Category: Arizona

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Arizona Biking Hiking State Parks

Lost Dutchman State Park: Hiking Flat Iron & Introducing Our Kids to MTB

 

We had heard from fellow travelers that Lost Dutchman State Park was pretty amazing, so when we swung through Phoenix last winter we decided to give it a try. Not really knowing the layout of the park beforehand, we managed to snag a pretty sweet spot with an epic view of the Superstition Mountains.

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When We Visited: March 14-19, 2015
Ages of Kids: 9.5, 7.5, 4.5
Site #: 103
Website: http://azstateparks.com/Parks/LODU/
Link to Flatiron Trail

After a brief, but dramatic, total freak out by me (read all about that here) we settled into the park and really loved it. A lot. The Superstition Mountains are ragged, majestic, and beautiful and are quite the prominent feature of the area.

We had friends staying in the overflow area at the same time (@livinginthemomentum) so the kids had some great play time with them in addition to earning their state park Jr. Ranger Badge. Our site was water and electric only, but the showers were great and we managed to go all 6 days without needing to dump the tanks. Hooray!

My two favorite activities, however were: introducing my kids to mountain biking, and hiking to the top of Flat Iron with Sam.

Introducing Our Kids to Mountain Biking

Around the outer edge of the park is a 4 mile mountain bike loop. While that may not seem like a long ride to some, it was perfect for introducing our kids to mountain biking. The trail was pretty smooth and flowy in some places, but also had some good ups and down through the various washes. The kids were all pretty tentative at first, but soon I couldn’t keep up with them as I hung back and made sure Cara did okay on her strider bike.

Our biggest success was just taking it slow and letting the kids learn at their own pace. Riding on dirt is definitely different than pavement and just takes some getting used to. We taught the kids to stand up on their pedals and get behind their seats on the downhill, and to keep their pedals level so they don’t whack them on rocks. Those were the two big lessons of the week.

Sam and I were also able to ride the loop a few times (it took us about 30 minutes), and it was great to get back into the saddle. I don’t think either one of us had really mountain biked in years.

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Hiking Flatiron

Right up against the the boundaries of the state park is the Tonto National Forest with the ragged Superstition Mountains. One of the more popular trails is Flatiron which tops out at 4861 feet elevation with some serious gain over the last mile or so.

Since we knew the hike would be too much for the kids, Sam and I decided to wake up at 5am one morning and tackle it. Rachel is getting old enough that we feel comfortable leaving her in charge of the other two (really it’s probably Andrew’s and Cara’s ages that matter more – they are quite independent). She can manage pulling out cereal in the morning and we just told them to stay in the trailer to play and we’d call from the top to see how things were going. We also knew we had friends nearby in case anything went seriously wrong, and she knows the phone number for grandma if she has non-emergency questions.

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The hike was brutal. Up to the Basin it was a pretty even uphill, and then after that it was some serious rock scrambling. The trail was marked on rocks with blue/white dots since there wasn’t actually anywhere to make a trail, and in some places we had to guess where it went but overall I felt we did pretty well.

We made it to the top, had a small snack, enjoyed the view and then started back down the trail.

Holy people. I’m so glad we left as early as we did because the trail was CROWDED on the way back down. Especially after the Basin. So, my advice if you want to hike this trail during Spring Break: get out of bed and get yourself up the mountain early. It’ll be way better.

Overall, I’m super happy we tackled it, and the kids did great on their own and were a little disappointed when we got back (heaven help us when they are teenagers).

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We absolutely loved staying at this park, but since there are a few others in the area (McDowell Mountain being top on our list) we’ll probably wait awhile before staying here again. Definitely recommend it though!

Categories
Arizona Rock Climbing

Rock Climbing in Prescott, AZ With Friends

It’s no joke we fell in love with Prescott, AZ (really, we did a pretty awesome April’s Fool Joke) and one of the reasons was the plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities. We were only going to drop into Prescott Valley, spend a night with college friends and then leave, until another full time Airstreamer (whom we met at Organ Pipe National Monument a few months earlier) started posting photos of Point of Rocks Campground and the Granite Dells. Although we were slightly nervous about a private RV park (they are never our favorites) we couldn’t resist coming into town and seeing what the hype was all about. We warned Rich & Jodi we were coming to crash their space, and Rich even visited their storage unit and pulled out his climbing gear in anticipation of our visit.

When We Visited: March 27 – April 2, 2015

Ages of Kids: 9, 7, 4

Where We Stayed: Point of Rocks Campground is not your typical RV Park. The park has lots of shade, dirt roads, and huge granite boulders everywhere. Definitely more of a campground than an RV Park. We loved it. We were given a smaller site on the end (the best spots are in the back loop up against the boulders – note to self for next time) and settled in. And then we kept extending our stay again, and again, and again. By the time we left we had spent a week in this awesome town rock climbing, exploring, visiting nearby Watson Lake, and mountain biking.

Sam and I climbed quite a bit in college, so rock climbing isn’t new to us, but our kids had never been outside on “real” rocks. Andrew especially was pretty excited as we try to have regular rock climbing gym dates.We lined up an afternoon and a small group of us (including the awesome Ty, Sarah, Luna & Aki from mywifesadventure who we met the day before) walked out the back of the campground and into the Granite Dells.

Rich & Jodi frequent this area as a sort of “home base” of operations so Rich has been climbing all over the Dells and took us to a spot with a pretty easy 5.5/5.6 to start. Sam and Rich walked to the top of the crag to set up a top rope and the rest of us made our way to the bottom. After getting set up we took turns climbing the relatively easy first route and then Sam went up and switched the chains over to the next one for a little harder of a climb.

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We had a great afternoon! We encouraged each other, talked, the kids made forts, scrambled over the rocks, and ate snacks.  The littlest ones didn’t climb, so we took turns entertaining them. I also couldn’t resist pulling out my camera and doing a little impromptu lifestyle session of the Bennett family:

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Sarah’s first time rock climbing – doesn’t she look like a natural??

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How did it go with the kids that did climb? Andrew spider-manned his way to the top, but had trouble coming down. Jodi eventually went around to the top and pulled him over that way so they could walk down. Rachel struggles with heights and didn’t make it very far at all before she decided she was done, but had no trouble coming down. Sam, Jodi & I all climbed twice, Ty & Sarah both got in one climb (they had the youngest baby to juggle) and since Rich scraped up his leg mountain biking, he designated himself as belayer. After everyone had climbed we had Andrew practice climbing a bit, leaning back on the rope and coming back down. He was much more confident after that!

Rock Climbing Prescott_17I’ve warned Sam that if we really end up back here for a month or so next winter I’m so buying a rope and we are going climbing at least three times a week. We had such a fantastic time, that we did it again a few days later – only this time we brought livinginthemomentum with us as well! We are so grateful to Rich & Jodi for the use of their gear and expertise. You really can’t beat a rock climbing location with a view like this!

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Categories
Adventure Reports Arizona

The Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona

We went back and forth on visiting the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ. We had heard great things about it, but was it just another zoo? Would we really find it that interesting? Turns out that traveling the country makes you a bit of a snob when it comes to activities you’ll pay for. You start thinking things like, “Is this going to be better than ‘X’? We just did ‘Y ‘so maybe we don’t need to do this one too.” Happily, the Sonoran Desert was everything we had heard and the kids and I had a fantastic time. And there was cactus. You should know by now how much I love cactus.

When We Visited: March, 13, 2015

Ages of Kids: 9, 7, 4

Tips: Although the park has done a great job of providing shade Ramadas & drinking fountains, its still Tucson, and will be very HOT in the summer. Plan accordingly.

The Sonoran Desert Museum boast over 98 acres, and “is a fusion experience zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, natural history museum, and aquarium.” The museum is also 85% outdoors which can get pretty warm during the Arizona summers.

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We started off the morning by wandering down to the bird show. It was pretty fascinating, and the birds really do fly just right above the crowd. The animal trainers are on either side of the standing crowd and the birds crisscross back and forth. Although we were standing, my kids were able to get a spot right on the fence so they could see pretty easily.

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After that, we walked the desert loop trail that included javelina & the coyote. Left to right below are the Red fox, javelina, coyote, and coati. I’ve wanted to see a javelina since we got to the Sonoran Desert, and although I never saw one in the wild, I was pretty excited we spotted 3 here at the museum.

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Luckily for us, there was an ice cream vendor near the Cactus Garden. The ice cream made the kids happy, and the garden was for me. A ENTIRE garden FULL of very interesting and unique cactus. My kids thought I was crazy, but this was probably my favorite part. Serious obsession, here people.

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After lunch we wandered over to the Warden Oasis Theater (indoors) and watched the Live & (sort of) On the Loose venemous reptile presentation. I thought it was funny the animal handlers thought everyone was there to see the rattlesnake. No way. Gila Monsters are definitely more interesting!

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Overall we had a great day! A highlight for the kids was also the underground cave tunnels in the Earth Sciences center. They really did look like caves. Pretty sweet. And the exhibit popped us out for a great view of this mountain lion who was just pacing back and forth in front of the window:
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Was our visit worth the price of admission? From our experience, to the crowds and the museum’s rating on Trip Advisor, I’m going to go with yes. Everything about the museum is dedicated to this amazing desert and I feel like we got a great overview of the plants, animals, and geology of this amazing place!

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Categories
Arizona

The Queen Mine Tour & the Bisbee 1000 in Arizona

The town of Bisbee, Arizona has been on our list for quite some time as we’d seen other full time travelers pass through and really enjoy it. Though we would typically take the Airstream and spend a few days there, we weren’t able to get reservations at the only RV park in town. Instead, we visited in a day trip from our boondocking spot near Tombstone (about a 30 minute drive). The main attraction for us here was the Queen Mine Tour, but the city itself was an added bonus.

When We Visited: February 27, 2015

Ages of Kids: 9, 7, 4

Where We Stayed: Dry Camping spot outside of Tombstone, AZ

We had made reservations a few days earlier at the mine, and confirmed them upon arrival. We showed up early and attempted to get an earlier mine tour, but they were sold out. Apparently, reservations are definitely recommended! With more than an hour to spare, we wanted to explore town a bit. We learned from the Watsons that a yearly event in Bisbee is the Bisbee 1000 Stair Climb. Though the event is held but once a year, you can follow the route that weaves through town.

We procured a pamphlet from the rather reluctant lady at the visitor center desk (isn’t it her job to be helpful? We were confused), and set out to find parking closer to downtown. Really, we could have walked as it was that close, but since we were about to climb hundreds of stairs, we figured we’d give the kids a break.

The 1000 Stairs route was wonderful. Bisbee was founded as a mining town, not as a convenient place to build. The town sits mostly up and down the hillsides surrounding a very small downtown area. The roads weave chaotically up and around the houses and buildings. The many flights of stairs provide vertical connectors between the roads. Most of the staircases have nearby paintings marking the route, painted right onto nearby buildings or retaining walls.

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Following the route led us through parts of the town we otherwise would have never seen. It was a great little introduction to the town, passing through both residential neighborhoods and along downtown shopping streets.

Before we knew it, we were out of time. We only completed 6 or 7 of the stair segments before we headed back to the truck and to the mine for our scheduled tour.

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Getting ready for the mine tour was a process of production line gear fitting. We were each dressed in a raincoat, a leather belt, hardhats, and lights. The men handling the gear were both efficient and friendly, easily handing our undersized minors size needs.
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The tour starts by riding a train into the mine itself. Straddling the train was easy for all of us, and left our hands free to point our lights wherever we wanted. The kids loved having their own lights, and none of them was scared riding the train or walking around inside the mine.

The tunnel we entered was an old main entrance. In preparation for public tours, the spaces we visited had been augmented with additional safety precautions, but it did not destroy the experience. In places, mining drills and gear had been set up for the tour in places not used during active mining. I felt the tour/authentic balance was perfect. It gave us a real sense of what mining was like, but I never felt that we were in any danger.

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The tour was given by a former miner of that very mine. He was both entertaining and informative during the stops we made inside the mine. We learned how dynamite was placed and the fuses were timed to produce the best possible explosion for mining operations. We even got to ‘demonstrate’ the toilet cart that they had inside the mine, though Cara was a bit nervous to sit up on the seat with me.

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We all loved the mine tour, kids and adults alike. If you happen near Bisbee, I would highly recommend the tour!

For some added entertainment, watch the video we recorded and posted to the CurrentlyWandering YouTube channel!

Categories
Arizona WanderLog

Easter Weekend in Sedona Arizona

Sedona, Arizona is a popular destination for a reason. Gorgeous scenery, some nice open land, and plenty of outdoor activities. Unfortunately, this time around we only had a short 3 days before needing to meet our friends in Flagstaff for their spring break.

We drove up from Prescott and quickly settled into a spot near Route 89A. Our spot was tucked in next to @liberatemylife, @the_scenicroute, and @2wanderaway.shannon. We couldn’t have asked for a better crew to spend the weekend with.

Travel Dates: April 3-5, 2015

Twice a year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a worldwide conference. Broadcast from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, UT we have the opportunity to hear from our prophet, apostles, and leaders. Its honestly one of my favorite, spiritually uplifting weekends all year.

Every once in awhile, Conference also lines up with Easter Sunday and then we REALLY get to have a good time.

“We found a beautiful spot for conference weekend. Here will hunt for easter eggs, listen to #ldsconf, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.” -@telegramsam

“This’ll do quite nicely for Easter & General Conference Weekend. Our neighbors (@the_scenicroute & @liberatemylife) are not too shabby either.” – @jesscurren

We had a few campfire evenings and even a potluck on Sunday evening. The kids had a blast building a fort in the tree and we loved watching the hot air balloons rise up every morning.

“Our Easter Egg Hunt has a perfect setting. The last few years, we do everything bunny related on Saturday. We have fun, and then focus on Christ during Easter Sunday.” – @telegramsam

Our Easter egg hunt Saturday morning was so much fun! The kids are aware that Sam and I hide their eggs and basket, but its still lots of fun. We had many eggs camouflaged among the cactus, and even though we counted we lost one or two. Oops!

“Easter baskets” that double as sand pails were a total win this time around as well!

“The annual dying of the Easter Eggs. Cara did more than her fair share and then covered them all with stickers.” – @jesscurren

We have a tradition of eating chipped eggs on toast for Easter breakfast. Its a basic white sauce with hard boiled, chopped, egg whites, and then egg yolks mashed up and sprinkled over the top. Not exactly healthy, but man is it good!

“We are celebrating Christ by listening to his living Prophet today. Join us at lds.org for a live stream of his words and other leaders.” -@telegramsam

“We went on a short walk between #ldsconf sessions this afternoon. I can’t believe how gorgeous this area is. It reminds me a lot of southern Utah!” – @jesscurren

“The kids have turned this tree into their magical fort. Complete with welcome sign, fire pit, and Easter baskets, they’ve spent most of their day playing outside.” -@jesscurren

Our weekend was peaceful, yet full of great friends and family time. We didn’t get in any mountain biking, and left plenty of trails unexplored. We are going to need to make time to come back here for sure!