We stayed in a place just outside of the Sand Dunes and called the Sand Dunes Pool & RV Park. It was neat because it was so unique to find this pool in the middle of what feels like a high desert, but it wasn't on the top of our favorite places. The Sand Dunes are on the top of our favorite places, but not in the wind. Unfortunately it is pretty windy there (which is why we have the sand dunes...) so finding the best time to go would be great advice (I think it is Spring).
#2: Mesa Verde, CO
We LOVED Mesa Verde. We loved our campsite, we loved the hikes, the views, the tours. We went to a little coffee shop called the Spruce Tree Espresso Shop in Cortez, CO which had just the kind of coffee and atmosphere you want in a coffee shop. We stayed at the A&A Mesa Verde RV Park which was just across from the park's entrance and run by a very nice family. We took the boy's on the Balcony House tour in the National Park and all four of us found it to be thrilling. The boys still pretend to be Ancient Puebloans and make believe they are communicating across canyons about what's for dinner and what the smoke signals mean.
#3: Lake Powell, Page, AZ
Chris and I were so excited to take the boys to Lake Powell. We rented a ski boat and were able to bring them Rainbow Bridge. We stayed in Wawheap Marina and toured the lakes through the cloudy days. The boys and I got to go on the tour of the Glen Canyon Dam and learn about hydroelectricity and how dams are built when you have an active running river. If you find yourself in Page AZ with a child who loves to see the inner workings of machines, the tour is pretty cool!
#4: Flagstaff, AZ
Our campsite (The KOA)was pretty great with a nature trail and a fun playground for the kiddos. The staff was also really nice and we met another full time traveling family from Sweden. We took the family to the Desert View of the Grand Canyon which was spectacular for Chris and I. Austin loved the buildings and Oliver was done with the Southwest Landscape. We headed into town and enjoyed burgers at Diablo Burger and dipped candles in a candle store. We also got to enjoy the Urgent Care as Austin somehow got a polished stone stuck in his ear. For some reason holding the vacuum to his head didn't work so we took a trip into town.
#5: Phoenix, AZ
Our campsite was AWESOME! But nobody stayed in the camper as we had a beautiful home provided to us by our friends The Wagners. We swam in their pool, ate their food and drank their beer. We also got to play with some of our favorite kiddos as their parents escaped to Canada for a little trip. It was fun and felt like a home away from our CO home.
#6: Santee, CA
Parking here was parking at home. We have so many great friends and family in California that we typically do not get to see a bunch, so landing here was like moving to a new neighborhood where you still have great relationships. My parents were able to visit which made the place feel that much more like "home." We loved our campsite at the Santee Lakes! We were next to a great coffee shop called the Kaffee Meister and a cupcake place called The Cupcake Store. Tons of time was spent in Balboa Park as we explored the Cultural Arts Center, Japanese Friendship Gardens, The Rueben H. Fleet Science Museum, San Diego History Center, the San Diego Railroad Museum, and the Natural History Museum. We played in Balboa's playground, ran it's pathways and ate sushi at the Tea House. A lot of our time was spent in Lajolla where we enjoyed the surf, sand and of course the tide pools. Watching the sea lions and listening to them bark was a favorite as well. We explored pirate boats, the San Salvador, war submarines and research vessels at the Maritime Museum and took a full day to explore the USS Midway. I don't know what the park's name was, but if you find yourself in San Diego with kids, you HAVE to go to the park that is across the street from the Star of India at the Maritime Museum. We played on the beaches in Carlsbad and Coronado. We ate pizza in Little Italy. The boys took us to Lego Land as they've now been four times and it was Chris and I's first time. We rode on a Seal Tour and walked around Old Town. We basked in the sun and contemplated never leaving. But we did, and we headed to...
#7: Huntington Beach, CA
Disneyland! Friends! Family! Beaches, Ellen Round One, kite flying, sand play, and laughter. It was a beautiful weekend that felt like a vacation in the middle of vacation. We stayed at Sunset Vista which was convenient, but if we find ourselves back I will want to reserve a place at Bolca Chica. Unfortunately that place was booked and it didn't have a spot where Chris could easily work. Sunset Vista was great for location and the beach was beautiful, but the construction across the street had us plugging our ears!
#8: Bakersfield CA
We didn't really stay here as part of our trip, but we did sleep here one night and I wanted to write about it because if you are ever on a long road trip down through CA and find yourself needing a place near Bakersfield, we stayed in a great campsite called River Run. The river was empty, but there was a nice walking trail that was perfect for the dogs and the staff was extremely nice!
#9: Three Rivers, CA
The town of Three Rivers was the spot of my favorite RV park to date: Sequoia RV Ranch. We were there during the off season and it just feels like a remote little place in the woods where the kids could play, the dogs could be off leash (because nobody else was there) and the sun was shining on the river. Friends came, we explored Sequoia and all of it's windy roads. We looked at the largest tree in the world, hiked in the park and relaxed around fires.
#10: Yosemite, CA
After much deliberation if our campers would fit in the Yosemite National Park's campground, we decided to camp just outside at Yosemite Pines RV Park. After driving through the national park's campground we were glad we did! The park was packed for Thanksgiving and we had tons of room at our little campground! We explored Yosemite and it's waterfalls, the tallest in N. America, ice skated in the national park, visited the museum and drove to some of the prettiest overlooks we have seen. Megan also found Columbia State Park which provided a full day of fun for the kiddos and a relaxing pace for the adults. Learning about the gold rush was pretty interesting and having lunch at the old town pub let us enjoy drinks such as Sasparilla!
#11: Monterey, CA
Boondocking! This was our first spot with no hook ups and I think we did pretty well! We didn't have to use the generator until day #2 and that was mostly because the temperatures drop and who wants to be cold? We stayed at Sunset State Beach which provided a great place to explore the Monterey Aquarium (insider tip! If you head to the aquarium, purchase your tix online. Chris saved us literally an hour wait outside by doing this!) and enjoyed the wharf.
#12: Santa Cruz, CA
Our last stop before heading home was supposed to be San Francisco. I am not one that likes to camp in the middle of a city, so we stayed in the foothills of Santa Cruz. This could have and would have been ideal if it had not been for how often we had to get to the airport in San Francisco. Though the drive isn't terrible, it wasn't super convenient either. We stayed at the Santa Cruz Redwoods Resort which was surrounded by great trees and a river with enough water going through it that you can hear it at night. We visited the Golden Gate Park and the science museum. We took in Alactraz, Lombard Street, Giradelli Square, and the Golden Gate Bridge. We visited Henry Cowell State Park, Natural Bridges State Beach, and a great little playground in the town we were staying in, Felton. We got to experience Ellen Round 2 and that takes us back to CO!
Taking the time to write this all out is a huge reminder of how much we have done! Most of this trip was condensed into about two and a half months as we have now been back in Colorado for almost three weeks. Our next stop is New Orleans. We head out on the 9th of January and will be there by the 11th! Happy Trails...
No comments:
Post a Comment