All good things must come to an end...........

but boy do I wish they didn't.

We had a wonderful week, time spent together, traveling close to home but far enough where we can completely unwind and relax and recharge.  I don't know why we don't do this more often, we definitely need to.

The beginning of the week we started by going North to Prescott for 2 days and then ended the week with a pit stop at home on Wednesday and then on to Tombstone on Thursday and Friday.

I really enjoyed Prescott, matter of fact we all did but NOTHING could have prepared us for how much we would enjoy Tombstone, not only enjoy but we all fell in love with the "Town too tough to die".

It's like stepping back in time, immersing yourself into the 1880's and learning all about the history of this amazing place, walking the same wooden sidewalks that infamous people like Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and so many others walked.

Let me show you a little of what we did, I wish I could post all the pictures but that would be ridiculous since I took over 400.  Hahah, yeah, over 400 pictures and I could have taken so many more, matter of fact we plan on going back because we didn't get to see and do everything we wanted to.

Our Thursday started early, we set off at 10am and headed south towards Tombstone which is 3 and a half hours away.

Arriving in Tombstone..........

Our first sight was the O.K. Corral  Gunfight Site.

First thing we did was take the Stagecoach Tour.  I wish I had the words to explain what it feels like stepping inside one of those wagons and actually riding inside it.....it just makes you stop and take in everything and really realize that this is how people would get around.

The kids absolutely loved the ride and so did we, our tour guide was very friendly and took us around for 25 minutes, showing us all the main buildings, what happened in what, who stayed where etc.  Very informative and interesting.

Then I made a beeline for the ONE place in Tombstone I was determined to see and NOT miss out on.  The Bird Cage Theater and that was I think for me, one of my favorite things to do in Tombstone.  There is SO much rich history, it literally looks like they closed the doors in 1889 and just re-opened them for us to step inside.

The Black Moriah, the hearse that took all the bodies from Tombstone to the Boothill Graveyard.

Inside the bird cage, if you look at the ceiling you can see the bullet holes.  The ceiling is riddled with them.  You can also see the cribs, the areas where the soiled doves would do *business* with the rich paying customers.

Downstairs in the basement is where the gambling area was, these tables were the original ones used during the 8 year long poker game.  Unbelievable isn't it?  Everything has been left as it was.

Across from the poker tables are the bedrooms that were used by the soiled doves.  These have just recently been opened to the public and nothing has been touched, dusted or cleaned in any way.

At 2pm and 4pm, the O.K. Corral actors put on a show, a reenactment of the gunfight.  At 2pm they just go straight to the area and do the little play, but the 4pm one is the one we went to and that one actually starts outside in the streets, right outside the Bird Cage Theater and then  moves down to the actual area where the gunfight took place.

There's Wyatt Earp on the left and his younger brother Morgan Earp on the right.

The Earp Brothers.....from the right:  Billy Clanton, Ike Clanton, Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury and Billy the Kid.

Morgan Earp in the background and Doc Holliday in the front.

We walked around a little more but it was getting late, so we decided to go check in at our cabin and then come back for some dinner at the Crystal Palace Saloon.

I don't think there is anything that can prepare you for what it's like being inside these buildings, there is this electricity in the air, this feeling that is indescribable.

The next morning we started bright and early at 7:30am.  Stopped over at The Longhorn Restaurant for some breakfast.  The tables are filled with all sorts of interesting things to read, like this Reward poster for Billy the Kid.

We had a great breakfast, really yummy food and very affordable prices.  You can see the rest of the pictures on my Flickr Tombstone Album.

I had to take a quick pic of the inside of the Big Nose Kate's Saloon which was previously the Grand Hotel.

Walking down Allen Street......

Stopping over at the Tombstone Epitaph for a free copy of the newspaper from the day AFTER the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.   There is also a museum inside which is free of charge and you can see all the machinery used as well as tons of articles and old newspapers, including the last edition of 1886.

Now let me quickly show you the cabin we stayed at.  If you ever head to Tombstone, DO yourself a favor and stay at Katie's Cozy Cabins, I promise you, you will not regret it.  We are in love with these cabins, they are very affordable and have all the amenities you could need, they are also pet friendly.

For the rest of the pictures of the inside, which you HAVE to see, just go to my Flickr Katie's Cozy Cabins album.

Friday morning before setting off for home, we had to stop at the Boothill Graveyard.  Another place I absolutely loved visiting.  Again to see all the photos I took at the graveyard, just go here to my album.

If you go to my album, there are descriptions of each grave, including the story of how these people died.

I'm sure you all know who these men are, the famous O.K. Corral shoot out.

And with that came to an end our visit to Tombstone.  We left feeling sad, we wanted to stay longer, we wanted to visit every single building and do every single tour, one day was just not enough to see everything we wanted to so we are already planning to return very soon.

But I didn't leave without stocking up on some souvenirs, it just wouldn't be right you know?

 

Now  I think I'll go watch Tombstone and Wyatt Earp. 

Hello from beautiful Prescott

I'm sitting here surrounded by trees, in this cute little cottage and just breathing in the purest of airs and pine scents.

It's rejuvenating for the soul and it's just what we needed, a getaway where we are not in a rush to do anything, not surrounded by the busy and noisiness that make up our day to day.

But let me tell you, the getaway didn't start without hiccups, matter of fact, an hour away from our cottage our truck broke down, in the middle of nowhere.  Our fan belt stripped and frayed, getting caught up on the motor, so we were overheating and lost power steering.  It was SCARY.

I think the worst part for me is watching other cars drive by and not one single one stopped and asked if we were ok, if we needed help or needed for them to call someone.  NOTHING.  Unbelievable.

Using just the tools we had on hand hubby was able to remove the belt, remove the frayed parts and then reposition the belt again to just get us to the nearest town.  We turned the truck on and set off back down the highway but within 5 minutes the belt snapped completely off and we were once again left overheating and without power steering, managed to maneuver the truck to the nearest place which thankfully had an auto parts store right off the highway.  Bought a new belt, hubby put that in place and we were finally on our way to vacation.

Not exactly how you want to start off but we had the Lord on our side and he saw us through, it was scary though and having the two kids and the two pugs with us just made it worse, especially when the pugs started finding it hard to breathe, I was dumping water bottles on them and praying for the best.  What a mess.

Anyway, enough of the bad things....we're having a wonderful time, we are relaxed, we are enjoying the fresh air and I've taken many many photos.  I will share them all with you when we get back home to high speed internet, this internet is much too slow and takes forever to upload anything. 

Just to show you where we spent the day....so much fun.

We head back home tomorrow and then on to Tombstone on Thursday :)

Planning Summer Vacation

 
We don't ever go on vacation anywhere.

Now that I've made that statement, are you shocked?  No really, I'm not kidding.

Funny thing is that growing up I have such fond memories of family vacations, every single year we went somewhere, either to the Kruger National Park or to the beach or camping.  We absolutely loved it and it was  way to bond and just relax, wind down from the craziness of schedules and school and work and just have fun.

When I got married I remember thinking that when we had kids we were definitely going to do the same.....and then we were married and I was pregnant and Jasmine came along and then 4 years later Nicholas came along and there was always something happening or getting in the way, so the whole family vacation and I mean just us and the kids, never materialized.

Bummer!

But this year, so many things have been happening and there's been just a crazy amount of stress around and honestly we need to get away, we need to just pack up and go somewhere even for just 2 days here and there, we need that time to unwind.

So that's what I've been doing, booking, planning, thinking and getting myself really excited for a little summer vacation around here.

With the gas prices still rising, we know for sure we don't want to go far, so these were the requirements:

-  Stay within 2 to 4 hours of home

-  Find inexpensive lodging that is also pet friendly so we can take our girls

-  Fun family places that we don't need to spend too much money on

It's not easy folks, I mean, look if I am to be completely honest, I would love to throw my family into an airplane and fly to the Caribbean or overseas to England or Ireland for a week....but that's not going to happen, not unless I hit the jackpot big time and that's even less likely to happen since I don't play the lottery, so really I'm up a creek without a paddle here LOL

But I've managed to find what we were looking for, so next month we'll finally be getting a mini family vacation.

First, we'll be staying at some cottages up in Prescott, AZ.  They are pet friendly and offer military discount.  We're leaving the desert and heading north to some green scenery and trees and when you've been surrounded by brown for so long, trust me, it's a big deal.

We'll be spending two days surrounded by ponderosa pines, creeks and within walking distance from a town chock full of history.

Our cottage includes a private patio, pot belly fireplace in living room, 2 queen beds, 2 bathrooms and full kitchen.  Oh I can't wait to have cup of coffee on that patio.

We'll be hitting up a few of the local eateries, sight seeing through the town and definitely stopping in at the Sharlot Hall Museum.

And then we'll come home and within a day we're heading somewhere we've been wanting to go since the first day we heard we actually had orders to Arizona.

I don't think I can tell you how excited I am about this place and guess what, I was also able to find a cabin that is pet friendly so again, no need to worry about finding anyone to watch the girls, we'll be taking them with.

This photo of Katie's Cozy Cabins is courtesy of TripAdvisor

A/C, Heat, Ceiling Fans and Cable TV. Additionally, each cabin is equipped with a kitchenette featuring a sink, stove top, refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker.

Ladies, here's the thing for us, one of the big reasons we want a cabin as opposed to a hotel is because in the long run it will actually work out cheaper for us.  Being able to stay at a place where I can cook quick easy meals is a huge plus.  Yes we plan on having at least one meal at one of the local dining places but the rest of the time we don't have to worry about spending money.

Tombstone is also full of amazing things to see, I think for me the one I'm most excited about is The Bird Cage Theatre and especially knowing it's haunted LOL  You know how I like a good paranormal show on TV so this is just the icing on the cake for me.

Something that also factored into our choices, were areas that would allow the kids to learn something too and what better place than Tombstone, O.K. Corral, the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate, which by the way did you know we are going to visit her tombstone in Prescott?  Yep, in Prescott, who knew?

So anyway, that's what I've been planning the past few weeks, trying to get this all figured out is really not that easy when you're a military family, believe me, gotta be sure and really really really sure that the hubby's leave is approved and in and not being changed before you can commit to booking anything.

But enough babbling...I want to know if YOU are planning a summer vacation?

Are you planning on going away or staying home?
Have the gas prices made you change your plans in any way?
Where are you going with the family?

And last, but not least, any advice to others out there who may want to take a summer vacation on the inexpensive side????