Lifestyle – Page 2 – Brightside Nomads

Adventure

New Adventures in the Old Southwest – Bisbee, AZ

By mamawanderer April 24, 2018

For the most part, our Airbnb’s on this trip have been great. We have stayed in a range of places from good to amazing and this was our first strike out! I know, as much as we tried to like it, it just wasn’t happening. The place was cave-like, not super clean and just really dingy. It was livable and always good for all of us to experience the not so perfect side of the world so we stuck it out but it didn’t create the best atmosphere for enjoying this quirky Southern Arizona town of Bisbee.

A Glimpse of Bisbee

Copper Mines

Bisbee sits in the mountains surrounding the Queen Mine where massive amounts of copper were mined. The mine is closed now but the pit remains and it is so enormous you can’t even see to the bottom from most vantage points. The town is very eclectic and it’s hard to tell the hipsters from the people who have lived this fad their entire life. Needless to say, it’s a cool place to visit despite being way off the beaten path.

Queen Mine Tour

A journey back in time and 2000 feet into the deep recesses of the earth. That’s how Matt and the girls spent their morning, exploring the old Queen mine. Lennox was too young to go so this was a daddy/daughter excursion. Colette and Sienna were both a bit nervous to go into the cave. After having watched Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom, I think they had a screwed up perspective of the “mine ride”. The actual tour was fantastic. Our guide played the tour like everyone was a new miner coming to work. He went over everything from safety, explosives, transportation, and ways to find the ore itself. They saw drilling tools, a mine elevator and even a bike modified to ride on the mine rails. A very fun way to spend a couple of hours and if you find yourself in this neck of the woods, definitely stop by. The kids really enjoyed riding the little train into the mine but I think for them the most fun part was picking out some dollar rocks from the gift shop!

Devil’s Claw Wash

We were lucky to visit Aunt Suzie and Uncle Jeff while in Arizona and even luckier to go on a great hike with our trekking guide Aunt Susie and her dog Bonita. Bonita was not so lucky as 8 devil’s claws (the biggest, gnarliest burrs I’ve ever seen) stuck to her fur. We hiked along a wash which was relatively dry and the kids loved the challenge of navigating through water and uncharted land. It was a lot of fun. Uncle Jeff didn’t join us because he was cooking a delicious meal which we all enjoyed following our hike. It is always great to meet up with family on the road and we really enjoyed our time together.

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Tombstone

Just a half hour drive from Bisbee is what my kids have deemed the “OLD OLD WEST” I guess it makes sense, if it was the Old West to me it must be the really old west to them. Yes, Tombstone is a real town, and it was the center of cowboy fighting, saloon swinging ruckus for quite some time. I never watched many old westerns but Matt did and he knows all the characters from Doc Holiday to Billy the Kid who roamed the streets of Tombstone. It’s a tourist destination for sure but we bought into the stagecoaches, saloons, old time photos and ice cream shops creating our own Western adventure.

Chiricahua National Monument

On our last day in Arizona before heading west to California we debated if we should make the 2-hour drive to Chiricahua National Monument. We decided to go for it and we’re so thankful we did. After driving miles and miles through flat barren desert land we came upon some trees, wound through some mountains and were faced with enormous rock formations. The rocks seem to be stacked and balanced on top of each other as far as the eye can see. Looking out at the formations is spectacular but we were lucky to find a hike which wound us down through the rocks and ended at a grotto we could climb into and explore. Climbing within the balanced rocks was even more thrilling than being surrounded by them. We have found whenever a hike involves scaling giant rocks the kids love it, and we do too, it was a great hike. The day was extremely windy which made for some interesting moments but thankfully our only windblown loss was a Junior Ranger book.

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Adventure

Under the Tucson Sun…

By PapaWanderer April 3, 2018

Cactus Casita

Our week in Tucson started on a positive note with the arrival at our home. It was a beautiful casita tucked away from the residential neighborhoods with a stunning view of Mt Lemon in the backyard. Plenty of cacti and desert wildlife to keep us all happy. One nice thing about having a house with space is that we can fully unload the car and get ourselves resituated again. We unloaded, got settled and looked forward to our adventures in the week to come.

Museum of the Desert

We always love to see family and friends on our journey. While in Tucson we got to see Katie’s aunt and uncle, Holly and Steve. As an added bonus we got to see Aunt Phyllis and her friend. All of them were down visiting from the midwest, so it was fortuitous that we were all there at the same time. We decided to meet and go see the Sonoran Desert Museum. What an incredible place. The museum is mostly outdoors and is right smack dab in the middle of Saguaro-ville. We got to see and learn about plenty of cacti, animals of the desert and other flora. The highlight of the day was a live presentation on birds of prey. We saw owls, raptors, and hawks flying all around us. These birds flew so close to my head that I think a wing beat hit me! It’s an exhilarating experience to see and feel these amazing birds fly around you. The trainers and staff were great, showing extreme care for the animals and controlling the audience. After the show, we spent the rest of the morning wandering the grounds. This museum has a hummingbird exhibit that you walk inside of with over 30 hummingbirds flying around you. So cool to watch these birds hover inches in front of your face then go 0-100 in the blink of an eye. If you’re in the Tucson area, this is a great day trip.

Sabino Canyon

Close to our house was a popular attraction known as Sabino Canyon. This canyon snakes up the foothills of Mt. Lemon and offers stunning scenery and some fun water activities. We didn’t realize that this location was on national land under BLM control. So even though it was not a national park, it was covered under their umbrella so to speak. This means that the kids could become Junior Rangers! They have a great JR program that revolves around a nice half-mile nature trail with great exhibit signs and a wonderful booklet to follow. The whole things take about an hour and both the kids and Katie and I learned a ton about the desert flora and fauna. Once done we made our way to the canyon tour. The way Sabino canyon works is that you ride a tram up 9 stops over the course of almost 4 miles. The drive up parallels a stream for most of the way. The driver narrates on the way up giving little tidbits of knowledge about the canyon and area. You can get off at any stop and walk down or up. On the way up the driver pointed out a cool place on the river where people can swim and relax on some big rocks. This was our stop, so we got off the tram, hiked down into the canyon and found an awesome spot on the river with big flat rocks and a waterfall! We had a nice picnic lunch in the hot sun and splashed around. Afterward, we walked down several stops and took in the majestic sites of the canyon.

Bio-Dome err… Biosphere 2

Hahaha Biodome, a cult classic and not a very good one at that. That movie represents a time in the 80’s when Brendan Fraser and Pauly Shore were at their zenith for bad slapstick comedy. Right buu-uuu-uuu-dy. When I found out the inspiration for that film was Biosphere 2, I knew I had to jump at the chance to visit. It’s important to note that no part of the movie was filmed at this location. For a brief moment, I was sad that none of my prepackaged, stale 80’s jokes referencing the movie would be given life. Now that we have that out of the way, the actual biosphere is a really cool experience. Eight people, only two of which were scientists, spent two years locked in this place with only the sustenance they created themselves to survive. The biosphere is a representation of earth so there are several different habitats under the dome. The desert, the ocean, the rainforest, and savannah are just a few of the replicated habitats. The tour takes you through most of these areas and also gives you a bit of a, behind the scenes, look at the machinery that supports the experience. Oh, I forgot to mention that this is still a working experiment. Even though people aren’t locked inside anymore, tons of science is being undertaken to see how life reacts to various environments. This science will serve as the unpinning of our exploration of earth and into the stars. Such a powerful hands-on lab. Colette, Sienna, and even Lennox picked up some great knowledge from the visit. They asked lots of questions afterward and showed us that they picked up a glimpse of the bigger world around them. A win for mom and dad!

The End was Near – Titan II Missle Silo

Having grown up in the 80’s I did experience the cold war in a childish sort of way. Movies like Red Dawn, The Day After, Spies Like Us, and Firefox color my perspective of that time. Just outside of Tucson is a very real reminder of the danger of that time. Buried deep in the desert earth protected by alarms, barbwire fences and armed guards sits a 100′ tall missile that could have leveled an area 17 miles in diameter. The Titan Missle Museum is a tour through the underground complex that housed the missile and the soldiers that held the fate of the world in their hands. The tour is about an hour and takes you to the control room and the silo itself. The decommissioned missile still sits in the silo so you can get a real feel for the size of this WMD. The girls got a lot out of this experience, more the wow factor I think. The history kinda bored them but they liked the old computers and the missile itself. I think their favorite part was a one minute ride down an old elevator into the silo. Lennox was crazy on this tour. Typical tired five-year-old laughing inappropriately and running around. Bless Katie’s heart as she wrestled the mini beast through the tour. This site is not the greatest for kids but it is a wonderful history lesson.

Saguaro National Park

Our final day in Tucson was spent visiting the Saguaro National Park. A great day in 80-degree weather and a few new Junior Rangers to boot! The park is split into two big wildernesses and we chose the east side. A dirt road loop went through this part of the park with a number of stopping points for hiking. The park is breathtaking. Sooo many giant Saguaro standing like sentinels in the hot desert sun. It had rained the day before so the cacti were vivid green against the blue sunny sky. We stopped at a few hiking spots and walked through the unearthly landscape marveling at the scene unfolding around us. Sienna and Lennox love to run full speed down the trials regardless of the spiky dangers lurking to either side. Colette takes a more considered approach, but one of wonder and inquisition. All the kids worked on their junior ranger packets, identifying the different cacti and looking for desert animals. We had a picnic on some rocks and just took it all in. On one of the hikes we even got to see 1000-year-old petroglyphs, reminding us of the humanity sewn throughout the wilds of our country. We are very blessed to be able to see these great wonders of America. We headed back to the visitor center and the kids took their solemn oath of the junior ranger. This park was a spectacular end to a great stay in Tucson.

Adventure

Red Rocks, Vortexes, and Crystals…See-Dona ya want to be here?

By PapaWanderer March 26, 2018

Splitting up the Long Journey

After our wonderful time in Santa Fe, it was time for us to move on. We had another long journey to Sedona, AZ but we decided to break it up with a stop at a National Park. On the Way to our destination is the Petrified Forest National Park. This also contains the painted desert as well which is an amazing site. The park is a 28-mile long road with a dozen or so stopping points throughout where you can see magnificent vistas or get hands-on with pieces of petrified wood that are millions of years old. We spent a few hours driving through the park and exploring the various attractions. It was pretty awesome and well worth the pit stop. The path we traveled ended us at the visitor center where some of the largest specimens of petrified wood exist. The kids got to touch the petrified wood and climb all over some of the trees. They had a blast. Along with all the fun, they learned a few things as well by doing the Junior Ranger Program, bonus for us! We hope they take some of these nuggets of knowledge along with them after this journey.

Switchback Down into Heaven…Waking Up to Nirvana

After the park, we only had a couples hours to Sedona. It was late and the sun was setting as we came, unexpectedly, to the switchbacks of Oak Creek Canyon. The drop in elevation from the top of the canyon to the bottom is about 3000 feet and this happens within a short span of miles. It was exhilarating to come down through the canyon with the sun setting and hundred foot drops along the roadside. We could just barely make out the huge red rock cliffs as we came into town. Even in the dim light Katie and I were blown away and knew we would be waking up to something incredible.

When the sun broke the horizon the next morning we were greeted by one of the most majestic scenes of my life. All around us, rising like red titans, were red stone cliffs and mesas. And not just red, but every color from orange, rust, copper, to sand. The sky was a vivid azure blue and the sparse plant life showed deep green against the landscape. My words will not do justice so I will let the pictures do the talking. Just a taste…more to come.

Bell Rock Hike

Our first hike in this awesome place was Bell Rock. This hike crawls over the face of a red rock mesa and has you scrambling up the stone dodging cacti. The views are amazing. The kids had a blast climbing the stone and sliding down. They also gave Katie and I fits as they ran full speed towards the edge of cliffs, only to stop at the last minute and laugh at us. Oh, the joys of kids! This is an easy hike and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was nice to get our hands dirty.

The Pink Jeeps

One thing you notice as you drive around Sedona is the massive amount of jeeps, and pink jeeps to be specific. There is a famous tour company in town that runs people up the back dirt roads (if you can call them that) for off-roading fun. We decided it would be fun to take the kids up into the mountains and also give them a bumpy, jerky jeep experience. We had a great guide named Sean who told us all about the area as we drove. He had just the right amount of funny, seriousness and jokester. We had a blast bouncing through the hills and the views were spectacular. If you can believe it, our youngest Lennox almost fell asleep going up as his body bounced to and fro. We are scared for the future and this one getting up for school during high school.

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Montezuma’s Castle

About a half hour from Sedona is the Montezuma Castle National Park containing the remains of the Sinagua people’s cliff dwellings. The dwellings are beautifully preserved and it’s really neat to see the structure embedded in the rock. As far as National parks go, this is a small one. You can experience the whole park in about a half hour. Sienna decided to do the Junior Ranger program, but Lennox and Colette passed. This was a nice quick side trip for the family. We also stopped by the Cliff Castle Casino. (which had a crazy game filled daycare center) for a couple hours. The kids didn’t want to leave, but Katie and I sure did after giving the casino ample operating funds.

Rainy Day Hiking

Although the weather has been extraordinary, rain was in our forecast. Before it hit we decided to take another hike up a short trail called Fay Canyon. This was a moderate hike that followed and arroyo up into a box canyon. Lots of scrubby trees and a nice little climb at the end to look back down the canyon. The cliff walls rose hundreds of feet on either side. Very different from our first hike but no less beautiful. I had read somewhere there was a secret arch along this trail. So on the way back, I kept looking for signs of the secondary trail that might lead us there. A couple of rock cairns on the path peaked my interest and we decided to venture off the trail up the less used path. The hike was steep, rock-strewn and full of cacti. However, we found our secret spot! Hiding next to a cliff face about twenty feet from the wall was our arch. We also found a rock structure resembling a native home at the top. It was obviously built by modern hands but the structure was still awesome. A super fun hike that we were able to get in just before a couple days of steady rain set in.

Misty Magic

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The Final Hike

For our last hike in Sedona we chose to go up Brin’s Mesa. For our little posse, it was a challenging hike. The trail is about 3 miles round trip and rises over 500ft. You start off meandering up a wide valley and then shoot steeply upward the rest of the way. Awesome vistas abounded on this hike, along with a lot of crying Lennox. When that kid is motivated he’s unstoppable, but when he’s not into something he’ll let you know! After about an hour we crested the top and were met with more stunning views. We really loved our time here. The beauty, the people, and the food all came together for a truly memorable visit. We will be back. (Most likely Katie and I alone next time!)

Adventure

Tumbling out of Santa Fe

By mamawanderer March 21, 2018

Santa Fe

Downtown Santa Fe is a fun place to wander around with many little shops. It’s not as fun with kids, at least the shopping part, but we still enjoyed bopping around. Pop your head into St. Francis Cathedral, it is a beautiful space with spectacular designs.

Petroglyph National Monument

I’m taking over for Katie for this section as she was gone to Colorado for a super fun girls weekend. The kids and I decided to head out and see some Petroglyphs. These marking are 600-800 years old and were used as detailed signposts by the native people. The meaning is a bit more spiritual than that, but hopefully, you get the basic idea. There are numerous sites around Albuquerque where you can view the petroglyphs in the National Park. We just hit one that had a few different stops. The glyphs are awesome to see. We all felt the cool sensation of watching something that was written when the land was still desolate and the people were few. On the sadder side of things, I also used this as an opportunity to talk to the kids about vandalism. Many areas within the park have been vandalized and stupid people have cut their names or dumb sayings into the rocks. It really hit home with the kids how bad this practice is and I think it’s a lesson they will take with them in life. ( at least the older ones). It was great spending the day in the hot sun, doing school (Junior Ranger), hiking and having some laughs.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

What a hike! Tent Rocks is such a fun adventure and the geological formations you see blow your mind. Looking from afar is impressive but when you make your way through the narrow passages of the slot canyon to the tent rocks the views are magical. A climb at the end puts you above the rocks on a plateau looking out over vast land which seems to extend to the edge of the earth. Spectacular views and well worth the travel.

Chimayo/Taos

I read about the weavers in Chimayo and really wanted to check out this art. We ventured off on our way to Taos and what we found was amazing. We happened to stop in the Trujillo Weaving Shop first and we probably didn’t need to go anywhere else. The work was beautiful, we were able to see weaving in progress and the colors, yarns, patterns and finished products were all stunning. As 7th generation weavers, their story, tradition, and preservation of an art form is truly amazing.

From Chimayo, we took the scenic road to Taos which equated to lots of winding around, by the time we arrived Colette didn’t feel great. We didn’t stay long but the drive was beautiful and worth the curves to the top of the mountain.

Folk Art Museum

There are a group of museums on “Museum Hill” in Santa Fe which is a pretty neat place. We choose to check out the Folk Art Museum and it was well worth the visit. It is hard to describe all the amazing things here, art from around the world and a really great hands-on section for the kids. One cool thing, we noticed a weaving created by the weavers in Chimayo we had just visited the day before.

Adventure

Passing Through the Big Easy

By mamawanderer March 7, 2018

New Orleans, Louisiana

Two years ago we brought the kids to New Orleans for spring break during the French Quarter Jazz Fest. We fell in love with our time here, staying in the French Quarter, great music, swamp tour, cool museums, and yummy food. One of my clearest memories was Lennox, then 2, licking a lamp post on Royal Street, he is still alive! We were all super excited to return and explore a little more of New Orleans. This time we stayed in the Garden District, it was a bit cooler in February, less busy, but just as much fun. The cool thing is everyone was getting ready for Mardi Gras, it was such a treat to see all the houses decorated, the spirit of Mardi Gras coming to life and get to know the traditions of this event a bit better. Far more than my prior notions of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Mardi Gras World

We decided it would be a great time to check out Mardi Gras World thinking all the floats would be getting ready for their big day. To our amazement, we discovered they were already working on floats for 2019 Mardi Gras!!! Yes, it takes an entire year of planning and creating. From the moment you step in the door, you are surrounded by larger than life creations, each as spectacular as the next. Artists are sculpting, painting, drawing and they even have a robotic CNC machine who sculpts foam figures for the floats as well. It is a busy place full of color and creativity. We learned a lot about the history of Mardi Gras, the first parade actually took place in 1703 in Mobile, Alabama, to how it has turned into an over the top 2-week celebration in New Orleans. Parade after parade is put on by Krewes throughout New Orleans in the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday and the celebrations are spectacular.

Mardi Gras Parade

We were lucky to be in New Orleans on the day of the first Mardi Gras parades. We were heading out the next morning but packed up early so not to miss this happening. We really didn’t know what to expect but what was in store for us was more than any of us could’ve anticipated. We lined up on the street for the Krewe of Oshun followed by the Krew of Cleopatra, since the parade route is so long we ended up waiting quite some time before the parade start. Oshun began with dance school after dance school of little girls probably from 5 years old to teenagers. It was cold and all the girls wore dance outfits but they didn’t seem to mind. Their moves had more rhythm and movement than I could dream of, and I know our girls probably learned a move or two by watching. Such a fun, energetic atmosphere. Dancers were followed by bands, (amazing marching bands playing pop music) with flags, batons, the whole nine yards. Horses followed the bands and then came the floats. Oh the floats, they were huge and elaborate and filled with people throwing everything from candy to beads to hula hoops to full-sized stuffed animals towards all the stretched out arms and screaming people. It was insane, and this lasted for hours. We left with bags full of beads, candy, toys and I don’t think we will ever top this parade experience. It was a highlight for all of us and special to join the local New Orleans scene on this big day.

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Jackson Square

One of our favorite things to do in New Orleans is wandering through the streets, listening to music, viewing art and enjoying the atmosphere of this unique city. Today was Colette’s lucky day as she was called on to be the “assistant” to this juggling comedian. She successfully tossed the bowling pins to this gentleman as he stood on a ladder, and was pretty excited to be a part of the show!

Cafe du Monde

Well, this really doesn’t even need an explanation, but if you don’t know, chicory coffee and the most delicious beignets are served here as they have been since 1862! Expect to wait in line which is absolutely worth it, then use your hawk eyes to sweep up a table. Enjoy your time and don’t worry, you are guaranteed to leave covered in powdered sugar.

French Quarter

Strolling through the streets checking out the Mardi Gras decorations, music and eating King’s Cake makes for a perfect day.

On our way to Lafayette – Oak Alley Plantation

We left New Orleans and headed to Cajun country, Lafayette, LA. On our way, we decided to tour Oak Alley Plantation, it was a sugarcane plantation along the Great River Road, sitting on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The spectacular 800 ft. alley of live oak trees leading up to the Greek Revival style mansion is beautiful and a great spot for a photo shoot. We toured the Mansion, learning about the history of the area and the family who owned the plantation. It is always interesting and humbling to step back in time and imagine the way life would’ve been and give thanks for the life we have today. One interesting fact is from the Mansion you couldn’t see the Mississippi River, this is due to the fact that the levee which once stood 5 feet tall is now over 20 feet!

Avery Island – the land of Tabasco

I’m not even a hot sauce fan but this place was intriguing and we heard it was worth the trek to visit. The history here is deep, Tabasco was first produced in 1868 and remains a family business headquartered on Avery Island, which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. The story of the deep red pepper and the creation of the sauce which became an essential condiment worldwide is complex and intriguing. I love to see how things are made and the self-guided tour takes you through the 3-year process of growing the peppers, fermenting the mash, to turning it into the beloved hot sauce. There was a tasting section full of Tabasco products including ice cream and soda. This was fun for all of us and too hot for most, besides Matt, and it seems Sienna is developing a fondness for heat as well. Overall, it was a fun day and I may have even become a fan of the spicy sauce.

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Jungle Gardens

Also on Avery Island is a 170-acre botanical garden and bird sanctuary called Jungle Gardens. The gardens are home to migrating snowy egrets along with a multitude of beautiful plants, trees, and flowers. It is especially known for its camellia collection, beautiful flowering trees. For us, it was a peaceful drive and although it is winter and everything is slightly dull and not in bloom it was still beautiful scenery and we were excited to see an alligator.