Drive back home!

 We managed to pack ourselves and all our stuff into our car (with room to spare!) and the kids got themselves cozy for the long drive back to Albuquerque.  

Having learned previously about the value of good playground stops along the way, we found a wonderful park in Amarillo, were the kids managed to run, jump, slide and swing for nearly an hour. 

Then it was back to the car.  Videos, burgers, fries, and juice boxes (a rare treat for these kids who normally eat plenty of fruit, but know juice only as a special treat) lulled them for the rest of the trip.

In Albuquerque, Agnieszka and Daniel wanted to explore the city, but the kids had barely enough patience for us to finish one beer.  Next time...

The next morning, we set of to explore New Mexico.  Our goal had been to take a detour through El Mapais National Monument and then finish the day exploring the Petrified Forest National Park.  The navigator (aka Agnieszka), however, accidentally sent us on the longer route, which led to some special finds along the way. 

Our first stop was at the Sandstone Bluffs in El Mapais National Monument.  The weather was a chilly 36F, but no one seemed to mind.  The sandstone bluffs were enormous boulders and cliffs overlooking a valley of black lava flow.  The lack of any railings made the site seeing with children a little bit more nerve-wracking than anticipated, but we still had a great time.  Afterwards, Auggie and Ella had fun playing in the snow in the parking lot. 

Our next stop in the park was to La Ventana Natural Arch.  We didn't walk all the way to the base of the arch, as Auggie had opted on not just leaving his jacket, but also his shoes, in the car, and everyone was getting a little too chilled just watching him. 

We made it to the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest NP an hour before sunrise, so our trip through the park was short that day, but we had opted to stay in Holbrook and come back to the park the next morning.  The sunset colors made for some beautiful views, however. 

The next morning, we drove back to the Petrified Forest National Park and took a fun hike at the Blue Mesa stop.  The kids actually exclaimed in amazement as we descended on our hiking path.  While Auggie stopped to study every beautiful rock and petrified log, Ella love the steady flow of the path and basically ran for almost a mile, to the amazement and chuckles of other visitors. 

morning view of the Painted Desert

Ella running ahead, while Agnieszka tries to keep up

After leaving the National Park, we found a small ranch where we could dig out our own petrified wood. The kids (and adults) loved this activity.  Everyone is getting petrified rock (no, not coal) for next Christmas!

Once we had a our share of digging, we set out back on the road.  From the desert, we drove through snow in Flagstaff, and gave Auggie a few minutes of time to run around and throw some snowballs at the car (no one else wanted to get out!)

A few hours later, we were in Lake Havasu.  Temps there were in the high 50s, which felt comfortably warm after our last few days.  It took some effort to convince the kids to leave the hotel room, but they rallied eventually and loved the beautiful holiday light decorations.  We even managed to get ice cream!  

View from our hotel room - NYE

The London Bridge (a bridge from the River Thames in London, that was sold and moved to AZ!)

2021 NYE- our last photo of the night.  Soon after, we went back to our hotel room, and though we hoped to wake up for the fireworks, everyone was asleep by 9pm and slept soundly through the night.