Time Back in AZ

This last week we ventured down to AZ to visit friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday. The kids and I all had the week off from school (that is when they do fall break), and B was able to remote work Monday and Tuesday.

We chose to drive down because of 2 reasons – cost and crazy airports. It was stupid expensive to fly that week. I am talking over $3200 for our family to fly down for the week, and then we would have had to dealt with the airport craziness as well. So, we drove. We headed out right after school on Friday and drove to Ely, NV. It was a 6 hour drive and was uneventful. The next morning we drove the rest of the way to Chandler which took about 10 hours with a stop along the way for gas and lunch. We needed to get to Chandler that evening so we could attend the Aprende Middle School play. “A” had done these the last 2 years and wanted to try and go to this one as well. So, we made sure to get there. It was a Greek myth play in the loose vain of “Bill and Ted’s” in that it was 2 students giving a school report with people acting things out. It was funny. The two teachers that run the show were very excited to see “A” and asked her to come in before the doors opened to hang out with people. Then they invited her to the stage with some high schoolers as “returning students” to do the intermission drawing. Afterwards we helped tear things down and then we had dessert with one of “A” friends.

Sunday we went to church and saw some friends. “G” went to hang out with one of her friends for the afternoon and “A” and “B” had a Girls Scout silver meeting. Sunday night we went to the Botanical Garden for dinner and wandering around. They had a really cool light display going on. If you get a chance and live in the Phoenix area you should go check it out.

Monday my parents came to our AirBnB we had and hung out with the girls and I for a few hours. My dad drove my VW out to me so I had it for a few days. It was nice talking with them and spending time with them. I talked with my dad a bit about taking over things eventually. After they left both girls had the chance to hang out with some school friends.

The next day I had to teach my SCC class, and I was able to head down to SCC to teach the class. It was great seeing some of my students in person again. I was given a nice new rocketbook and some pens from one student. We also were able to help another student troubleshoot her flat tire she got on the way to class. After class I spent some time wandering around and talking to teachers/friends on campus. It was hard in some ways. It was very nice though catching up with them and seeing how they were all doing. I drive my VW as well and that was so much fun. I love driving that car. The girls got to do stuff with my in-laws that day, and after they left the girls again had time with some friends for a bit.

Wednesday we did Thanksgiving with both my parents and my in-laws. It was nice to hang out and then eat. I had some good conversation with my father-in-law about stuff in Idaho and other things as well. We slept at their place that night. “B” and I got to sleep on an air mattress in her former room (now a sewing room).

The next morning we got stuff together and headed to my parents for lunch and hanging out for a couple hours. That was also very nice. I took my VW back to my parents and parked it again (hopefully next year I will get it up to Idaho). Then my family headed up to Pinetop for a couple nights. When we got up to Pinetop we found that a mouse had made it back into the cabin and had eaten a bunch of granola bars and other things. Got to clean that all up. “B” did some looking and we called an exterminator the next day.

Friday was good. The exterminator came out in the afternoon and got things hopefully sealed up better and then laid some traps and bait out. We are hoping that takes care of things. We went on one of our favorite hikes near the cabin (the springs loop), and just had a nice day. The weather was a lot like where we live in Idaho.

Saturday we woke up, cleaned and got out early. We needed to drive to Moab, UT that day (only 6 hours), but we wanted to stop at Canyon de Chelly Nation Monument. It was one we hadn’t been to yet. We didn’t go down into the canyon since we didn’t have time for a guide or anything so we did both of the canyon drives and all the lookout points. It was pretty cool. It is amazing to me that the native people lived there for so long and still live there now. It was very pretty as well.

The rest of the drive was also pretty to Moab and we got in nice and late. We saw a train carrying a lot of wind turbine blades, and that was cool to see. We ate at a BBQ place which was fine, but nothing to write home about. We stayed at “The Element”, and it was great. The beds were nice, the room was big, and the banana pancakes the next morning were amazing. I mean they were probably the best pancakes I have had in a long time, and possibly ever. We all agreed they were great. you should all stay there if you go to Moab. They also had a nice hot chocolate bar that the ladies enjoyed.

Sunday we got up and headed out for the 8+ hour drive home. We stopped in Salt Lake for lunch and gas and then headed out again. We got home at a reasonable time, and it was a fine drive. It was a much nicer drive than the one through Nevada we took to get to Chandler, but it is certainly a longer drive of doing it from Chandler. Since we were in Pinetop it was the perfect drive. We have already said that we will do it again and makes stops at Arches NP, Canyonlands NP, and others along the way as we travel between our old home and our new home.