The outdoors is calling in Park City, Utah

August 6, 2021August 6, 2021 / Julia / Leave a comment

Salt Lake City is an easy to navigate airport with flights coming in from all over. It makes for a simple starting point to any vacation out west. We arrived late in the evening and picked up our rental car then drove up the mountains to our Airbnb.

We stayed at the Silver king resort. A ski resort that backs right up to the parking lot of one of the local ski resorts. It’s a perfect location for skiing in the winter and trail running in the summer. In the off season it’s supremely affordable with 2 large rooms, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, living room and in unit washer and dryer. It also includes underground parking and an indoor/outdoor pool (as well as hot tub) for year round fun. With a 7 year old we got daily use of this awesome pool.

I woke up at sunrise and was happy to find the weather in the low 60s and the sun just starting to come up as I made my way out for a short run around the town and golf course.

The beautiful downtown is in full bloom with each storefront having their own brilliant display of floral arrangements.

The Phoenix theater was worthy of a stop. The Egyptian details are colorful and abundant.

If you’re from a flat state this quaint town will give you a run for your money. Even my daughter had a tough time just walking. Between elevation and decent hills, it’s a good workout.

In town there’s a lovely bike bath, sound garden, skating park, restaurants and lots of stores. There is also a local distillery if you’re a whisky fan it’s a great place to check out. There are lots of photo worthy stops to take in. We enjoyed the art galleries and sculptures around town.

We opted to pick on activity for each day so we had something to look forward to, but also allowing us some downtime since we were on vacation after all. The first day was horseback riding at Deer Valley. I had to do some research to find a place that allowed younger children and 7 was the minimum age for this 1 hour tour. At first, my daughter was scared but after 5 min she asked if we could buy our own horse. Now it’s an activity she requests on every vacation.

For dinner we had a quick pizza on a balcony at Red Banjo pizza parlor in a restaurant that had been established in 1962, but the building has around since the late 1880s. The view of Main Street from the balcony as the sun set was better than the pizza.

The next morning started with a trail run. The first mile or two was tough, choosing to go straight up the slope instead of the switchbacks in order to hit the best parts quickly. There was more walking than running but it was still exhilarating. Taking in the elk, the wild flowers and aspen trees was literally a breath of fresh air from the swampy heat of summer in florida.

This morning instead of eating in the info we visited Riverhorse provisions for a light breakfast. It’s an old fashioned grocer style. You can buy items to go or order at the counter and have them brought to your table. The breakfast burrito was a big hit and the m&m cannoli was impossible to resist with my latte.

Today’s activity was river rafting on the Weber river. It involves a decent drive out of town so we threw on our swimsuit, packed the sunscreen and water shoes and took off for an afternoon of fun. The rafting ride includes a drink and even younger children can enjoy themselves on this quiet part of the river. There is one very small section with milk currents they can enjoy, but this is not whitewater. Our guide was a knowledgeable college student who pointed out all of the formations, encouraged us to hop out when it was safe and led us crouching under a very low bridge. It was an adventure we all enjoyed.

As we were close to town I had been eyeballing some milkshakes at Burley burger in south weber and it was a perfect dinner stop. If you’re really hungry then have a massive burger, fries and shake food challenge. I don’t think we could’ve finished it between the three of us!

We spent the remainder of the day splashing at the pool and then had an early bedtime.

This morning we, again, drove up to Deer Valley for paddle boarding around the lake. We opted not to go further out as a small pond allowed my daughter to captain a board all by herself. It was a fun way to enjoy a few hours on a lake that doesn’t have waves or gators. Both of which I’m thankful to enjoy.

After getting cleaned up we headed out for a hike. Donut falls was calling our names! This is a very easy hike through some great forest areas with an end at a waterfall that flows through a donut shaped rock formation. It was a very popular spot for both family hikes and family photo sessions.

We finished the hike later in the evening and we’re stunned by a beautiful sunset yet again.

Our last day in Park city. I went for another, longer trail run. 9 miles just flew by and I wished I’d had all day to explore.

Today’s fun activities were all located at the Olympic village; host of the 2002 Winter Olympics. We enjoyed the museum and watched people do the ski jumps. All of the fun stuff here is included with a wristband for limitless fun during a 2 hour session. We tried tubing, the ropes course, the alpine sled and that was about it, but is a bit more to see if you don’t spend too much time in any one place.

We had an early dinner at an Bartolo’s; it’s only a few miles from the village in the little shopping area.

Goodbye Park City! We loaded the rental car and drove out of the mountains into Salt Lake City. We would’ve had more fun exploring downtown, but everything of interest was closed due to Covid. I was glad we didn’t book a full day there. We did enjoy a great brunch at Sweetlake biscuits & limeade.

While downtown we did get some pictures in front of the spectacular Mormon church and around the square despite it being under construction. The flowers here were so plentiful it scented the entire square.

We then drove to the airport for our next adventure with plans to return to see more of Utah.

Sedona isn’t just for hikers

July 30, 2021July 27, 2021 / Julia / Leave a comment

As one drives into Sedona the red rocks appear almost out of nowhere. This was our first view of Sedona and it was everything I had hoped it would be. A few days of glorious spring weather and tons of breathtaking scenery.

We stayed at the Orchards inn right in downtown Sedona. It’s tucked back down an alley on the corner by the pink jeep tour company and includes free parking making it especially easy to navigate downtown. Besides the amazing location the lobby includes free, cold bottled water and hot specialty coffees. All of these rooms have outstanding views from the balcony and are renovated. The pluses definitely outweigh the negatives, so while it is renovated you can tell this is an old hotel. There is very little noise insulation if there’s a door to an adjoining room, the bathroom is small and you can see the wear and tear and they never have towels at the pool. When they do, they have holes. That said, it’s a good location and price so the value is there for a peak season Sedona hotel.

Dinner on night one was Cowboy Club Grille. Walking distance from our hotel and had a kids menu. We had no wait and my daughter was thrilled with her cheeseburger. We saw lots of families enjoying the outdoor patio and views of the rocks during sunset.

Still in east coast time we walked back to our room and enjoyed our two Queen beds of space. In the morning, I made a cup of coffee in our room with the keurig that was provided and got ready while my daughter slowly woke. We had big plans and that meant getting up before sunrise.

First stop was a healthy dose of carbs and sugar before our hike. Lucky for us, Sedonuts opens at 5am. We grabbed a couple treats then made a beeline for the devils bridge trailhead. By 6am the lot was half full. You can park much closer if you have a 4 wheel drive & we had a jeep but I still didn’t think it wise to risk. So we walked the extra 1.5 miles each way.

My daughter was less than thrilled with both the early wake up or the extra 3 miles roundtrip. She was; however, a trooper and made the entire hike. Of all the trails I wanted to do here, this was the big one. The first part was relatively easy, but once you hit the trailhead and get closer to the bridge the scramble and incline gets real. There were several sections resembling poorly made, steep steps with an obvious drop if you misstep.

Still, the 360 degree views even partway to the bridge made up for the effort.

We arrived at the top closer to 7am and had a 30-40 min wait in line for photos. My daughter refused to go out onto the bridge and instead offered to take my photo instead of using the tripod. The bridge has a long drop off but it’s about 5 feet wide so it’s not as treacherous as it appears. That said, if you have a fear of heights, make someone’s day and offer to take their photo on the bridge. Then take a few minutes to rest your legs, because getting back down is going to take some effort too.

There’s more to see than just the bridge but my advice is get there early and go straight to the bridge. Explore the rest on the way back.

Once safely back to our jeep we decided on an early lunch and Wildflower cafe was perfect. It had a short line but reminds me of a Panera. Order at the front then grab your food at the table. They have a great couple of options for kids meals and a decent variety for adults. I settled on the fig and ricotta toast with pistachios and honey and it was out of this world!

What’s vacation without ice cream? Since we had to walk back into the heart of town anyway we stopped in to the Black Cow cafe for a treat. Fully intending to sample the prickly pear ice cream; upon tasting it I decided on chocolate instead. We took them back to enjoy on our patio.

In exchange for a morning hike I promised afternoon pool time. Later in the afternoon the pool empties out while guests explore the town so we enjoyed a pool and hot tub to ourselves. There’s even a fireplace located by the pool once the sun goes down if you’re not interested in further water sports. We showered and drove a little while out of town to Cucina Rustica. A beautiful white linen tablecloth Italian restaurant with delicious food.

Full bellies and a long day meant another early bedtime. When we woke the next day I grabbed a few bottled waters and some coffee from the lobby and we walked down to the Tlaquepaque arts district. Along the road there are signs telling you about each rock formation on the horizon as well as informative bullet points about the various western movies film in Sedona.

It’s a small area but packed full of cute little shops and a few eateries. We were lured into a bakery with the most adorable gluten free muffins and jaw dropping cakes.

We wandered upstairs to a jeweler and were beyond thrilled to talk with the owner, whose husband creates the pieces. She told us all about each piece and even let my 8 year old try some pieces on. She was more than patient and full of information and a highlight of our time here.

We continued down the road a little further taking in the bridge overlooking the river that runs through town then made our way back to the room to cool down. Even though the weather was a perfect 70 degrees, the bright sun does get quite hot. Sometimes as a parent taking kids on a trip you have to give in to their meal desires so we hit up the only turquoise arches in America. She was happy and I had a unique photo op.

After lunch we hopped in the car to head 45 min south to the tiny town of Cottonwood, to Dead horse state park. Horseback riding is my daughter’s number one goal on any vacation. We paid the small state park fee and drove a piece down the road to the corral. We were fitted for hats and a horse, signed some waivers and off we went on an hour ride. Our tour guide was informative. She grew up here. And the short ride was pleasant. We enjoyed a couple of river crossings and uncovered an old gravesite. It made my daughters day.

Just in time for an early dinner, we drove to Main Street and found a cute little cafe called Cream craft Kitchen & Bar.We had a 30 min wait that we spent exploring the adorable shops dotting the main road and then sat at an outside patio. My daughter claimed this was the best grilled cheese ever and I went for the pancakes. They don’t have a kids menu but the grilled cheese was perfect. I was disappointed in the pancakes and when I saw the French toast I was sorry I hadn’t ordered that.

On our last day in Sedona I was determined to get in one last hike. We got a later start and couldn’t find parking at several trailheads. Most of them fill early and are very small. All of that despite the fact that they have fay use parking fees for nearly every one. If you have the national parks pass this exempts you for several trailhead parking spots. We lucked out finding someone leaving when we got to Cathedral rock trailhead and so we set out on this easy hike. With very little effort we were able to take in some really awesome views.

On the way back to our room we followed the signs to the church in the rock. Officially titled the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It’s a very tiny chapel located on a hill. We didn’t have a problem finding free parking within an easy walk to the top but it is busy. The chapel itself is small, a step inside with probably suffice for most tourists. The patio area outside are where it’s at. Take it all in, revel in the views, because they are breathtaking. As a free sight it’s definitely something you should put on your list.

Tonight’s dinner was a well earned burrito. I would’ve eaten Mexican food every single night if that were an option in my daughters mind, but we hit up the hotel associated restaurant, 89 agave cantina. One of the perks of our room was two coupons for free margaritas. They also have a kids menu but you have to ask specifically for it. I went for the red rock burrito and it was delicious. My daughter chose chicken tenders. I took a prickly pear margarita to go and enjoyed it poolside while my daughter swam.

Saying goodbye to Sedona was tough for me. My daughter was very worn out and ready to head back. Along the way we found a rest area with a fabulous view.

We also used our America the Beautiful pass to get into Montezuma Castle national monument. This is a small walk and has some really neat history. It makes for a great stop along the drive home and isn’t far off the main highway.

One last stop for gas, bathroom and pie in Rock Springs. The gas station has a large assortment of slice options packed individually for an easy car snack.

Discover Tucson

June 28, 2021July 28, 2021 / Julia / Leave a comment

I’ll be honest. Living in Florida, Tucson was never on my radar. There are a few Arizona cities I’d go out of my way to see, but this just wasn’t one of them. Thanks to a snowstorm derailing our trip to Colorado we added Tucson to our itinerary instead. I didn’t think there was much to do. Now I can’t imagine not adding this city to a must see list of Arizona places. It’s beautiful, diverse and family friendly.

We picked up our car in Phoenix and headed to Tombstone for a few hours. This historic 1870s silver mining town is infamous for shootouts in the street and a general lawlessness that was par for the course in the old west and it plays that part up for visitors from around the world. Go ahead and park your car and spend the next few hours walking… it’s all very close. Start with Boothill Graveyard which is the only thing you’ll need to hit before parking for the day. It sits at the entrance to town. You’ll pay a small fee in cash at the entrance and will be given an information booklet to use for your self guided tour.

Even with a child in tow we spent a solid 45 min wandering through the rows reading off the guidebook imaging what life must have been like back then. Here you can see what must’ve surely been an inspiration to the tombstones at Disney’s Haunted Mansion.

There’s a pretty fantastic view of the Sierra and Dragoon mountain ranges from the hill.

A few miles down the road you’ll find the city center. You can’t miss it. Just listen for the sounds of gunfire. Yes, gunfire! There are several re-enactments of shootouts down the Main Street each day. Each skit is different so watch them all. From the smell of gunpowder in the air to the sight of men dressed in cowboy garb playing cards you’ll get a real sense of being transported back in time.

Here you can souvenir shop to your heart’s delight, you can take a tour of the most haunted building in town , the Bird Cage Theatre, visit a real silver mine, see the OK corral, or have lunch in Big Nose Kate’s saloon.

But wait, there’s more. Have you ever wanted to ride an old horse drawn carriage down a dirt road or see the real house of Wyatt Earp? You can do that here too. If you can swing it, go see the old courthouse as well.

We headed down the road for our final stop of the night in Bisbee, Az; a small copper mining town from the same era that is a quaint town with less drama. They do hold a race each year that involves a whole lot of stairs if you’re so inclined. You will get a workout walking this very hilly town. I’d suggest starting at the visitors center and walking immediately to Bisbee’s table for an astounding bbq bacon cheeseburger. They even offer a chicken tender kids meal that was 100% kid approved. If you’re not looking for lunch or dinner they do have a coffee shop in the same plaza, as well as a handful of shopping stalls.

Now that our bellies were very full we had some energy to tackle the hills looking at the various architectural gems and peeking in a few stores. The old Copper Queen Hotel is beautiful, in fact, everything here harkens to a more genteel time. Do yourself a favor and make reservations ahead of time to do the copper mine tour. We were disappointed to not be able to get in, but as we drove to the other side of town to our Airbnb we caught a glimpse of the massive crater from the mine.

As the sun was waning we found our 1906 Callumet & Arizona guest house we found on Airbnb. This was an extremely last minute find, but if I’m ever in the area again I’ll definitely book again. The owner, Joy, is very personable, the home has more character and detail than nearly any other place I’ve stayed and the breakfast in the morning was delicious and filling. It was fun to wander the rooms checking out every detail from the copper plated fireplace, to the tin roof ceilings, to a phone from the 1800s. Even the outdoor gardens with koi fish and tucked away patio areas were fun to explore. Our room was the entire top floor with a king sized bed and Murphy bed. It was not lacking in the same charm found throughout the home. There is a link to the Airbnb in Courtyard image.

After our home cooked breakfast we packed our suitcases and drove back towards Tucson proper for our next few nights. I had booked a very special treat, but first, donuts! I have a thing for trying to find a great donut place wherever I visit and it was on this fateful day I realized the problem with this. If it’s somewhere far away you could have a donut you’ll dream about for ages and never be able to have it again. And such is the case with this nondescript pink donut shop Benson Donuts, in the town of the same name. These things were so fresh they tasted perfect even by the next morning. The twist was so tender it nearly fell apart when I held it up like a trophy fish for a photo, the fritter was the size my daughters face, and the coconut buttermilk donut that I have only ever had in Arizona was crispy and perfect. My daughter loved her filled donuts as well. Yes, we saved some for another day. No, I didn’t want to be a responsible adult. The whole box cost us a whopping $9. If you’re prone to drooling scroll quickly past these next photos. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Arriving to our next stay at Rincon Creek Ranch we checked in at the main desk and were driven out to our casita for the next few days. That’s right. We had our very own casita that backed up to Saguaro National park. In fact, it had its own private entrance to the park. We spent a few hours on the patio using the provided binoculars birdwatching over the fields of cacti.

The real star of the show here is the ENORMOUS copper bathtub. I had to fight my daughter for a turn to soak in a bubble bath that fully encompassed my entire 6’ tall frame. Finally, I had found a real soaking tub and the copper held heat for hours!!!

This fully furnished casita had a fireplace with provided firewood, a Dutch door so we could open the top and watch the sun set from our dining table, a full kitchen including a basket of eggs from the owners chickens, as well as a washer and dryer. There is a community center that has a shuffleboard table, bigger TVs, a bar set up as well as movies and games to take back to your casita. We woke in the morning and drove into Saguaro National Park.

I adore the National Parks. I have been to so many and all of them are so different. When someone asks my favorite it’s like choosing which of my children I like best. It is not possible to choose. Saguaro is different than most parks since it is divided in and east and a west side by the town of Tucson. The found the east side is more amenable to a driving tour and the west side is better for hiking. Both are breathtaking taking and both have some opportunities to get out of the car and gawk wide eyed at a forest is cacti. We explored the East side the first day enjoying a stop at the visitors center which is not open everyday, so check hours first. At the end of the loop is Javelina rocks, perfect for a short easy hike with a nice view.

After a few hours in the park we had to drive just a few miles down the road to our reservation at Colossal Caves mountain park. We went into the cave as a small group of six. Our guide showed us many formations and at one point allowed my daughter to use a black light to watch how it retained the light. We were also shown how scorpions glow blue in black lights. This cave has been dry since the ice ages and due to early practices there has been irreversible damage, but it is still beautiful.

When we emerged from our cave tour we were able to catch a glimpse of the local coati family. There are also hiking trails to indulge your inner hiker within the park so if you have time before or after the cave tour go ahead and plan to do a short hike here as well.

Moving from here to the west side of the park we were able to hike to the petroglyphs where we posed with some really old, tall saguaro cacti, some cute little button cacti and got an expansive view of the rolling desert terrain.

On our last full day in Tucson we woke to snow. Yes. My daughter was so excited she threw on her shoes and ran out the door to chase snowflakes with her tongue.

We let the snow ease off and we drove up to Mt. Lemmon to get some real snow. In the Coronado national forest there are several hikes and multiple jaw dropping vistas along the drive to the top.

The tippy top of Mt. Lemmon is 9,159 feet elevation. Plan to take your time getting there. You will want to stop many, many times along the way to explore, play in snow or take a quick snapshot. This day we had plenty of snow on the ground and due to fog the views were hidden until our drive back down.

All that driving left us ready for lunch. When in Arizona, Mexican food is a must. We decided to eat lunch at a place that known for creating the infamous chimichanga. El Charro Cafe has been run by the same family for over 100 years. I had the mini chimichanga appetizer as my meal so I could enjoy birria, chicken, cheese and beef flavors. We ordered flan for dessert. I had to wrestle the flan away from my daughter. It was that good. The kids meal was a nice quesadilla and a few sides. The chicken had a good wood fired grill flavor.

After lunch we had our reservations at the American Sonoran Desert Museum. I wasn’t sure this would be that interesting, but figured it was something to do and why not? Wrong again. And thank goodness because it was a solid hour drive from lunch. Luckily, the running theme of this trip has been my underestimation of how awesome Tucson really is.

This place is part zoo, part botanical garden, part zoo, part geology museum. Really. It is HOURS worth of entertainment. We started off looking at different rocks, even being able to pick one to take home.

Then we moved on the see coyotes, beavers, bighorn sheep, hummingbirds, stingrays and several other animals. The snakes are kept in a different area.

I never knew there were so many varieties of cacti or that they could be so beautiful.

Well, that’s it. A whirlwind 4 days in the southern part of Arizona did not disappoint. As we made our way north for the other half of our vacation we left Tucson behind with some pretty great memories. While there is still more to discover I think we did a pretty good job of filling our vacation days.

If you’d like to see more photos from our trip (oh I know I spammed this blog with a ton anyway) feel free to follow me on Instagram at @jtofjax

Rocky Mountain national park in a day

June 7, 2021July 27, 2021 / Julia / Leave a comment

Are you limited on time, but long to find a perfect getaway? RMNP is a great fit. Denver international is a 90 min drive from Estes Park, the gateway to this magnificent national park and it has flights routinely coming in from all over the country. As a Floridian I long for cool weather and mountains when I vacation. I was able to snag a 4 hour direct flight after work Friday from MCO to DEN. A quick drive to Estes Park and off to bed. Breakfast was at the Donut Haus located inside the Sinclair station. It’s a do-nut miss stop for these lovely fried pieces of dough! With an early wake up time we wandered around the cutest little downtown shops picking up the collectible pins we’ve come to love and indulging in the best huckleberry waffle cone I’ve ever tasted. I got to enjoy said cone on a picnic table by the babbling river with the scent of lilacs filling the air. Our next stop was the Mustang alpine coaster. 10 min wait and it provides a breathtaking view of the town. We waited until after 3pm to enter the park because we didn’t purchase timed entry tickets and wanted the best chance to view animals. We drove past amazing mountain vistas, 8 foot walls of snow (yes in June!) and numerous hiking paths. We encountered moose, elk and deer all along the drive. We spent a glorious 5 hours in the park taking it all in. Dinner was back in Estes Park at the Burger & gyros on Morraine. I ordered the gyro which was absolutely PACKED with meat, we shared a few orders of seasoned fries and everyone else got some pretty amazing burgers. We hit up Safeway for a variety of dessert options. The next morning we had a splurge reservation at Dunraven. This fabulous restaurant serves epic Italian dinners and a variety of brunch items. I chose the blackberry mimosa and breakfast burrito complete with chili verde, my sister in law enjoyed the French toast, while my brother got the denver omelette. Everything was enjoyed on the fresh air deck overlooking the lake. We had plenty of time to make our way back to Denver to catch a 4pm flight back home. How much can YOU pack into a weekend?