Goodbye Day

Well its finally here. The day where we have to get up, pack the bags and load up on the bus from the final time. While I know I have to get back to the real world, I am just not looking forward to saying goodbye.

I woke up and realized it was time to load up the luggage and set it outside for pick up. After scrambling to get everything back in my bag, I set the suitcase outside the door where others waited for pick up.

We were lucky enough to be able to spend more time together on the bus trip to Grand Junction and once we arrived at the tiny airport, it was time for those last hugs and good-byes.

Looking back on this experience its amazing to think what I once thought of as trip I would do someday in a station wagon would be so much better in a bus with a bunch of strangers who became friends.

I learned many things on this trip, like:

• No one picture can truly capture the beauty of the Grand Canyon.
• Test your water shoes and ensure they will stay on before you jump into a river
• If you have to go ATVing – Linda is a “very good driver” – as long as you yell BRAKE loud enough to be heard over her giggles of pure elation!
• Michelle has no fear.
• Annette will likely run from anything furry if it looks like it may charge her.
  

But I think my favorite lesson of all is:

• Adventures ARE truly better with friends.

Goodbye Day

Well its finally here. The day where we have to get up, pack the bags and load up on the bus from the final time. While I know I have to get back to the real world, I am just not looking forward to saying goodbye.

I woke up and realized it was time to load up the luggage and set it outside for pick up. After scrambling to get everything back in my bag, I set the suitcase outside the door where others waited for pick up. < more... >

The Last Night

Tonight was the Farewell barbecue offering steaks cooked to order with all the fixings. We were set out on the deck with a beautiful view of the sunset. What a wonderful way to top off a fantastic vacation.

My intention was to get pics of each family, but apparently with all the fun, visiting and laughter (and not being able to catch up to the kids and oh yes…  my questionable photography skills) I didn’t manage to get a good shot of everyone – my sincere apologies to those I missed.  I would love to have pics of those I sdont have posted, so please feel free to send them on over so I can add them! 

In the meantime, be sure to check out the blogs by Linda and Deb on AllEarsNet.com as I know they did a much better photography job then I did.

As the sunset, we moved indoors where we all reflected on the experience and shared our best memories.

The kids were very inspired by the High School Musical showing the night before and they attempted to teach Michelle this years dance craze.

We even had a birthday to celebrate along with the celebration of new friendships.

As the pictures show, the group now seemed like family and what better way to end a night with family then building smores around a campfire?

The Last Night

Tonight was the Farewell barbecue offering steaks cooked to order with all the fixings. We were set out on the deck with a beautiful view of the sunset. What a wonderful way to top off a fantastic vacation.

< more... >

The last Day – part 1

Woo hoo! Sleep in day – till 7:30 am! Yes, it was a late start today as I made my way to join the others for breakfast

I can’t believe it’s almost over! OK… gotta stop thinking that way for now and take in the activities of the day. I have been looking forward to the River Rafting activity since I saw the itinerary. And those who have seen me turn down Splash Mountain on a regular basis will be surprised by that statement. Getting wet isn’t one of my favorite past times, yet I love to swim and rafting the mostly class one water was a highlight for me.

We boarded the bus and headed off to the river bank where we suited up in life vests and divided into groups for our adventure.

Once floating we were given the option of staying in the boat and enjoying the scenery or jumping in and enjoying the water. I opted to jump in and it was great swimming a long side the boat as it floated down the river.  At some points it was shallow enough to stand, but other points you would hit a drop and the current would pick up a bit and I was thankful for the support of the life vest.

Let’s not forget the water fights. Oh yes. One tip – before you get on your boat be sure you are well armed. One if not two buckets on board is a must. Alas we learned that tip the hard way and Michelle had to threaten a fellow boat to hand over one of their three so we could partake in the action.  She swam over and pillaged a bucket so we were in the game!

And we had our secret weapon – Wanda! If you ever need someone who can really windmill a bucket, Wanda is your gal!

Michelle got right in there and offered to row awhile.

Incidentally, I neglected to buy a waterproof camera so the pics below are courtesy of Linda Mac who took some great photos during the trip. You can see them and read her blog entries over on ALL EARS - Just click -  http://www.allearsnet.com/blogs/lindamac/

We returned to the lodge and met over near the winery for a brown bag lunch which included a sandwich chosen the day before so it was ready. (thanks Annette and Michelle for making sure I got roast beef!) And we got ready for the next part of our day.

Michelle had such a great time ATVing the day prior that she talked Annette, the girls, Linda and I into investing some money and going with her. OK… truth be told I talked Linda into going because I needed a driver. Can you tell Adventures by Disney has spoiled me a bit? [ed – reality is she couldn’t get an automatic transmission and only needed Linda to shift for her ]

There was some fantastic scenery and lots of drops so I’m glad Linda was driving although I’m sure she got a little annoyed with the back seat ATVing from the peanut gallery as my back end was not on a seat as one would know it. We didn’t have a dual seat machine, but instead I was more resting on a metal bar. ya… ouch.

“err, a Linda – you ever heard of a BRAKE??”

“Umm… that’s a hole there…”

“Ah… stream ahead…  water Linda… WATER!”

All I ever heard in response was a loud “YEAA HAWWW”  as the engine revved… followed by a lot of giggling.

We returned to the lodge to shower and get the ever present red dust off of us to prepare for our last night together.

The last Day – part 1

Woo hoo! Sleep in day – till 7:30 am! Yes, it was a late start today as I made my way to join the others for breakfast

I can’t believe it’s almost over! OK… gotta stop thinking that way for now and take in the activities of the day. < more... >

Note by Beci –  Ahh… the glamorous life of a travel planner. Hurricane Dean managed to change my plans today. I stayed behind to assist a client trying to escape Cancun before the category 5 storm blew into town. So while I was working the phones, Michelle volunteered to cover blog duty today. Thanks Michelle!

A “Delicate” Day
Blog entry courtesy of Daredevil Michelle -

We had another early wake-up call but enjoyed the fact that we only would be on the bus today for about 30 minutes! Lots of applause… The Lodge has a brunch on Sunday mornings instead of their normal breakfast. This was a special treat for us since the Lodge bakes all of their own pastries and makes many dishes from scratch. Most amazing in my opinion, the Gingerbread pancakes Annette chose which I of course snuck a bite of. So with full bellies and lots of anticipation of a great hike we were going to take inside Natural Bridges State Park, by 8am we were on our way.

We picked up our local guide for the day named Dave. He is quite the outdoorsman and full of special words for all the rocks we saw while driving. What was that one for petrified Dinosaur poop? Once inside the park we ascended up a winding road and into the park stopping first at Balance Rock. Most of the sandstone rocks here have been eroded by wind, water, rain over time leaving them as they are today. Giant sand boulders are teetering on what look like tall totem poles throughout this park and parts of Utah. 

Next stop, the trail up to Delicate Rock. This is one part of the trip I am really excited about, climbing up to see a natural “bridge”. The trail is deceiving but well traveled so obviously a park favorite. Our guides made sure we had lots of water and we soon found out why, it’s hot here in August. The trail starts out slow and gradual and our group of 25 or so trickled along at their own pace, stopping for well needed breaks. Those coming down the trail kept saying “its well worth the hike” which gave us a boost and kept me chugging along to the top. Once the trail reaches the flat rock surface, the climbing got intense and you had to keep saying, I think I can, I think I can…

At the top of the rock the trail levels out and switchbacks along the side of the cliffs for a short while. As we rounded one last bend, there it is, Delicate Rock. A naturally formed Arch off in the distance over what looks like a whirlpool of swirling reddish, white sandstone. Worth the climb, absolutely and the best part is you can stand inside the Arch to really get a feel for how big it is and how small you are.

After resting for a bit for snacks and water, our guides had us all form a friendship circle together to congratulate ourselves for a great hike then handed us a special treat for this accomplishment. We all gathered up our belongings and headed down the trail at about 11:00. Glad to be going down since the heat of the day was becoming even more apparent on the faces of other hikers just starting to make the climb. Once back down and on the bus we felt a great since of “ah” and drove out of the park and into Moab where we all got to wander around for 2 hours and eat lunch.

Annette and the kids and I chose Sliprock Café. A local bar and grill type place with salads, sandwiches and smoothies.  We got salads, fries and mozzarella sticks which were all quite tasty after a long morning. I wandered around and had to buy a shirt with a  picture of Delicate Arch on the front. Moab is known for motocross bikers, rafting and other outdoor activities and many of the local shops support these sports.

The group headed back to Red Cliffs lodge at 3:00 pm and I headed out for my afternoon Adventure, ATV riding. I went along with 2 other single mom’s in the group and their 10 year old sons. I have never been on an ATV and was somewhat nervous as I always am at doing something new for the first time. Besides looking at the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley, this by far was the BEST thing I have done on this trip.

Our guide is Casey and looks a lot like Val Kilmer, not a bad thing at all to us girls. We start out gearing up with helmets, gloves and goggles, all necessities for this adventure. Casey gives us a quick lesson on the bikes and we are off.  I am on a single while mom and son’s get the doubles. The path is for the most part flat and drive thru a red rock canyon area along a creek. Did I say creek? Yes, we right off the bat cross over the creek at several spots and water sprays all over us. Totally awesome! We continue riding and now climbing up through the canyon along the creek bed and plateau at the top of butte. We stop for water and pictures and the view is beautiful and amazingly very different from all the other areas I’ve seen. Standing along the edge of farmland we can see a green valley of blowing wheat surrounded by beautiful rocky hills. This part of the trail is very flat and fast! Casey pretty much disappears behind us and we drive at our own speed now back down the trail. By this time, I have gotten the hand of the ATV and drive a little faster, now trying to drive fast through the creek crossings and sliding my wheels behind me. The whole trip takes 2 hours and the whole group had a blast. I would definitely recommend this for those wanting a real adventure in parts of the area you can’t see otherwise. Other options for the afternoon were Horseback riding and Hummer Jeep tours all of which were reported to be amazing also.

Kids tonight got to have their Jr Adventure dinner and Movie night. They watched High School Musical II while adults dined on their own in the Lodge. Oh yes, did I mention the Lodge is also a Winery with free wine tasting during the day….Can’t go wrong here. Beautiful setting, great staff, very relaxing, millions of stars etc etc etc.

Time to sleep, tomorrow’s Adventure, a raft float down the Colorado River.

Note by Beci –  Ahh… the glamorous life of a travel planner. Hurricane Dean managed to change my plans today. I stayed behind to assist a client trying to escape Cancun before the category 5 storm blew into town. So while I was working the phones, Michelle volunteered to cover blog duty today. Thanks Michelle!

A “Delicate” Day
Blog entry courtesy of Daredevil Michelle -

We had another early wake-up call but enjoyed the fact that we only would be on the bus today for about 30 minutes! Lots of applause… The Lodge has a brunch on Sunday mornings instead of their normal breakfast. This was a special treat for us since the Lodge bakes all of their own pastries and makes many dishes from scratch. Most amazing in my opinion, the Gingerbread pancakes Annette chose which I of course snuck a bite of. So with full bellies and lots of anticipation of a great hike we were going to take inside Natural Bridges State Park, by 8am we were on our way. < more... >

On to Red Cliffs – part 2

After another 3 hours on the bus of chatting, sharing pics, laughing and just soaking in the relaxation, we arrived at our home for the next 3 nights – Red Cliffs Lodge.  Its located approximately 2o minutes or so outside the town of Moab and surrounded by .. you guessed it… Red Cliffs!

Its on of those places that you breathe in and your lungs remember what its like to take in real oxygen. This is where it really hit me… oh my gosh.. I’m actually relaxing! As a side note on the trip in general, If you do anything in your regular life that puts all the responsibility of planning anything solely in your hands, this is the vacation experience for you.

As a vacation planner I am acutely aware of dealing with the needs, issues and challenges of the vacationer and when you get into this biz you tend to transmit that same sense of over the top detail to your personal vacations – thus a vacation is never really the relaxing carefree experience it once was.  Until now.  Yes.  After two Adventures by Disney I am addicted and Chris and I are now looking at the 2008 adventures to see what’s next.

anyway – I digress…

We arrive and as usual, we have already been checked in and our trusty Adventure guides have our keys ready and waiting for us. I make my way to my room, open the door and am amazed!  I have a king bed room that features a lower level with a sitting area, a dining table and a kitchenette. Nice.  The patio leads out to my “backyard’ complete with a view and a spectacular view.

After a little time to freshen up we headed for the on site winery for a welcome dinner complete with an Italian buffet and yes… wine!

After dinner I spent some time outside just looking at the stars. With no lights in the area you can clearly see the Milky Way and the stars are so bright. It reminded me of growing up in my home town where you could see the night sky without the obtrusive lighting of the city. It dawned on me that I really took that for granted.  What a beautiful site.  I could have stayed there all night.  If I didn’t have to get up so darn early!

Tomorrow… Arches National Park!

On to Red Cliffs – part 2

After another 3 hours on the bus of chatting, sharing pics, laughing and just soaking in the relaxation, we arrived at our home for the next 3 nights – Red Cliffs Lodge.  Its located approximately 2o minutes or so outside the town of Moab and surrounded by .. you guessed it… Red Cliffs! < more... >

On the Road Again – part 1

This is not the adventure for people who like to sleep in. Today the alarm went off very early as the bags had to be ready for pick up at 6:30 am  (shudder…). I am certainly not what you would call a morning person and to ensure I wasn’t the one who slept in, I had a wake up call, set the alarm next to the bed and asked for a wake up call. I am happy to report I made it on time. Shower… check – breakfast… check –  on the bus… check.

Ready for a 6 hour bus ride?  well…  I have to admit I wasn’t too excited at the thought but it was broken up into 2 sections of 3 hours with a stop in the middle. What really made it fun was everyone in the group had really started bonding and having fun, so the company of new friends helped make the time fly by. They did offer a movie on the bus as well, but the beauty of the surroundings made it tough to pay attention to the movie.

The rock formations were incredible. It reminded me of being a kid and looking at the clouds to figure out what shapes they were.  Below is a pic of the most famous owl on the blogs ad I have noticed that most bloggers who have been on the trip included pics of this friendly little guy.

At the halfway point we reached Monument Valley which has served as the backdrop for many Hollywood hits including:

• Stagecoach with John Wayne
• In 2001: A space Odyssey it served as the surface of an alien planet
• Back to the Future III - where Marty drives from 1955 to 1885
• National Lampoons Vacation - where the Griswolds station wagon falls apart
• Forrest Gump decides to stop his cross country running here
• Who could forget Mission Impossible II where Tom is perilously hanging on the side of a rock cliff

We stopped for lunch at Gouldings which is a historic Trading Post from the 1920s. It was Harry Goulding who brought Hollywood to the door stop of the valley which helped the local economy. There is a restaurant, shop and museum highlighting the influence the area has had on Hollywood and worth the $2 donation to step back into history.

After lunch we boarded our tour vehicles to take an off road tour of the area. Be prepared – it’s a dusty ride so be sure to bring a bandana or other covering if that is difficult for you. Also I suggest you don’t wear your favorite shirt especially if it’s a light color like white. You will find it dusted in a nice shade of red when you are done.  Lots of picture opportunities here!

On our second stop we came to a location where you can sit on a horse and get quite a photo op.

Notice Michelle on the edge again?

After the tour we returned to Gouldings for a chance to wash the thin layer of dust off our arms, faces, clothing, etc and it was back on the bus toward Moab!

On the Road Again – part 1

This is not the adventure for people who like to sleep in. Today the alarm went off very early as the bags had to be ready for pick up at 6:30 am  (shudder…). < more... >

On The Edge

What a day it’s been.  It started pretty early with a breakfast buffet at the hotel then boarding the bus for a more in depth look at the canyon.  We picked up a local expert who provided lots of interesting tid bits on the area and its residents..  both human and the animals who inhabit the area. While I have many, many pictures of the landscape, I have to say, none of them truly seem to capture the majesty of this place, but I have selected a few that you might enjoy.

At our first overlook stop, I learned something extremely valuable - Michelle is indeed a bit on the crazy side.  More on that later.

A few of us high tailed it off the bus and went to find a nice spot for a pic or two.  We had no idea that a memory would unfold.  One that will stick with me forever…… Michelle wasn’t born with the “I could actually fall’ gene.  Again, more on that later.

We did manage to get a shot of Michelle, Annette, her girls, and me on what seems like the edge of the earth as you make your way to the edge.

So now that you see this pic…  consider for a moment there doesn’t seem to be much beyond the point where we were standing. Well..  there was and it was the cause of several incidents of near heart failure by more then one parent and other observers as well.

But the lure of the ‘perfect shot’ was just to great and here are some examples -  Linda Mac, Deb, Ronia, Linda E and Wanda had to jump in the act.  Mike took the pic and there is George in the background taking a picture of someone else taking the picture, while I am …yes… taking a picture.  There was a lot of that going on.

And now the moment you have been all waiting for –

The little people in the middle of the photo below are Tiffany and Michelle.  While this may not seem to death defying in itself, it will be much more apparent when you scroll to pic # 2 of the set – it’s a zoom out of the same location.

Little People

Big Drop

My heart skips a beat thinking about that… 

Those who know me can easily guess - I didn’t get anywhere near that rock.  But Deb and I did brave a spot to perch somewhere just a few steps closer to the edge.

Deb and Beci

Remember “Near / Far” on Sesame Street? This is “Sane / Insane”

So now that you have a vision of Michelle as the dare-devil Vacation Planner… let me also tell you a quick tale of the moment a while later.  I was standing by the bus and saw three figures running from the brush near the edge of the canyon yammering something about being chased by a killer dear. Michelle, Annette and one of her girls were telling a tale of a jumping, snorting killer deer coming after them.  (ok…sure we believe you….)  When we asked for a picture to prove that a jumping, snorting killer deer was even a member of the animal kingdom… they failed to produce one.  So we can only assume it was more likely an angry squirrel or some other cuddly fluffy man-eating creature because we have the pic of them running and the reality of the location would seem to make that outcome much more logical.  Or maybe they all ate the bug in the candy from the other day? Who knows.

We ended our afternoon after a visit to the famed watch tower featured in the background of the pic below of our truly awesome Adventure guides, Tiffany and Mike.

The rest of the day was on our own to explore the area, relax at the hotel, or whatever we wanted to do with an option to return to the canyon later in the day for sunset.  We did go back but the weather was less then stellar, but we topped the night off with an on your own dinner where the now well bonded group of 38 decided to partake in the local pizza place.  Fun was had by all, especially those who spotted a very large elk who decided to use a grassy area across the street in a motel parking lot as a dinner buffet. To dark for a pic, but I could see him from my hotel window.  Quite a site!

Tomorrow – we encounter the wonders on Monument valley!

On The Edge

What a day it’s been.  It started pretty early with a breakfast buffet at the hotel then boarding the bus for a more in depth look at the canyon.  We picked up a local expert who provided lots of interesting tid bits on the area and its residents.. < more... >

View from the Top

This is the moment many of us have been waiting for. To explain the significance of the moment for me, I need to go back in time a bit to a much different part of my life. For several years I toured with a variety of rock bands as a crew member doing lighting and/or pyrotechnics & special effects. In my travels I was blessed to view many parts of the US and have seen many beautiful sites. However, there were two areas that always seemed to escape me as we traveled near them in the dark of night.  One was Yellowstone National Park and the other… the Grand Canyon.  I made a promise to myself I would make sure to see them and almost 20 years later, I finally get to know one of them off my list.

When we arrived at the gates of the national park the entire bus felt electrified waiting for the first glimpse of this wonder. We arrived at the visitors center where you can get information on hikes and other exploration opportunities available. We all gathered as our Adventure Guide Tiffany gave us a safety briefing before we made the few hundred yard hike to one of the viewing areas.

People have always said that there are truly no words to describe the site, and no one picture can truly do it justice….  And after seeing this amazing site, I agree.  The only word I could say was.. wow…..

Sharing the magic - Annette, Michelle, Tiffany, Beci

Sharing the magic – Ann & George

Sharing the magic – Linda, Deb & Wanda

After spending some time viewing this massive wonder, we picked our jaws up off the ground and boarded the bus for the hotel. We will call the Grand Hotel our home for the next two nights. I have to be honest; we had read many of the trip reports from past guests on this adventure and didn’t have high expectations.  Granted, the hotel is not a deluxe property that one would expect however, we found the hotel to be on par with a value to lower end moderate Disney property. It was clean, with nice sized rooms and provided a coffee maker with some rooms having wireless internet access. It seemed the closer to the lobby, the better the connection. Why would Disney go for a less then deluxe property?  Let’s just say given the other options in the immediate area… they actually did. In other words, The Grand Hotel seems to truly be the best quality option with modern conveniences, convenient location to local services and close proximity to the grand canyon.

We checked in and enjoyed a nice BBQ buffet dinner with native American entertainment.

Tomorrow – we return to the canyon.

View from the Top

This is the moment many of us have been waiting for. To explain the significance of the moment for me, I need to go back in time a bit to a much different part of my life. For several years I toured with a variety of rock bands as a crew member doing lighting and/or pyrotechnics & special effects. < more... >

En route to the Canyon

It was an early morning as our luggage had to be ready for pick up at 7 am. I rolled out of bed, packed up and made my way to the breakfast buffet before boarding the bus for the ride to the Grand Canyon.

Our first stop was at Red Rock National Park to embark on a nature walk. The Adventure Guides loaded us up with water and we headed off into the trail with a local expert. It was a moderate walk primarily in the shade, with a series of switch backs leading to the top of a hill that offered a spectacular view.

Michelle & Annette taking in the view

Adventure Guide Mike and the kids

Or next stop was in the town of Tlaquepaque where we had an opportunity to have lunch explore the shops and galleries.  There were several restaurants to choose from and a group of us made our way to a local brewery featuring burgers, salads, and usually pizza is the specialty of the house. Unfortunately the pizza oven was down during our visit so…..  burger it is! It was also nice to partake in an adult beverage as well while enjoying the company of some new friends.

After lunch, we made our way right to the shop featuring chocolate concoctions (anyone who knows Annette wont be surprised…)  as well as ice cream, float drinks and… lollipops with different insects… yes really… encased in the middle.  (yummy…) 

Back on the bus, just as the lighting started up and we are on the road again.  More later!

En route to the Canyon

It was an early morning as our luggage had to be ready for pick up at 7 am. I rolled out of bed, packed up and made my way to the breakfast buffet before boarding the bus for the ride to the Grand Canyon.

Our first stop was at Red Rock National Park to embark on a nature walk. < more... >

Canyons and Cowboys – Sedona

We all met for a nice buffet breakfast to before heading out for a unique tour. We walked out the front door of the hotel and were met by a line of red jeeps and our cowboy tour guides. Each of the bright red jeeps holds 6 or eve 7 guests as well as one jeep wrangler… errr cowboy.

Picture 1:  Jeeps at the Hotel 

Picture 2: Load ‘em Up!

Picture 3: Deb Snaps Back from the Lead Jeep

Picture 4: Jeep Safari

Picture 5: Annette, Cowboy, Beci, Michelle, Cowboy with gun.

Picture 6: Ann & George taking in the scenery

Picture 7: Deb & Ronia

We returned to the Sedona Heritage Museum to learn more about the role of cowboys in the area as well as the part that the ares has played in several movies across the decades.  Lunch was served and some adventurers participated in arts & craft activities while others returned to the hotel to enjoy the pool and spa.

Tomorrow – we check out of our hotel and head towards the Grand Canyon!

Canyons and Cowboys – Sedona

We all met for a nice buffet breakfast to before heading out for a unique tour. We walked out the front door of the hotel and were met by a line of red jeeps and our cowboy tour guides. < more... >