Weekend Getaway

Thanks to the lovely El Nino storm that hit AZ this week, our north country received several feet of fresh powder!! So on Saturday we decided to head up to Kohl's Ranch for a weekend getaway with Kathy/Larry/Taylor/Trentyn. We had already booked rooms and were SO excited to play in the snow together! After monitoring the road reports for 2 days, the highways finally re-opened and we headed out. We drove 45 mins over to the B-Line Highway (SR 87), which is the only artery from the Valley up to the northeast side of Northern AZ. The road hotline said it would re-open at noon (due to a large landslide 3 days earlier). We were right on time, it was 11:45!! As we approached the Saguaro Lake turnoff (about 5 mins up the highway), there were barricades diverting you off the road and up to the overpass. There were more barricades blocking both sides of the highway with a home quality ink printed sign taped to a barricade saying "closed indefinite" (ya they obviously were in a hurry and forget the "ly" on indefiniteLY). Sorry no pictures, I wasn't quite in the mood!

There were cars lining the overpass and confused patrons roaming about. Nobody knew what was going on. And worse, not a single bit of info had been broadcast on the local news about this so called landslide. All the news cared about was Flagstaff and the I-17 freeway. We could see several cop cars further up the highway creating another blockade. Finally we asked a big rig - thinking his travel wisdom might know. Nope, nada. So with pathetic cell service we attempted to call 511 (AZ road report) again. We finally got through and now the message stated the 87 wouldn't be open until Jan 30th!! WHAT?!? I could be wrong but a landslide across a major highway that closes down both sides of traffic for over a WEEK might be a newsworthy story!! We sadly relayed this info to our new found wandering friends on the overpass. Then we all had no choice but to put our tail behind our legs and head home. Well, I'm stubborn (in a good way of course!) and since we already went through torture to load the suitcases, sleds, food, car, kids then we might as well just journey on to Flagstaff so they can at least sled once down the dang snow hill. The rest of the family didn't see the rewards of this plan and went home instead. So off we retraced our steps. Well lets just say that by the time we returned back to where we had started, it had already been 2.5 hrs. So we waved to our exit and continued up the freeway to Flagstaff (which is only 1.5 hrs from us normally!!!)

Our decision paid off. After 4.5 hrs of driving, we found the Arizona Winter Wonderland! And no that's not an oxymoron!!

This is just after the Sedona exit. Yes, that's correct!

And here's Flagstaff!

We stopped at a local gas station and asked where the best sledding spots were. They supplied us with a map and sent us on our way. We headed up towards Snowbowl (ski resort) exit and continued past. It was snowing most of the day! WE LOVED IT!! However, the roads were only plowed wide enough for the 2 lanes. So it took awhile to figure out where exactly we could park. The sledding areas were snowed in. So we backtracked and finally found a spot to pull over and just play in the forest.

After our feet were frozen, we decided to find lodging. The little cabins we wanted to rent were all booked. So we decided to head back into town and get a cheap hotel for the night. Lets just say you get what you pay for!! We stayed at the ultra fancy and plush Rodeway Inn. Um have you ever seen a room that has 3 queen beds all in a row??! Ya, neither had we! Have you ever seen beds that have an centimeter thick of material covering the springs?!! Neither had we! Have you ever sat on a bed that screeches as the metal broken springs rub against each other and then only to find that it literally has concave portions in the mattress?! Neither had we!! The beds were beyond awful! I was appalled that any hotel, of any price range, could allow such horrible broken mattresses! We just laughed and then proceeded to let the kids bounce from bed to bed to bed for the next 3 hours. It's not like they could have caused anymore damage! lol They had a blast! I, on the other hand, chose to wander the room inspecting for drug paraphernalia, weapons or corpses. I was certain all 3 had occupied the room prior to our arrival.

To say it was a LONG night is an understatement. Although there were 3 beds and a pack n play. The four of us occupied 2 beds. Jer/Taylee in one. Me/Anden in the other. We all had to go to bed at 8pm because that's the only way Taylee would stop running around. Anden's not as wiggly as her, which is why I volunteered to keep him. Luckily we had packed lots of blankets because I had stripped down those disgusting beds and used our blankets to make them somewhat inhabitable. The whole night was spent listening to a LOUD train honk and screech past our hotel once every hour (who didn't tell me Flagstaff as an overactive train system?!!!) while alternating between the abnormally loud squeaking of Jer's bed every time he moved or breathed!! I am not exaggerating in the least. I hissed at Jer "STOP moving!!" every time for fear it would wake up the kids or even the neighbors across the street. He hissed back "I can't!" I realized I was flopping back and forth in discomfort just as much as he, except I must have had one more working rusty spring than he did. I kept staring at the nasty curtains praying for it to be daylight. But it never was. CHUG A CHUG A CHOO CHOO SCREECH SQUEAK.