I have been to the Grand Canyon but never seen the Grand Canyon

One mile deep, 10 miles wide and 1/4 mile visibility. The only thing to see was a wall of white. Grant and I did have fun walking the South Rim trails (10 feet from the edge, no rail) in a foot of snow. I guess we will try again tomorrow.

Visiting the Tree Dwellers

Today Grant and I started our road trip from Santa Fe to Las Vegas (Nevada, not New Mexico). We stopped along the way at several interesting sites: the San Ildefonso Pueblo Indian reservation, the Bandelier National Monument and an Outlet Mall. At Bandelier we hiked to the home of the cliff dweller Indians (Grant kept calling them tree dwellers by mistake). These Indians built their homes in the natural caves in the side of the cliff. We were able to climb up to several and go inside.









Not surprisingly, Grant noticed a young deer and spent 10 minutes taking pictures and trying to get as close as possible :)

Hacienda Nicholas

I really enjoyed our time in Santa Fe but by far my favorite part was the Bed and Breakfast, Hacienda Nicholas, were we spent the night. All day there were drinks and miniature German chocolate cakes available for snacks. For breakfast this morning I had an Italian frittata with mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, sundried tomatoes and spinach (Grant had cereal). The room and bed were so comfortable that we slept for 12 hours. Right outside our room was a wood fireplace and comfortable sitting area. The courtyard looked charming but since it was covered in snow we didn’t spend a lot of time there. I can’t wait to go back!
















I also included pictures from historic Santa Fe.

Blogging at 30,000 feet

We are on our way to Albuquerque for the first leg of our New Year's trip. Grant (spoiling me as always) thought since I am pregnant, I have to sit in first class.

I'm trying my best to look as if I belong in the first class section with my in-flight wifi and bounty of food. I don't know that they buy it but, it is AWESOME anyway! Thanks Grant!!!

The Last Hurrah (but only for a short period of time)

Grant and I have made it one of our family traditions to spend New Year's Eve in a new and unique place every year. This year was more difficult than in the past. I will be almost 8 months pregnant by the time New Year's rolls around, and that seriously limits our options. So for our last hurrah, at least until the baby is old enought to stay with grandparents for an extended period of time, we are going to . . . . . VEGAS!!

TOP 10 - San Diego

10. The City itself

There is a great vibe to the city. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.

9. Ocean

So beautiful and blue but the water is COLD! I am spoiled by the Gulf's warm temperatures.

8. Sunset

You could see the sunset over the ocean from Lydia's backyard. Awesome!

7. Kerry's Baptism

We were invited to the Baptism of one of Lydia's roommates while in San Diego. She chose to do this in the ocean. It was a really special experience. Don't forget that I mentioned the frigid temperature of the water.

6. The Food, specifically breakfast

My favorite meal of the day. Lydia picked out some great spots.

5. Personal Chauffeur

Lydia was gracious enough to cart us around the city including the Zoo (a total of 4 times)

4. Wild Animal Park

An off-shoot of the Zoo, this facility concentrated on breeding programs and animal conservation. We were able to ride a large jeep through the animal habitat area.

3. Old Town Candy Shop

An old time candy store in official 'Old Town' San Diego. Lydia, Grant and I had finished off all of the homemade toffee and caramel by the end of the day. We should have gone back for more :)

2. The famous San Diego ZOO

This zoo reminded me a lot of Disney's Animal Kingdom. The fences blended in with the surroundings and the animals were in a natural looking habitat.

1. Grant Feeding the Giraffes

It's a well established fact that Grant loves animals so he was definitely into this activity. He was fun to watch as the long gray giraffe tongue reached for the treat

San Diego

I'm a little behind on my posting and haven't written anything about our awesome trip to San Diego. My sister, Lydia, was there for a 4 month internship and offered (or really we invited ourselves) to put us up for a long weekend. She was a perfect hostess and showed us all around the city. Grant especially loved the zoo, no surprise there. We ended up buying a season pass so he could visit everyday. Xan (our first child, due March 1st) acquired his first toy in the elephant exhibit. It was definitely a trip to remember!! See our pictures below.