Now that we've been home for a week, I've decided it's time to update the blog about our fun and educational vacation! The boys have been off-track (the joys of year-round school) so we borrowed Glen & Judy's trailer and headed out for two weeks exploring the Colorado Plateau and the 4 Corner States (Utah, Colorado, Arizona & New Mexico). It was a blast!! I spent all last week creating the equivalent of a text book of our adventure, so in this blog I'm going to try to be brief...
In Arizona we went to the Grand Canyon and Petrified National Park. It was beautiful! I can't believe I've lived so close to the Grand Canyon my whole life and never went there! It was truly a sight to behold! The whole concept of time and creation is so much more perplexing to me now!
In New Mexico we went to the International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. It was amazing watching 600 balloons from all over the world fill the skies! Jeff got to work on the "Chase Crew" and help put up a balloon. We also toured Old Town and did a drive by past Jeff's old house and elementary school while we were in Albuquerque.
In Colorado we visited Colorado National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park. The boys liked climbing around in the cliff dwellings and Drew especially loved learning about the native people who used to live here.
In Utah we went to Arches National Park, went rafting down the Colorado River and hiked all through Zion National Park. In all, we visited six National Parks and the boys earned their Jr. Ranger badges at each one.I don't know if it needs to be stated, but if you didn't already know, I am a total nerd and I proved it over and over on this trip. First of all, I checked out stacks of books from the library in preparation for this trip... everything from drawing books to history books to Native American legends. And I dumped all this knowledge into my children. We read so many books and watched so many movies about these places before we left, that they were as excited to go visit all these places as they would have been to go to LegoLand! They were dressing up and acting out scenes from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for days before we actually went to the places it was filmed.
Then on the trip I'd read books about the places we were witnessing and people who lived here so that they already knew much of what they were learning in their Jr. Ranger booklets before we even got them. They were prepared!
And then, I brought each of us a pizza box and lots of colorful modeling clay so that we could each create a diorama of our adventures and bring it home as a souvenir. It was fun deciding what clay creation we wanted to make to represent each of the places we visited. They turned out really cool and it was a fun family activity for all our "trailer time".
So this wasn't just a vacation, it was a learning adventure! Because that's just the kind of nerd I am! Thankfully, my kids don't mind that I'm always trying to teach them things... at least not yet:)
Overall it was an awesome vacation and if you ever get the chance, you can read in more detail about each of our adventures in the digital scrapbook (aka text book) I mentioned at the beginning of the blog.
5 comments:
Wendi!!!!!! This looks so fun? Can I be an honorary nerd in your family? Mesa verde looks awesome. I love learning about ancient peoples and how they lived. Your boys are so lucky to have a mom like you. I think all of your "nerdness" is awesome. By the way, thankyou for your pumpkin suggestions. The pumpkin latte sounds yummy! Talk to you soon! Love ya,
Kelly
I am so glad you had such a great time. You are the most prepared woman I know, that diorama idea was so cool. My kids would eat that up, the question is would I be prepared like that, you are the best mom. Those are two lucky boys.
I am also impressed you went in a trailor. I didn't know that was in the plan, that makes it even more of an adventure. Were the boys sick of driving?
Did you switch over to digital scrapbooking? I would love to see your textbook sometime.
What a cool vacation. My kids love National Parks and really want to go to Mesa Verde. It is hard to actually go home to visit family and then go somewhere close by and visit the sites. We may have to tell the fam if they want to see us we will be near by if they really loves they will come to us.:)
VERY cool! I always thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing! Holy cow! Bet your boys had a blast, and love their Mom more than ever!
I went to Mesa Verde when I was 7 and scratched a message in the sandstone (they let people do that back then...)so I could bring my yet-to-be born children there to see it someday. Well. . . we haven't done that yet, but - did you see it? LOL
Wow! What an adventure! I have never been to Zion National Park or Yellowstone,and look how close we are. That is my goal this year to get to one of those places, or next?? You are one cool mom, your kids are so lucky to have such a wonderful life!
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