In 2019, the four of us Pisarros thought we might like to take a family vacation together while seeing an area of the U.S. that was new to us. We decided on Austin, Texas, because it’s half way between Nicholas on the West Coast  and Nick, Carla and me on the East Coast. My niece, Dawn, was able to join us there for what was a very happy getaway.  After that trip, we thought about where we might go  together the following year. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 0 — October 10, 2023 →

Off we went to JFK Airport. Our Uber driver, who was from Bangladesh, told us about his travels and we told him about our upcoming trip. He said that life is too short, and we should  all see  as much of our beautiful earth as we could. We heartily agreed!

Our flight was fine until the final 90 minutes, when there was a lot of turbulence. Meanwhile,  Nicholas’ plane encountered so much  turbulence that the flight  attendants never left their  seats. Eventually  our planes landed, and the four of us met at the airport in Las Vegas, where the temperature was significantly warmer than it had been at home. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 1 — October 11, 2023 →

Our original plan was to leave Vegas at 7 AM, but the younger Pisarros preferred to enjoy Vegas a bit longer. Nicholas wanted us to experience a Vegas buffet breakfast, Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 2 — October 12, 2023 →

The temperature in Tusayan at 6 AM was 31 degrees, so we were not in a hurry to leave our comfy beds. When we were ready to leave the hotel, we heard other tourists speaking several different languages.

On our way to the Grand Canyon, we saw plateaus (extensive raised flat surfaces), mesas (isolated flat topped mountains with a steep side),  buttes (smaller mountains that had steep sides), and spires (slender columns of rock). We entered the  National Park property, using our National Park Pass for Seniors that we had purchased at our previous trip to the Grand Canyon in 2008. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 3 — October 13, 2023 →

The next morning there was to be an annular solar eclipse right over Page, Arizona. We learned that days of solar eclipses are sacred days of fasting for Native Americans. We walked to a nearby donut shop for breakfast.  I haven’t had a donut in years, but we tasted a variety of them including chocolate, maple walnut, cinnamon and vanilla.

Back at the motel, Nick took out his binoculars. It’s dangerous to look at an eclipse directly, so Nick held his binoculars so that the eclipse would be reflected onto a piece of white paper. It was fascinating to watch the entire process, which took about 90 minutes. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 4 — October 14, 2023 →

When we awoke the next morning, we understood why The Views Inn Sedona was so named. The view from the inn was spectacular.

Nick and I  awoke early, and we took a walk  to look at the  nearby shops. Only one shop  was open, a bakery that  featured  muffins. We texted Carla and Nicholas. Carla joined us there, but Nicholas wasn’t ready to eat yet. After breakfast, a shop opened selling items imported from Mexico. We stopped in and were charmed by the shop’s contents. We bought a decorative bowl and a piece of wall art. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 5 — October 15, 2023 →

I didn’t want another muffin for breakfast, so I convinced Nick and  Carla that we should look for a different place to eat. We walked along and  happened on a restaurant that had a full breakfast menu. Carla ordered pancakes, and Nick had a waffle.  I wanted something from the menu that I would never have at home.  I chose  banana, blueberry  and walnut French toast, which fulfilled my desire for something different and delicious.

Nicholas is into hiking. I asked the manager of our inn to suggest a hiking trail that was nearby and easy.  Bell Rock Trail  was two miles away, and easy for beginners, he said. Off we went. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 6 — October 16, 2023 →

There was a change in our plans. The temperature in Fountain Hills was expected to reach the high 90s, so we had to arrive at 9:30 AM. All four of us were ready to leave Sedona at 7 AM!

As we got on the highway, Nick was “in his glory,” as my mom used  to say. There were no other cars on the road and the speed limit was 75 mph. As we proceeded southward, additional cars entered the highway and drove south, too. Then the traffic increased and the speed limit decreased.  Eventually, we were in rush hour traffic heading toward Phoenix. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 7 — October 17, 2023 →

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise. The four of us had enjoyed our time with Tom and Marie so much that we took them up on their invitation to spend more time with them in the morning before we had to leave for the airport. Being with Tom and Marie was  so relaxing and comforting. Continue reading Southwestern Holiday 2023, Day 8 — October 18, 2023 →

Here are the edited photos from our trip: http://pisarro.org/Southwest2023.