Today was so beautiful. Dane had some meetings in the morning so I went ahead and started packing up the outside of the RV. That is until I could not for the life of me figure out how to fold up the outdoor table. HA! However, I did pack up most of the outdoor furniture and rugs so we could hit the road. We somehow accumulated so much laundry here so I went ahead with a few loads of laundry as well. I am excited to head to Lake Powell. To be honest this has been one of my most anticipated travel locations.

It’s interesting though because before I started planning our trip I had no idea this place even existed. Yet when I discovered it while planning I have been thrilled ever since. The blue waters, the canyons, the formations and the Navajo Nation are full of history and bring so much thrill to my soul. The drive is not a long one, only a few hours so we should arrive there fairly early enough to see the sunset.

Later that day ….

OH MY GOODNESS. The drive here was spectacular. We drove through cliffs and canyons as if the road itself was consumed by them. I am just in awe at the beauty and the greatness of it all. We stopped a few times to grab lunch for the children and to get gas. We arrived at Wahweap Campground around 4:30, they were closed but left our campsite number on the door. I am so thankful for our spot. We are in A9 and we have the perfect view of the Lake. We arrived just in time to see the sun set behind Polly and she was a beauty.

It is extremely cold so we did not set up a fire tonight, just bundled up inside and had an early night in. I plan to get up early and see the sunrise tomorrow. I am sure it will be show!

Today was Magnificent. I feel like every single thing we see takes my breath away. Nothing is ordinary. Nothing is the same. Everything feels as if the hands of God were just here breathing life and depth into these places. And my life is forever altered. I just don’t feel the same. My eyes have seen such beauty, such life beyond my normal daily life and nothing is the same. The history I dive into, the stories of those impacted by the places we visit … all of it impacts me so deeply. I am in awe.

We promised the children that today we would not hike. They have really given it their all the last few hikes and we have unknowingly pushed them to their limits. So today we ride. Yet that is not such an awful thing for us because we own two awesome Rad Wagons. (I will link below) They are pedal assist electric bikes and the children can both ride with us on. We decided to start at the Bright Angel Bike Shop and ride up the mountain from there. It was going to be a about 13 miles one way but we went without any expectation of how far we would actually travel. We packed a lunch and thankfully the Rad Wagon has a large basket at the front for the cooler and bags. We felt like winners!

It was really chilly when we started and we actually were second guessing our clothing choices. The weather however was supposed to be the same temperature as Sedona the day before, and so we had dressed accordingly. Yet with all the elevation changes it just wasn’t the same. We were all troopers though and kept on peddaling…or sitting. We rode through a few miles of forest before the accent climb to our first stop and even being among the trees made me feel at home. Oh how I love trees.

I cannot describe just one stop, just one lookout to you because they are all spectacular. One thing I kept looking for though as I peered into the distant valleys was the Colorado River. For me, this river is a symbol of life. The Native American’s lives and how this river sustained them and the lives of others who have traveled below and lived off of the supplies of the river. I so longed to go and touch the river and be among the vegetation there, but for now just seeing it from afar will have to suffice. It took a few spots before the Canyons twisted and turned for me to set my eyes upon this great mysterious (to me) river. And oh how glorious. How blue with hues of green, how long and wide the waters are. I fell in love.

We stopped to eat not far from the end of the trail (Hermit’s Rest). There was a lovely picnic table not far from the edge and we were able to sit and enjoy the view, and the wind as we ate. The Raven’s put on a show for us. Twirling and whirling in the wind. We landed at Hermit’s rest and purchased a few souveniers along with hot chocolate and apple cider to enjoy before our trek down the mountain.

The way down was not as chilly but as I began my descent I noticed the battery on the RW was very low. I prayed, Dane assisted my bike by holding on and giving his gas and eventually took the children on with him. Thankfully we made it without any issues right as my battery was shutting off. I yelled “PRAISE JESUS” as I saw our jeep come into view. WHEW!

We were all exhausted, happy and full of thrill as we laid our heads on our pillows tonight. So incredibly grateful for this trip we have embarked on. And that there is still so much more ahead for us!

Rad Wagon https://www.radpowerbikes.com/products/radwagon-electric-cargo-bike?utm_source=Bing%20Search&utm_medium=Brand&utm_campaign=B%20-%20Rad%20Power%20Bikes%20-%20Exact&b_campaign=B%20-%20Rad%20Power%20Bikes%20-%20Exact&b_campaignid=389466069&b_adgroup=RadWagon%20-%20Exact&b_adgroupid=1158885787157652&b_adid=72430486024949&b_term=Rad%20wagon&b_termid=kwd-72430785489073:loc-190&b_isproduct=&b_productid=&msclkid=361b9c269f1b1e81a8c3c3e6ddd342e6

Woke up before the sun rose this morning and snuck out of our room pass the sleeping children in to have quiet time before the day. It was a very cold 30 degrees at 6am so I decided to stay inside. My trick is if I turn the heat up a degree the noise seems to be loud enough that I can open the curtains, make coffee and sit down without anyone stirring. A few mornings prior Nixon has snuck out quietly because he too wants to see the sunset. I love hearing him say, “It is just so beautiful!” He says that often about the natural world and I just get all warm inside knowing he too appreciates what God has created, and isn’t too busy to stop and see the beauties around us.

This morning however I just wanted to be alone. The sunset was not as immaculate as it was in Las Cruces but it was no less invigorating. I have a daily ritual of waking up and spending some time stretching, drinking 30oz of water (which I make myself do before I have coffee), writing my prayers and praying out loud and reading my Bible. All of which set my day up for more success than if I did not do it. I get made fun of for my morning breathing and stretching but it’s okay because well it can be hilarious I guess. Especially in a 32ft space.

We showered soon after and hit the road to Sedona. From where we are it is about 30 miles but 1.5 hours driving. We were so surprised by the miles verses the amount of estimated time as you drive through the Coconino forest you completely understand why. I also understood the beautfy of this drive outweighed the length of time it took to get there. I chose to stay at this KOA because of the proximity to both the Grand Canyon and Sedona. Most of the campgrounds around the GC are either closed due to Covid or weather, or our rig is too large to stay. Therefore, staying in between the two was my second best option and has worked out great.

Driving through the Coconino Forest was one of my favorite parts of this trip. If we had time I would have pulled off and hiked all through that beautiful forest. The trees are strong and tall and after some research I found that most of them are Ponderosa Pines, straight and tall. I just kept picturing them as Ballerinas dancing on cliffs elegant and majestic like. Tall and strong.

When we reached Sedona I was surprised mostly because I was not aware at what a town it would be. There are so many stores and restaurants and so many people walking around. We knew we were headed to the Devils Bridge Trailhead which is through town and towards the right. The rocky mountains and stones blew my mind. I truly had no words. They are massive, strong, beautiful, dusty and I am still in awe of them. We began our hike and it was amazing. Pretty flat with a few up climbs but not anything strenuous and then all of a sudden the trail took us to a dusty road. A very rocky, bumpy road but still a road. We realized then that we could have just taken the jeep down but we somehow had mistaken this trail to be only 1 mile to Devils Bridge …oh boy we were wrong. Dane decided to turn right and go get the jeep so once we got to the bridge we would not have to walk back up. The main issue here was our little guys legs. He was red faced and exhausted and the hill going towards the bridge was downhill (which meant uphill on the way back and most likely carrying him). Yet, the children and I continued down the hill and decided we would wait for Dane at the bridge.

We continued on for at least another mile or so and turned right only to be at a parking lot and another trailhead. Whew … we were totally not prepared for this. Listen, Dane and I would have hiked up any hill with any distance, and our son usually can go go go but for some reason today he was just exhausted. But Dane is really good at motivating him so we pushed on. About ½ a mile in he laid down on the ground and we knew he was done. Sunny and I wanted to continue on but I really wanted Dane to go and I would stay with Nixon. But he wouldn’t have it and told me to go ahead. SJ and I went on for ahwhile until we found this amazing rock with awesome views and climbed up to it and sat down. I love being with her. It was cooler temps up higher and so we snuggled and just talked. We talked about the world, the mountains, we saw a beautiful bird fly by and tried to identify it and just were together. Some of my favorite times are just like this.

On the way down we found Dane and Nixon back at the jeep and we hopped in for a ride up the rocky road. We named our jeep Blanco today so we were all praying and encouraging her to keep going. Thankfully with Danes skill and Blanco’s engine we made it up!

We stopped and ate lunch at the Mayflower Sandwhich Shoppe and it was phenomenal. I ordered the Butternut Squash Salad and the combination of apples, butternut squash and raspberry vinaigrette was exactly what I needed.

We hit the road home for a campfire and some playground time. Tonight was game and read aloud night which we all love. We played Sleeping Queens (our favorite) and read Benjamin West and his Cat Grimalkin and Wingfeather Saga book 3.

All in all today was a great day. Lots of lessons learned.

1. Always check how long the trail is – not just the one you are on but to the destination you want to go. 2. Bring walkie-talkies because it is likely that your phone will not have a service in National Parks.

3. Feed the 4 year old a hearty lunch before hiking… not after.

Even with the lessons the joys and the adventure were one of the best yet!

I was so proud of Dane and I today! We had planned to get up and head towards Sedona with enough time to stop at Walnut Canyon on the way, and because we were so in sync we were able to hit the road at 9am.

Dane usually breaks down the outside and likewise I do the inside. Both jobs must be coordinated to some degree as it would not go well if the water was shut off before the water bottles filled up, or the dishes and sink cleaned. He needs me to work diligently so when he is ready we can get the slides in together. I feel like we have it down to a well-oiled machine. Praise the Lord! We have been having issues with one of our slides and sadly we believe it’s one of the motors. It usually moans and groans and stops and then Dane must push it in. Yet, was different! I prayed before and during pressing that button and asked the Lord to bring that slide in without an issue. He is so faithful! It did not even stutter or stop once! I tell you what faithfulness is a beautiful thing.

My advice to anyone who travels in an RV, trailer or 5^th wheel is to stick down everything you don’t want to move each time. For us, I have my basket of oils, plants, toothbrush holder and small trinkets in the bathroom taped to the shelves. This way when it is time to move the slides in and hit the road I do not have to worry about those things. However, I still must move the children’s bookshelf, hat rack, tea kettle, place towel between stove and stove rack and put away all dishes or things that will slide. Once you do it a few times it is like second nature.

We drove about 4 hours from our KOA in Tucson and took a short detour to Walnut Canyon National Monument. The drive into the monument was full of fir trees and my daughter and I were immediately drawn to them. It has been awhile since we have seen trees other than small shrubs and this was such a beautiful treat. They were tall and elegant as if dancing on cliffs and exposed roots upon walkways.

One of the reasons we stopped here is so we could be immersed in the life and ways of the Hopi tribe.  Our adventure is exciting and fun which is also how I believe history should be taught. When we are immersed in history and then able to experience it a depth takes place inside of us that would not have been there otherwise.

We arrived at our campground around 5:00 and as usual the children went to the playground as Dane and I set up, he on the outside and myself on the inside. This KOA is smaller than some of the others and the laundry facility was nearby so … tonight was my night for laundry. I actually don’t mind the laundry mat because I can do all loads at one time, something that could never be achieved at home. So within 1 hour all laundry was washed, dried and folded. Perfection!

As Sunny and I were walking home it was extremely dark but the moon was so bright and we could see a million stars in the sky. Dane and Nixon were singing songs at the campfire and it was a beautiful sight. This is our why. This is why we have invested this time with our children and away from friends and family. So we could be together in God’s creation diving deeper.

We decided to stay one more day at the KOA in Tucson. The campgrounds are exceptionally nice and we really needed a no travel catch-up day. Dane was able to spend some time working and the children and I had a full day of lessons. We have been keeping up with our core work as we travel but it is usually while we are moving in the RV. So it is nice to sit outside or to be stationary while we work.

Polly got a bath and the children swam in the pool. I met an awesome family that is also traveling the country with their 4 children. They have been on the road for about 5 months and will return to SC in December. That is something about this adventure that I really love. Just meeting people along the way who dream the way you dream. Who desire to see the world, love history and don’t mind giving up modern conveniences to live in such a small space.

We head to Sedona tomorrow and then the Grand Canyon. Days like today are needed to recuperate and rest, grateful we were able to do so before a few days of hikes, travel and fun.