When you are 3 or 6 vacation is exciting, so exciting that even Arbys is the best place for dinner. We left the house as the sun was just getting low and started our southernly drive only to stop for dinner, and then drive to our midnight destination in alburquerque. Overcome with tiredness Ephraim finally fell asleep sometime after ten.

Then the excitement quickly returned as we transferred them to their hotel beds which first had to be tested for trampoline quality. The toilet ran uncontrollably until Ryan shoved a serving tray in it. Jammies were put on and curtains were closed. Finally everyone settled down until light creeped through the cold full pane glass sliding door in our room.

Next morning the snow drifted down as we ran out to the hot tub and watched it steam around us. After our skin could take it no more we ran back, reloaded our car and coffee mugs and began our day long drive.

The drive went smoothly. The snow did not stick. Sedona bound, we stopped for lunch in Gallup a town full of dark haired peoples and went to a diner packed with people awaiting delicious Mexican food, cooked by chefs crammed into a tiny kitchen which was more apart of the dining room than separated. As we waited for our food and dined, person after person came in off the street to show us their handcrafted wares and hope for a sale. No cash in hand we proved to be tourists with no compassion. Our blonde heads marked us as the outsiders we were. Two of the best sopapiallas were brought to us and i think maybe they really were the best in the world as one reviewer had claimed. Drive on.

After seeing a few signs we decided to detour to the Petrified Forest National Park. In a sea of rolling deserted hills not one tree stood, yet large trees sliced by some natural chainsaw were sprinkled about as if an artist had carefully arranged them in a sculpturally fashion. White snow streaked and consrasted the colorful hard stone trunks and we marveled at the amazing randomness this land boasted. My camera could not help but clicking way to many times. Then with sudden gusto the random snowflakes started to fall faster and a blizzard like wind overtook us and we picked up our paces and once again headed for the car.

A gas stop proved exciting and sad. We noticed a hotel much like one we had seen in the movie Cars, and then realized the entire strip of town had been modeled after for the show. While filling the tank Ryan was approached three times for some change. As we passed a quarter to one fellow, his profuse thankfullness for twenty five cents made me blush. I have to get back to the res he said. Good Luck I said, and wondered why I said that. Too bad in real life this town did not get it happy ending.

Tired and dark we entered Oak Creek canyon and cautiously followed the slopes which led to Sedona. At night the red towering rocks hid from us but the town shined with holiday lights. Our room was large, two beds and a couch, with a view of the hot tub which we repeated our morning ritual dip and run in the falling snow. Tired the kids excitement of past days turned into whines and cries.

We ventured out into the town and wandered looking for a coffeeshop that was not there. We window shopped and then as our ears got colder, decided to find some lunch and then head back for a much needed nap. The brewery we sought out was closed and so we ended up in a gourmet pizza place that tried a little too hard and we paid a little too much for. Naps, and then a scramble to make checkout time dumped us and our bags back into the car.

Before leaving, we drove up to a church which had been wedged into a rock and overlooked a view of amazing scenery. A quiet spirit pervaded the whole place even though tourists like ourselves swarmed about. After a stop at the bike and bean, the kids clutched their hot cocoas and we drove on.