, Desert Pearl Inn offers truly a wonderful retreat after a day of exploring nature’s wonders.

Grand Canyon Railway: 2 trips in 1

April 13, 2009 by Shelli

The Grand Canyon Railway claims its customers get to enjoy two trips when they ride the historic train to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim: a trip to the Grand Canyon and a trip into the past.

It’s an accurate claim, and what a spectacular adventure!

Our family just returned from a Spring Break vacation that included 3 days in the Grand Canyon region. On our middle day we enjoyed the Grand Canyon Railway. We showed up at the Depot in Williams, AZ, located about 50 miles south of the South Rim, at 9:30 am. From there we got our tickets and then walked about 25 yards to the corral where we watched a great Old West gunfight skit and reenactment. It was really entertaining. Our three young sons loved it and we got some laughs at the great actors. My parents were along and also enjoyed the show.

We boarded the train at 10:20. We rode Budd Coach for our trip to the South Rim. Coach is the most economic option. There are four classes: Coach, First Class, First Class-Dome (“Observation Dome”) and Parlor (Luxury) Class. Coach, although the most economical of the classes, was still wonderful.

Seating was comfortable and entertainment was provided. We enjoyed interacting with one of the gunfighters in the Old West Show, as well as some great guitar music and singing.

The cars are historic and the train ride truly brings the Old West to life. It’s a great way to sit back and have a cultural experience that is also a lot of fun, and where someone else is doing the driving.

Around 12:45 the train delivered us to the Depot on the South Rim, near the historic El Tovar Hotel, where we walked about 50 yards to a free shuttle that took us to Maswik Lodge, where our group of 7 enjoyed a great cafeteria-style lunch where there was something for everyone. After that we walked a little ways to catch the Red Route/Hermits Rest shuttle system.

At Trailview Overlook during our train layover.

From there we took in great views of the Grand Canyon at Trailview, Hopi Point and Powell Point before heading back to catch the 4:30 return train.

Jerry, the kids and parents wait board the return train.

We moved up to First Class for our return trip.

For the return trip we had upgraded to First Class. Now that was extra comfy. Comfortable bucket seats and snacks and beverages were enjoyed. But regardless of what Class you’re sitting in, the return is packed full of entertainment.

For starters, we got robbed!

We were riding along visiting and enjoying the snacks and scenery when all of a sudden our young boys noticed a train robber/bandit on a horse racing right outside our train window. Wow, now that was exciting. Suddenly everyone got alert as our PSA informed us of how to protect our money and what to do if they overtook our train.

Five days later, our boys are still talking about the train robbery! It was a hoot to say the least.

In between all the excitement I had special press privileges to tour the Parlor/Luxury class sections of the train. Parlor Class has restaurant-type seating…comfy and roomy seating with tables, and lots of windows. Also, very importantly, if you’re riding in Parlor Class, you can enjoy the back outdoor deck. I was able to stand out back and listen and watch as the train took us down the tracks. It was very exciting! Champagne was another benefit, which I reaped when I was touring the back.

It was an adventure our family won’t soon forget, and it added to our Grand Canyon vacation experience. For our adventure, we took the 10:30 train, arrived to Grand Canyon at 12:45, enjoyed lunch and the free shuttles to major overlooks on the Red Route, including Trailview Overlook, Hopi Point and Powell Point before boarding the return train at 4:20 pm. It was just right for our family.

However, Grand Canyon Railway also offers packages that are very reasonably-priced and probably are the best package and value. For example, you can spend the first night in Williams at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, then board the train the next day and spend that night at a lodge on the South Rim of Grand Canyon then return the following day. There are all kinds of packages available and we’d highly recommend any of them. Go to TheTrain.com for more information.

Here’s a little video production that covers the adventure:

Why Camping is My Favorite Family Activity

April 13, 2009 by Shelli

Jerry and I have three sons, Wolf, 9, Hayden, 7 and Fin, 2. My favorite thing to do with the family is camping. I just love it. It’s a way to get close to nature, get dirty, find things to do that are not artificial or expensive, and typically the best campgrounds/campsites don’t have cell signals.

People who know me and know how I love gadgets and all of technology’s wonders don’t believe it when I say it, but I sometimes like it when my cell has no bars. It forces me into isolation, which is what I want, but often have a hard time surrendering to.

We recently camped for most of our Spring Break vacation. Except for yurt stays the first two nights, which were fortunate given the blizzard conditions, we camped 4 nights.

The boys love looking for treasures, finding and collecting rocks and other interesting items, climbing trees, helping build a fire, making s’mores, reading aloud to each other, playing ball, looking at the stars and everything else that comes as part of the camping package.

My parents rented an RV from CruiseAmerica in Salt Lake City and toured some of Utah’s national parks on their own before meeting up with us on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for a few days.

Our boys w/Mommom & Poppop at Grand Canyon.

Boy, did they arrive in comfort. What a great idea and business CruiseAmerica has. My boys fell in love with the RV and truth be told they much preferred that to tent camping. Some of the fond memories from the camping time with their Mommom and Poppop were the walks they took and helping my parents find their way with walkie-talkies after getting lost and disoriented several times. : >

Great times to be sure. We can’t wait for the next camping trip.

Here’s a short video that captures the essence of our camping experiences:

Vegas or Bust

April 12, 2009 by Shelli

Toward the end of our Spring Break road trip adventure, after 6 nights of camping, we surprised the kiddos with a night in Las Vegas. Since we were in dire need of showers and had spent little on the trip due to camping and picnicking, we splurged on a hotel. Thanks to Priceline we were able to get a room at Trump Tower, a five-star resort that’s just one year old, for under $80.

In addition to taking a long swim and watching a couple of circus acts at Circus Circus, we went with the kids and my parents to Fremont Street Experience. Everyone we know suggested that we do this.

It was great advice. The light show overhead and musicians playing… It was culture shock in a great way as the place was charged with energy.

We especially enjoyed listening to this magnificent saxophone player, Carl “Safe Sax” Ferris:

Together but in 4 (5) different states

April 8, 2009 by Shelli

Hahaha. This is a good one: Our family found out what it was like to be together but in 4 different states. In fact, my husband, Jerry, and I decided that if Delirious counts as a state, which we think it does, we stood in 5 states at one time. It was very cool.

This really happened as we descended on Four Corners on April 6 during our recent Spring Break road trip adventure.

Standing together but in 4 different states

After touring Mesa Verde National Park, we traveled through Cortez, CO, to experience Four Corners, the monument that marks the point at which four states come together: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah.

It was sort of a hoky experience, but well worth it. We were glad we included it on our itinerary. You pay $3 per person to enter tribal land and then take turns waiting to stand briefly in all four states. Fortunately we arrived early in the morning and early in the tourist season and only had to wait about five minutes before a friendly bystander offered to take our photograph.