(A bragging little side note here: Travis took some engagement photos for them that they used on their Save the Date card. Isn't that cute?!)
Anyways, we decided to fly out to Arizona a few days early and take the sampler-platter tour of the state before the wedding. It was Chrissy's first trip to the Southwest and... dum-dum-DUUUUM-- Sierra's first plane ride!
As the world of parenting always brings the unexpected, Sierra also got her first ear infection right before we left. We were actually in the pedi's office getting antibiotics 13 hours before our flight left. Mama was seriously stressed out. BUT, Sierra was an angel on the plane and slept the whole first half of the 3 hour flight.
We made it through the last hour with an Elmo movie on the iPad (thank you Gigi!). Also, SkyMall magazines are fantastically fun to shred. Who knew?? (Also, this was way cheaper than the bag full of new toys I dragged through the airport.)
By the way- the first picture of Sierra shows off what now ranks in my top 5 favorite baby-related purchases: the CARES harness. It's a super-simple little set-up that you can stuff in your carry-on bag and gives a kiddo shoulder straps in their plane seat. Not only is it safer, but it let her easily go to sleep without slumping over. She was so happy sitting in her seat like a big girl. I'm seriously considering marketing a version that attaches to church pews. :P
Anywho, we landed in Phoenix, retrieved our luggage (a small adventure in itself), and immediately headed out to the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately the weather wasn't too cheery, but the majesty of such a vast natural wonder was definitely not lost.
It was a long, long day before we got to crash at the Moenkopi Legacy Inn on the Hopi Reservation in Tuba City. (Side note: It wasn't a surprise that we couldn't buy alcohol on the Reservation, but definitely a shock when I had to initial a paper at check-in reminding me that alcohol wasn't even allowed on the premises!)
For countless shutter-clicks, Travis has been drooling over a chance to photograph the incredible slot canyons along the Utah border. This is within the Navajo Nation and requires you to hire an Navajo guide. What an amazing experience this was. Gabe, our guide, was cool enough to even play his traditional Navajo flute while we were taking pictures. In the canyons, in awe of nature, listening to that music floating around you... wow. :D
There are waaay too many pictures to post here, but if you want to see more check out this link to Travis' gallery.
A cute family pic to give you perspective on what these slot canyons were like. This was near the entrance of Owl Canyon at the Dancing Flame.
All rock, but they look like sand dunes.
Do you see the coyote howling?
Travis and his Indian Guide. :P
After Sierra screamed for awhile- a pleasant thing in a canyon- she finally fell asleep in the Beco. Which made this maneuver a little challenging. Good thing I lost all that weight! :)
Chrissy got to "play" with her own camera. Low light + wiggling baby makes for a lot of blurry shots.
Another challenge- climbing a ladder with a 22 pound toddler strapped to you.
It was very surprising to me that the floors of these canyons were full of deep, super powdery sand. It was like walking on flour. The flash floods that happen here with each little rain event have a dramatic effect. Gabe said the last flood brought in enough sand to raise the floor of the canyon about 5 feet! The sand clung to the walls in such intricate patterns- like dusty, desert lace.
Gabe was also quite excited to find this Grey Owl, the one he calls Fred, in our last canyon.
Nearby the slot canyons is a dramatic turn in the Colorado River called Horseshoe Bend.
Anyone who knows Travis or shares his acrophobia will appreciate this: This is how badly Travis wanted the right shot of Horseshoe Bend. He had his tripod as close to the edge as he could stomach.
This guy = insanity. His whole group, actually- about 8 Japanese kids in their early 20s. We fully expected to hear screams at any moment. (This is a crumbly cliff with a 1000 ft vertical drop.. and a little marker where the last tourist fell in July.)
Love this picture. (He's in a way less scary spot, trust me.)
After our adventures, we headed east to Monument Valley. I thought this was such a perfect name for this area (despite that it's not actually a valley)- there are these incredible buttes just jutting up from an otherwise uneventful landscape. If you're a Disney fan, this is the region in which "Cars" is set.
Another very nice new hotel on Indian land: The View. And they weren't kidding. This was the view from our patio:
Sunrise in Monument Valley over The Mittens.
Before we headed back to Phoenix, we struck out for a quick hike around West Mitten Butte. This is the only trail within Navajo Nation that you can do without a guide. And they don't really make it easy for you. This was the only marker on the 3.2 mile trail. Very helpful.
Should we ever make it backpacking again, I've been well trained with a sleepy 22 pounder.
On the long drive back south, we stopped in at Wupatki National Monument, a collection of ancient pueblos built around 1040 by the Sinagua, Cohonina, and Kayenta Anasazi pueblo people. This was a huge complex of 99 rooms, a "community room", and a ball court. Although not as dramatic as the cliff dwellings, these structures were far more prevalent during that time. Very, very cool.
Stock image of the main complex. (sorry, it was getting dark and we didn't have the tripod.)
Travis did get a shot of the ball court though- c'mon! Apparently these were very common throughout Southern Arizona and served as a social gathering to bring together people of different tribes and clans. Can you imagine playing sports with a rock though? Ouch!
We made it back to Phoenix late Friday evening, slept in on Saturday, and enjoyed a fantastic wedding to celebrate David and Megan that afternoon. Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Hammasi! :)
For all the amazing things we saw on our trip, this still may be the most exciting, thrilling new experience Sierra enjoyed- pushing the luggage cart through the hotel. Ahh the small things. :)
