Cane Beds, AZ

The Lautzenheiser side of the family met for a long weekend at Duane’s new property in Cane Beds, AZ. Just West of Kanab, this location is an amazing area to play and explore for adults and kids! So yes, Duane has a place for us to camp in the winter (Can Beds) and the summer (Brian Head)!

After a fun evening catching up, we woke the next morning and took a very, very long drive to the Toroweap Overlook of the Grand Canyon. Sixty miles on dirt roads, with lots stops along the way made for a long day, but the view was both spectacular and scary! Fortunately, the kids are used to long rides and did fantastic!

After plenty of play time and campfire time, the weekend was complete with a side by side ride on the sand dunes! Duane took all the kids for a ride and then Scott and I went for a spin with the kids. And of course, to no surprise, Ella fell asleep on the ride!

We look forward to making more memories with the Lautzenheiser family on this awesome piece of land! Until next time!

Kanab, UT

Kanab’s Annual Balloons and Tunes was a hit! The red cliffs were a beautiful backdrop to the colorful, floating, nylon envelopes. And the best part: my parents made the 10.5 hour drive from Las Cruces to meet us there!

Fortunately, because we have two early risers, named Ella and Miles, with us everywhere we go, we were able to see the launch on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Although the wind wasn’t ideal either day, many of the balloons were able to take off high into the sky. The adults were just as enthralled as the kids were!

Between launches, we wanted to show my parents Peekaboo Canyon, where we had ventured off to just before Christmas a couple months prior. After our first trip, we had learned that we had only explored one of the two slot canyons so we were excited to return. We all piled in Scott’s truck: parents in the front, me sandwiched between car seats in the back and the drive in and out to the canyon was some of the best time we had that weekend!

Marysvale, UT

We spent Valentine’s Day weekend with our favorite Utahans, the Ekbergs! The three day President’s Day weekend was the perfect opportunity to find a halfway spot to meet; the location was a very snowy Marysvale, UT.

We were hoping to explore some of the backcountry, but with a winter storm blowing over most of the country, we stayed off of the forest roads. Fortunately, it still turned out to be a fantastic weekend!

Our AirBnB was located on a ranch property. From our family room window we were able to see deer and cow meandering about in the intense snowstorm on the day we arrived. Fortunately, the next day brought quieter winds and a brighter sky. We were able to sled in the side yard and to explore two unique nearby areas: Butch Cassidy’s childhood home and Caboose Village. Caboose Village, although closed for the season, is home to about 15 old train cars that have been converted into quaint overnight motel rooms.

The kids (and adults) all played wonderfully together! The adults ended the weekend with an intense game of Exploding Kittens, which after plenty of whiskey, Scott faintly remembers winning. We look forward to biannual trips with the Ekbergs and a perfect excuse to discover more of central Utah!

Cannonville, UT

I have always wanted to see Bryce Canyon in the winter. We took advantage of a three day weekend to do just that; clearly it did not disappoint.

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Cannonville, UT is a prime location, central to so many beautiful areas in Southern Utah. And it has the most charming AirBnB that we were fortunate enough to call home for three nights. In addition to its unique character, this four bedroom home had stain glass windows, a clawfoot bathtub, and an original Nintendo. (Scott and I may or may not have stayed up way too late playing Contra).

We were a little nervous that the possibility of strong winds might put a damper on the weekend, but we had two gorgeous days in the low 40s, with little wind and tons of sun! Our first full day was spent exploring Bryce Canyon National Park. We drove through the entire park, stopping at overlooks and the visitor center (where I was so happy that we bought crampons for the icy trails) to give the sun a chance to warm the air. By 10am, we were ready to hike! With the kids happily plopped in their packs, we set out to do Navajo Loop Trail to Queens Fairy. After a half an hour into the hike, both kids were asleep and we were loving the scenery. The three mile trail into and back out of the canyon was perfect; breathtaking views around every turn and enough to wear us out. On our way back to the cutest AirBnB ever, we made a quick stop and hike up to Mossy Cave. Eight months out of the year, this cave has massive icicles hanging from every corner. Ella had a chance to play in the snow just as the sun was setting behind the mountains; it was a pretty magical day!

We started out day two hiking through Kodachrome Basin State Park. Unlike the sandstone hoodoos in Bryce Canyon, these rocks are much harder and not weathering away as quickly as the hoodoos. After a solid three mile hike through various formations, we left the state park to drive to Grosvenor Arch. Unaware of what this arch looked like, all we knew was that it was point of interest well off the beaten path. This double arch was ridiculously impressive! We rounded out the day with a disappointing hike to Willis Creek Slot Canyon. We had seen beautiful pictures of this sandstone canyon, but as we hiked to the entrance, we were met with an icy river. Although it would have been a great end to a great weekend, missing out on Willis Creek gives us a great excuse to come back!

Williams, AZ

What better way to ring in 2021 (and ring out 2020) that a negative Covid test visit with family!?! Over the summer, we booked a cabin in Williams, AZ hoping that the coronavirus wouldn’t be as widespread as it was. After testing negative for the virus, we felt we could safely travel to visit everyone! And what a joy it was!

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We spent time catching up, hugging, celebrating a belated Christmas, eating, and hugging some more. The only disappointment of the trip was that Miles had a pretty nasty cold the entire three days, but fortunately, he did not pass his illness on to anyone else. Outside of our time in the cabin, we went to Bearizona and a local Deer Farm. Bearizona, a drive-through zoo, certainly exceeded my expectations. We were able to see bears, wolves, deer and bison the ‘wild.’ In addition to the drive through area, there is also a more traditional zoo part, where we were able to see bear cubs, red foxes, racoons, and more! Similarly, the Deer Farm also exceeded my expectations. Although Ella missed out on this for a much needed nap, Miles was able to feed deer and see reindeer up close!

Kanab, UT

With 17 days off (which we are completely grateful for) and only a short three day family gathering planned around New Years, we were anxious to do something…anything! Cue in Kanab, UT! We reserved an AirBnB in Fredonia, AZ (just nine miles south of Kanab) for two nights, packed up our things (kids and dog included) and drove East!

We knew the temperature was going to drop, but I don’t think we were quite prepared for the wind that came along with it. Scott and I both say that 40 and sunny is great hiking weather; 40 and windy is not. Trying to stay positive, we started the day with a drive through Johnson Canyon. The steep cliffs were beautiful to look at, but not pleasant to be in. Trying to give the sun a chance to warm up the Earth, we stopped for breakfast at a diner in Mt. Carmel. By 10:30am, we were ready to face the chilly air.

Our first stop was Peekaboo (Red) Canyon. This is a beautiful slot canyon that takes some off roading skill to get to. As we were starting to drive through deeper and softer sand, we stopped to air out the tires to allow us to ‘float’ along the trail. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous that we’d get stuck and it didn’t seem that there were many people out on this particular trail. Fortunately, we made it to and from the slot canyon without incident. To no surprise, on our way out, Scott pulled a stuck car out of the sand using his tow straps. They were extremely grateful.

Our next stop was a trail that lead to dinosaur prints. We had read that the trail was short and steep…it was. I specifically remember saying to Scott, while crawling up a steep part on my hand and knees with Miles strapped to my back, “I am not having fun.” Although I wasn’t thrilled about carrying the kids on such a steep trail, I was happy to see those giant ancient footprints in the sandstone!

We were hoping to do some more exploring the following day, including a stop at Coral Pink Sand Dunes, but the freezing temperatures were not very inviting. The decision was made that we would just head home, but not without a stop at one of the navigational arrows used in the Southwest for aviation in the 1920s and 1930s.

Death Valley, CA

Every year Nevadan’s celebrate our state’s admission into the Union with Nevada Day, as the last Friday in October. This year the holiday fell on Halloween weekend; what a great excuse to get away!

The family at Badwater Basin, 282 ft. below sea level.

The family at Badwater Basin, 282 ft. below sea level.

As Miles was just getting over a cold, we decided that it was best to not camp and decided to spend a night at the beautiful Ranch in Death Valley National Park. On our way, we stopped at the Happy Burro in Beatty, NV to meet up with Shelley, who works there now! How cool is that?! And naturally, we had to take the scenic route on the way. The long way through the granite cliffs of Titus Canyon did not disappoint!

After spending the morning visiting the unique landscape Death Valley offers, we drove back towards Beatty, NV where we participated in their local Trunk-or-Treating event. To give Ella a long enough nap in the truck, we stopped in Rhyolite, NV to explore the old mining town. We then got the lion and monkey ready at the Happy Burro for their Halloween evening!

Brian Head, UT

My Michigan heart always craves the Fall colors this time of year. The nearby Mt. Charleston area offers golden aspens, but that doesn’t seem to be enough for me. Fortunately, Duane (along with his business partner, John) bought a piece of property in Brian Head, UT just in time for a visit to see all the color changes. We set out to camp for a night on his new piece of land. What made the weekend even better was that the Mainos decided to join us!

After arriving Saturday afternoon, we went on a beautiful hike called Twisted Forest. We weren’t exactly sure what the hike entailed, but we all realized we were embarrassingly out of shape. The views of the canyon and Cedar Breaks National Monument were spectacular.

After an evening of hamburgers and s’mores and a night of amazing sleep by our children (that is not sarcastic at all, honest to God), we drove to Yankee Meadow to enjoy a morning by the water. Although the water level of the lake was really low, we were thrilled to be outside in the cool air, bright sun, and surrounded by yellow aspens. The kids enjoyed running around in the grass and the Mainos got a ride in Duane’s new side by side! We look forward to spending many weekends camping on Duane’s little piece of paradise.

San Diego, CA

For those of you living under a rock and weren’t aware, Las Vegas is ridiculously hot in July and August. Like “uncomfortable to be outside for more than 1.5 seconds” hot. Like “the lows at 4am, are 80 degrees” hot. Needless to say, we were ready to escape the heat to the cool California coast: San Diego. Last summer, we stayed at a campground called “Campland” right on Mission Bay; we were fortunate enough to get reservations in time to stay at the same place for four nights.

To break up the 5.5hr road trip, we stopped in Apple Valley and hung out with the Uncles and Aunt Lori at their Silversmith Shop. I feel very grateful that Miles got to meet them and Ella was able to see them for a second time.

Thankfully, after an uneventful drive, we set up camp, had a relaxing evening bike ride around the ridiculously large campground, grilled some hamburgers, and settled in for a fantastic night’s sleep with the ocean just 20 yards away. Unlike the three nights to come, Miles slept great this first night.

We started out our first full day, thanks to Rob Teasdale, with a pontoon boat ride around Mission Bay! It was a beautiful morning and a great way to see the area. After getting back to land, we hit up the beach at the campground. Ella loves the sand and water and easily could’ve spent the entire day there. Miles, on the other hand, was not a fan of the sand on his legs. Either way, kids need to nap, so fortunately both kids napped amazingly in their pack ‘n plays each day. During this time, Scott and I would be our drinking. We’d watch the campers paddle board, swim, boat, bike while we did nothing. We sipped (or gulped) on delicious IPAs and sat; sat without tending to children, and it was amazing!

You’ll notice that the picture below, of fishermen on Imperial Beach Pier, looks like it was taken quite early in the morning. This is because our dear BroBro would not sleep past 4:30am. In order to attempt to adhere to the quiet time hours (which lasted until 8am) we left the campground at 6am. Our sweet boy, who normally sleeps through the night, maybe waking one time for a quick bottle, was unable to soothe himself without crying. And mind you, we are in a tent trailer with tent trailers next to us. I was so desperate to calm him down, I nursed him, which I hadn’t done for two weeks. This is pretty much how the next two nights went as well.

Even though we were sleep deprived, the show much go on. We had purchased tickets to the San Diego Zoo and today was the day we had planned on going. It was an awesome day, where are the CDC recommendations for safety were in full effect, and we were not elbow to elbow with other visitors! The kids loved seeing the animals and although we were only able to see half of the zoo, I would love to go back again next summer to see the other half!

We had to move campsites for our last night, so we spent the next morning hanging around the campground, waiting for the site we were going to move in to open up. Post nap, we went to Shell Beach and La Jolla Cove. The rocky coastline was absolutely beautiful and a hopeful spot to see some sea creatures in the tide pools. Due to the all important nap time, however, we missed low tide and had to settle for gathering a few small shells and watching sea lions play on the beach. Not too bad at all.

I’ll end with this: Campland is awesome for families with older kids. It’s a little like Las Vegas; when the sun sets, the party starts. Quiet hours are from 11pm - 8am, if that tells you anything. When the kids go to bed around 7-8 and we go to bed a 9pm, it’s just not a good fit. We may pass on Campland for a couple years and return when the kids are older. What we won’t pass on is visiting the California coast in the summer…we need the reprieve of the cooler air. And by next summer, unless he gets the opportunity to go sooner, Scott will be desperate to throw his fishing line off a boat in the Pacific again.

Manti LaSal National Forest, UT

We spent a fabulous weekend with Jamaica, Brian, and Bodhi at The Farmhouse in Fairview, UT. We used the cute, little AirBnB as home base to explore the Manti LaSal National Forest.

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The Farmhouse was a perfect two bedroom, two bath house set on a farm along the picturesque 89 Hwy in Utah. After an evening of getting settled and catching up, we spent the morning riding bikes along the remote highway to see horses and even some deer crossing the road. Post morning naps, we set out to see what the Manti LaSal National Forest was all about by driving along Hwy 31. As we expected, the reservoirs were busy with campers, fishers, and paddle boarders. We struggled to find a good place to hike and ended up eating lunch at Cleveland Reservoir. We also did a little “recon” in hopes to camp in the area next year.

Day two took us along the Skyline Drive between Fairview and Hwy 6. The area was also busy, but the views were much more spectacular. The wildflowers were blooming and the small amount of remaining snow added the perfect touch. We hiked along Johnson Ridge, and although it was a beautiful hike through lush aspen trees, we realized later that if we had hiked a little farther, we would have had a great view. Next time! Brian, Jamaica and Bodhi headed home to Salt Lake and we stayed at the Farmhouse one more night before heading back to Las Vegas heat. The hope is that the Ekbergs will acquire a camper in the next year and we can spend a weekend together in the same area next summer!

Kaibab National Forest, AZ

We were finally able to see family amid the 2020 Coronavirus quarantine! The Lautzenheiser family hailing from Nevada, Utah, and Arizona met in the Kaibab National Forest just North of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for a Memorial Day weekend adventure!

The Lautzenheisers! With Miles and me taking the picture!

The Lautzenheisers! With Miles and me taking the picture!

Day One: We arrived a day later than everyone else as Scott was working and we needed a day to pack up everything but the kitchen sink to bring it to the forest. We arrived at the campsite scouted out by Duane and set up our popup (unlike last time) without any issues…hooray! Evan and Tyler were able to meet Miles for the first time and we had hoped Ella would begin the process of warming up to everyone.

Although the North Rim was still closed, there were plenty of forest service roads that allowed us to access views of the canyon. The first day, we set out to drive to Fire Point, a beautiful spot outside of the park. We were not too far from the lookout when we saw the road was closed with a sign that told us the area was closed for regrowth from a recent fire. As you can imagine, after driving almost an hour, we were bummed. With fantastically marked roads, we decided to backtrack a bit and find a road that cut north to another lookout. This is where we came across, not one, not two, but three trees blocking the road. My thought, was, “Bummer, we’ll have to turn around and try another way,” but that is not how the Lautzeheiser boys think. With a winch on Evan’s jeep and a snatch block, the guys decided to move the trees for everyone. After about 30 minutes, we were on the road again and eventually made it to Timp Point! Yay! Success. Unfortunately, the lookout was too far for Marcia to walk and we had an overtired toddler on our hands. Needless to say, we didn’t get to see much of the grandness of the canyon.

The next day, instead of driving West, we chose to head East to an East Rim View and Saddleback Mtn. Both were perfect locations with only small amount of necessary walking to see the lookouts. The Grand Canyon is just as impressive every time!

After the kids would go to bed, which was never an easy task, we would spend the cold evenings chatting around a campfire (a propane one, as wood burning firearms were off limits). Unfortunately, the last evening in the trailer was a wee bit cold as the battery had died on the trailer so the furnace ran out of power. Fortunately, Scott is always prepared and we (I mean, he) hooked up a separate propane heater to keep everyone warm. While we learned three days is the limit for the trailer batter without being recharged, we also learned three days is about the limit for our water tank too. With multiple baths and showers, this isn’t that surprising; although I was confused when mid shampoo the nozzle started sputtering. Even though it’s sometimes frustrating, we wouldn’t be able to learn the trailer’s limits without a little trial and error.

Caliente, NV

With many places still closed and our desire to take the pop-up out again for Ella’s birthday weekend, Scott sought out a cool (in both senses of the word) place to go. We settled on Caliente, NV and it did not disappoint.

In order to break up the three hour drive, we stopped in Ash Springs to see some petroglyphs and let the kids out. Our final destination was the forest at Oak Springs Summit, just West of Caliente. We camped in solitude at 6,200ft. The days were warm enough and the nights were cold enough to turn on the heater. It was perfect!

As we’ve used the new pop-up three times now, we are learning that although it was sold to us nearly brand new, it has some design flaws. For example, in our recent Gold Butte trip we learned that the bathtub leaks, after we bathed Miles and was mid Ella bath, of course. Thankfully, Scott is extremely handy and this has since been fixed. Little did we know, Scott’s handyman skills would be needed yet again.

Upon arrival, we found a great spot, the kids were entertained, and Scott starts to put up the top using the electric motor (something we never had with the 1989, hand crank, Skamper we were used to). Mid rise, it stops rising. Fortunately, after many minutes, Scott was able to disconnect the battery from the trailer and using alligator clips from our solar panel, he connected the motor directly to the battery and…the top started moving! But it wasn’t moving up as we had hoped; it was lowering. Again, Scott thought about what the ‘switch’ would be and decided to switch the black and the red cables, thinking this would be the only way for the motor to reverse directions. And guess what? He didn’t get electrocuted, nor did he blow anything up. In fact, the top of the trailer starting moving up! He’s so smart!

After setting up camp, we drove into Caliente so Scott could get some thicker electrical cables for when he had to lower the trailer, as the ones he was using were starting to melt. (I’m not an electrician but melting electrical cables doesn’t sound encouraging). To round out the day, we did a short hike at Kershaw-Ryan State Park.

The next morning we drove through the beautiful Rainbow Canyon to Elgin and beyond. We had no idea that this area was so lush with greenery and the canyon so colorful! We stopped for lunch near the river and watched a train go by!

Basin and Range National Monument was our next stop. The area we wanted to see, called White River Narrows, is known for his vast number of petroglyphs. Oh my goodness, some areas had petroglyphs on top of petroglyphs! It was quite amazing to think about what the Indians were sharing with their rock art.

The next day, April 26th, was Ella’s 2nd birthday! And a birthday is not a birthday unless you spend it on top of your own mountain. (We had randomly found Ella Mtn. on a map before we left and thought this would be the perfect way to celebrate her awesomeness).

Although we always have a great time camping in our new trailer, I’m always happy to come home to our house, where we all have our own rooms and Miles crying doesn’t wake Ella in the middle of the night.

Gold Butte National Monument, NV

We had made reservations for camping in Death Valley and Santa Barbara, CA for Spring Break that had to be cancelled amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Although we were bummed, a weekend trip to Gold Butte did not disappoint.

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On the far East side of Lake Mead, past the more well known Valley of Fire State Park, lies Gold Butte National Monument. What was once a little known area became a National Monument in 2016 and the number of visitors to the area has increased immensely. Although the traffic to the area has increased, the 300,000 acre landscape leaves plenty of room to explore without seeing another human….this was perfect for maintaining our social distance.

We knew lots of people would be heading out to the area as it was pretty much the only nearby location available to camp, it was Easter weekend, and the weather was perfect for this time of year. Fortunately, Ella and Miles made it easy to get up by 6am and leave the house before 9am. Their early rising got us a perfect camping spot; one of the best camping spots that I think we’ve ever had. After we set up camp, we heading South on the dirt roads towards the old town of Gold Butte. What was once a mining tent camp of 2,000 men left behind cement slabs and a cemetery.

Ella and Miles did great in their respective carriers, Ella on Dad’s back and Miles on Mom’s front. Topo was happy to run along the granite rocks and sniff new plants. The wildflowers were at their peak and just gorgeous to look at the entire weekend.

On Saturday morning, after a relatively uneventful night of two pack n plays within five feet of each other, we set out to explore Little Finland, an area of uniquely carved sandstone rock formations. Before getting to Little Finland, we stopped at a giant sinkhole called Devil’s Throat. For safety, the area has been fenced off so we couldn’t even see to the bottom of the sink hole. Little Finland, however, was most impressive! Just like clouds in the sky form pictures in our brains, you could find imagines in the red rock everywhere you looked. Miles and Ella enjoyed some time out of the carriers playing the in weathered rock turned sand.

Amazingly, even though the driving distance between areas we wanted to see were long, the kids either slept or entertained themselves. I didn’t have to jump into the backseat a single time! From Little Finland, we headed back north to find some of the well documented petroglyphs in the area.

We headed back to camp for Ella to do a little Easter egg hunting. She loved it! She also discovered she is really good at scooping sand into a bowl and pouring it in different locations. Miles was a little more difficult to entertain…he pretty much just wanted to be held.

Sunday morning, we packed up camp (well Scott packed up camp while I tended to children) and sought out two arches near our campsite, Whitney Pocket Arch and Neopolitan Arch. We soaked in the last bit of wildflowers and beautiful limestone and sandstone rocks before heading back into isolation.

Christmas in East Zion

Okay…so we all imagine Christmas morning in a winter wonderland. Well, Dec. 27th, 2019 in East Zion was THE perfect Christmas morning….snow falling gently outside, light shining from a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, heat emanating from a stone fireplace, and family gathered inside. Oh my gosh, it’s what my mind could only imagine!

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We gathered from four different states to be together in this beautiful place. With Christmas usually spent at our house and now that this inn is pretty full, we decided that it was best to celebrate in a larger home. Although not all the family could be there, we still enjoyed the time we had with each other. Ella and Miles even got bundled up to experience the rare feeling of snow; although Ella wasn’t too thrilled to be trudging around in her snowpants. We ate delicious food and thoroughly enjoyed catching up and laughing with each other.

We thought that for sure we’d be able to to drive up the canyon in our own cars, but that was not the case. There were so many visitors that the park kept the shuttles up the canyon running. The lines to get on the shuttle were close to an hour wait; it looked like Zion in summer! Although we didn’t get to see all of Zion that we wanted to, we were able to hike to Observation Point on the East side of the park. Miles slept the entire time and Ella did great until the wind kick up. Seeing the park in the winter with snowfall on the peaks is very different than the summer months. Until next Christmas?

Thanksgiving in Escalante, UT

Thanksgiving is my Mom’s favorite holiday. Ever since I moved to Las Vegas, I have spent Thanksgiving with my parents. They would either come to Las Vegas or I would travel to Las Cruces. This year, however, with two little kids, we hadn’t planned on traveling. After learning that my parent’s were going to be on a cruise (which they ended up having to cancel) and feeling pretty confident after we drove to Fresno, CA and back in two days to buy our new (to us) pop-up trailer, we decided that we ought to spend part of our week off from work breaking in the new trailer somewhere beautiful! With Duane, we decided on Escalante National Monument, one of the lesser traveled areas in Southern Utah.

Watchman Campground in Zion National Park

Watchman Campground in Zion National Park

In order to break up the five hour drive to Escalante, we left one day early and stopped in Zion. We were able to get the last campsite at Watchman campground and set out to spend our first night in the new pop-up. Although it wasn’t the smoothest night I would have imagined (Miles waking up Ella, leading to Ella standing up in her pack n’ play ready to hang out at 2am), it could’ve been much worse. We were looking forward to driving ourselves up the canyon, as we assumed this time of year the shuttles would be down, but to our disappoint, that was not the case. Because there were so many visitors, the park was still running the shuttles, so we weren’t able to take ourselves up the canyon. I guess we’ll have to wait til Christmas break.

We spent the next two nights with Duane in Escalante (at a campground we had all to ourselves), where we had one day to explore the area before the rain came through. The landscape is so beautiful and I would love to go back in the Fall sometime. Despite the rain, Duane and Scott deep fried the turkey and we had a somewhat traditional Thanksgiving dinner with Costco pre-made mashed potatoes and stuffing as sides.

Even though the outside temperatures were below freezing, with three heaters running, we were able to keep the trailer quite warm. So warm in fact, that I slept outside of my sleeping back most of the night. We woke Friday morning to a winter wonderland. Because we weren’t going to be able see the beautiful scenery, we decided to leave a day early. While packing up the trailer, we turned the truck on and put Topo and the kids in the truck to keep warm. I put a sleeping Miles in his carseat in the back and I put a happy Ella in the front seat with a game to play. I went back to help Scott close up the trailer. After a few minutes of productivity, I went to check on the kids. I didn’t see Ella in the front seat anymore, so I grabbed the door handle to open the door. This is when I realized that the door is not opening. It’s not opening because it’s locked. I check all the doors. They’re all locked. My two kids are locked in a truck, the day after Thanksgiving, in a town of 700 people. Damn!

After Scott and Duane tried to opening the door with bailing wire, after trying to get Ella to push the ‘unlock’ button, after watching Ella’s tiny body climb from the back, where she was sitting with her brother, to the driver seat, to the passenger, we had to do something else. Google told us there were no locksmiths in Escalante, so we called 911. They were going to send a local to help. Scott told a ‘starting to get worried’ Ella to just lie down in the passenger seat. Thank God she is a really good listener. She did just that. After about 30 minutes, two local, very, very kind locksmiths came and saved this Mom from further anxiety. I have never hugged Ella so hard. Miles was still sleeping in the backseat. Topo jumped out to run happily through the snow. Lesson learned: Always bring the second set of truck keys, always. (By the way, Topo most likely hit the lock button as she looked excitedly out the windows).

With that adrenaline rush over, we hung out in Duane’s motorhome waiting for the falling snow to subside. After a couple hours, we decided we should get going. Although we drove through some pretty intense snowfall and encountered plenty of car tracks going off the road, we saw some beautiful scenery; the stuff we don’t ever see in Las Vegas. After a much less eventful afternoon, we made it home safely! ‘Til net time Escalante! We will be back!

Silverton, CO with the Family

The San Juan Mountains in Southwest Colorado are absolutely stunning! If you can get up close to them, via old mining trails, they are even more impressive. After a year hiatus, the Lautzenheisers were back to visit this picturesque area. For Scott and Duane, this was their fifth year jeeping along the mountainous trails. For Marcia, it was her fourth. For me, my third. And for Evan, Tyler and Ella…it was their first time!

The family on Corkscrew Gulch Trail

The family on Corkscrew Gulch Trail

The plan for us was to drive to Moab, UT and meet Duane for a night before driving the rest of the way. With two vehicles (one towing the other) packed full of fun, we made a rather uneventful seven hour drive with a one year old and a dog! I’d call that a success!

Our first day on the trails was spent on Corkscrew Gulch, were we got up close to the Red Mountains and a very frozen Como Lake. The high amount of snow that remained resulted in some impressive sights.

Because of the heavy snowfall (600% more than average) many of the trails had not yet opened for the season, including the well known Black Bear Pass. Although disappointed that we couldn’t do this iconic trail again, it gave us the opportunity to explore new areas on our second day: Ophir Pass and Alta Lakes.

Our third and final day on the trails was with a quick ride up to Arrastra Creek Trail to an old mine and then over Stony Pass up to the Pole River, which crossing was not advised. The greenery was so green and although there weren’t many wildflowers this year, with the late snow melt, it was still gorgeous.

For all the riding in the jeep, Ella and Topo were amazing! Ella was entertained by her cousin Tyler and Topo was entertained by the new smells.

After four days of no jeep breakdowns or children breakdowns, we began what we thought would be a two-day, eleven hour drive home. Again, with a truck full of stuff towing a jeep full of stuff, we headed north on the Million Dollar Highway, taking in the last views of the San Juans. As soon as we reached an area on the highway where we could get up to highway speed, Scott noticed that the jeep was wavering back and forth, pulling on the truck. Unable to go over 60 mph without this happening, we knew we had to figure out what the cause was: we weren’t going to travel the 550 miles home like this.

Scott checked everything he could think of on the tow bar, the hitch, the jeep, and he noticed the tow bar was crooked. We stopped at a Home Depot in Montrose, CO. Scott bought the necessary tools (sockets and wrenches) and we realigned the tow bar. I thought, “Yay! We’re going to get back up to speed, literally!” Back on the road, back at 60 mph, and back to the jeep pulling the truck! Ugh! Okay, so what else could it be? We end up stopping in Grand Junction, CO for a quick lunch and buy a new hitch. This has got to be it, right? Nope! After that failed attempt, we unhitched the jeep from the truck and decided to drive them separately. Although it wasn’t ideal, at least we’d be able to drive fast enough to get to our destination for the night (Junction, UT), right? Wrong! The jeep wasn’t able to go over 60mph without pulling from side to side at all!

In the end, a drive that should have taken seven hours, took 11 hours. Not a huge deal, right? Oh wait, remember, after a long day, I’m driving by myself with a 1 year old in the back who I can’t tend to. I should have taken a picture of the backseat before we got to Junction, UT. Every toy, every object, every food item was tossed back to entertain Ella. Around sunset, we ended up pulling up to our AirBnB, which was absolutely perfect! A single story house with a fenced in yard for Ella and Topo to run around in.

The next morning the thought crossed my mind that I could pack up Ella and Topo and take the truck (going the standard 10mph over the speed limit) the four hours home, while leaving Scott with the dysfunctional jeep and a note that said, “We’ll see you when you get home. Love, Sweetie.” But of course, I would never really do such a thing. And yes, although we had to let semi-truck after semi-truck pass us with our flashers on, we had a wonderful drive back. We took a small detour through Zion National Park with a happy baby, a happy dog, a happy husband, and a very happy wife.

Fletcher Canyon at Kyle Canyon

Temperatures over 100F in the Valley. An upcoming jeep trip to Colorado. Topo needed to get in some running time. We hadn’t done a hike in a while. All the reasons we decided to drive up Kyle Canyon for the afternoon.

Fletcher Canyon hike. 6.1 miles round trip.

Fletcher Canyon hike. 6.1 miles round trip.

Not knowing which hike we were going to do, we decided on Fletcher Canyon as it wasn’t too strenuous (although anything for this seven month pregnant lady is strenuous), was a bit shaded, and the trailhead wasn’t packed with cars. What ended up being about 6 miles roundtrip, with a small waterfall at the end of the out and back trail, was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.


Grand Haven, MI

We had not been to Michigan in two years and the last two times that we did go, we went to the East side of the state to stay with Scott, Gloria, Zaina, and Vivi. Even though Scott was born in Apple Valley, CA, his Mom was born in Zeeland, MI. Her family is of Dutch heritage, so we had been wanting to go back to the West side to see the old ‘homeland’ and visit the beaches.

It wasn’t likely that we’d travel to MI next summer, with TWO (agh!) little ones, so we decided to take Ella on her first plane trip! She was great on the flight out and a little less great on the flight home, but overall we were super grateful for her behavior…and all without having to drug her!

We planned the trip so that it slightly overlapped with Scott, Glo and the girls’ trip to my parents’. We were able to explore downtown Grand Haven and get some family time in before they headed home.

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The next day was spent scoping out the house where Scott’s Mom grew up and walking around the downtown where she spent most of her childhood. Of course, we stopped at Zeeland’s only brewery.

The following day, we spent the morning at the beach, where after some time, Ella loved running into and out of the water. The water was cold, but I couldn’t travel all that way without getting in. Fortunately, my Dad was willing to go in too! In the afternoon, Jim and Diane Madsen were kind enough to take us out on their pontoon boat. It was a great way to view the channel and shoreline.

A visit to Michigan wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the house where I spent 17 years and with a few familiar faces. We saw Mrs. Gillis and had dinner with my best friend growing up, Sarah Yost. I was able to meet her little one, Leela, who is 2.5 years old! We spent a morning with Dave and Jane Diesing, enjoying the lake view at their cottage, where I have so many memories growing up! Before our flight, we were able to catch breakfast with my Aunt Lily and cousins, Nick and Rebecca!

Our last two days were spent at Silver Lake; an inland lake with a picturesque view of the sand dunes, and a visit to Dutch Village in Holland, where Scott remembers going to on a trip from California with his family when he was five. We were able to get Ella her first pair of wooden shoes.

We’re super grateful for my parents, who bought or borrowed all our Ella necessities for the week. They spent the week preparing food for all of us and chauffeuring us around the lakeshore. For me, I hadn’t been to West Michigan in four years; it was fun to show Scott where I grew up. Summers in Michigan are beautiful! I realized that I do miss beach sunsets at 9:30pm and the familiarity of being with family and friends, but I don’t miss the bugs or the humidity.

Long Beach and San Diego, CA

It’s become tradition now that Scott goes fishing on Captain George’s Victory out of Long Beach once a year. With a couple weeks of summer break under our belts, we were ready to take the Skamper out of hibernation to venture off camping along the California coast.

After a lengthy detour just to get out of Las Vegas and an unfortunate fatal accident on I-15 South, we finally made it to ‘Off the Grid’ Brewing Company in Apple Valley to meet Don for a beer. The plan after the brewery was to head to our campsite reserved at Mojave Forks. When we arrived at 6:30pm, however, the entrance gate was closed. We had a crying kid, no place to stay, and a setting sun. Fortunately, Scott knew the area well enough and we were able to get a spot at Silverwood Lake Campground. Ella, who normally sleeps flawlessly throughout the night, woke up around 3am crying. After 45 minutes of playing with her stacking cups on Mom and Dad’s bed, she finally fell back to sleep. Needless to say, the first day of our trip was not off to a great start.

We spent some time at Silverwood Lake and then headed West to Long Beach. Bud, Rob Teasdale and his friend Scott, and Scott all went fishing on the Victory the next day. Although it wasn’t the best day out on the ocean, they all caught enough fish to support a couple of dinners. While the men were out catching dinner, Mom and Ella spent the morning at The Aquarium of the Pacific and the afternoon playing in the pool at the campground. After a long day of fishing for Scott and solo parenting for Sara, a trip to Long Beach would not be complete without a stop at Joe Josts.

After two nights in Long Beach we headed south to San Diego, but made a stop in Mission Viejo to visit Shirley and Mary. Our reservations in San Diego were at Campland on the Bay. It was a huge campground with all sorts of activities for kids…and a bar for parents. With endless water toys to rent and Sea World and the SD Zoo close by, we decided that when the kids get older this would a great spot to spend a week. Although the weather was cool and cloudy, we rented a paddle boat, explored the beach and fried up the fish the guys caught at Rob’s house.

As we headed back the next day to Las Vegas, we made another stop in Apple Valley at Silverado Silversmith Shop to meet Scott’s Uncles (Dave and Dan) and Aunts (Jeanette and Lori). We spent a couple hours catching up before getting back on the road.

The Skamper may have had its last haul as a Lautzenheiser but it was a great one!

Mary Jane Falls at Kyle Canyon

With the temperature in the Valley starting to rise, we spent a Monday (trying to miss the crowds), at Mount Charleston.

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With abundant snowfall in the mountains this winter, Mary Jane Falls was sure to be full of water. The 3.1 mile round trip hike, with over 1,000ft of elevation gain was a good workout for a five month pregnant lady carrying a 16 pound baby up. (Scott carried Ella down). Topo loved rolling around in the snow!