The fun was just as jam-packed as yesterday, but launched with easier-breezier vibes, without a scheduled excursion right off the get-go.
And only a couple hours into our day, I’d already snagged my favorite recent pic of my crazies all genuinely smiling and being kind to one another, so I knew it was going to be a good one, tehe. I mean, even Little Man looked at this pic and declared it to be the best. Victory! ;)
We began our day nice and chill with a natural wake-up and breakfast at the hotel’s wonderful restaurant. And Flat Little Man came along (I’ll explain him in a different post, ha) for some fun and silly staged photos.
Then we were off to a beautiful shopping area called Tlaquepaque. Unique architecture and lovely shops!
Though some of the stores were so high-end I was afraid to let the kiddos loose inside, we hit the jackpot with this one amazing jewelry and gift store (check out the stalactites on the ceiling!).
The owner was so warm and kind. We made several purchases—especially these really coolio “luck” paw prints that included some four-leaf clovers that were hand picked by the owner. There were sooo many exquisite pieces, if I had the room (or the belief I could get things home without total destruction), I would have snagged more!
But Chica picked out some really, really, gorgeous, glass jewelry pieces that were handmade by a local artist, and they capture the light beautifully!
After finishing up our shopping (at least for that round), we headed to a restaurant of the hubby’s choosing (Picazzo’s), and the tagline on the staff members’ shirts read: “our food is gluten free AF,” bahaha. Need I say more??
I mean, to find a restaurant that is entirely gluten-free and mostly vegan, as well. Who cares what the rest of us ate; that is a special meal for the hubby, and he was in heaven.
Next up: a quick change back at the hotel, and more shopping. This time, we were on a crystal/gem stone mission, as Sedona is really known for this.
The kiddos spent so much time selecting gorgeous and meaningful stones—and I won’t even tell you my total bill when we left, ha.
But these crazies were high on life over their purchases, and spent the entire half hour drive to our next adventure all giddy in the backseat, examining their finds and reading about the meaning behind each and every piece.
And, boy, was our next adventure a top-notch one:
I mean…protective helmets with cowboy hats attached?? I die.
Chicklet’s pose here is all the vibes:
And because I know my kiddos will ask me this years in the future, here were our horses names:
Such a blessing to spend such wonderful time out in nature. Exactly the kind of thing we create on these types of trips.
We began our day nice and chill with a natural wake-up and breakfast at the hotel’s wonderful restaurant. And Flat Little Man came along (I’ll explain him in a different post, ha) for some fun and silly staged photos.
Then we were off to a beautiful shopping area called Tlaquepaque. Unique architecture and lovely shops!
Though some of the stores were so high-end I was afraid to let the kiddos loose inside, we hit the jackpot with this one amazing jewelry and gift store (check out the stalactites on the ceiling!).
The owner was so warm and kind. We made several purchases—especially these really coolio “luck” paw prints that included some four-leaf clovers that were hand picked by the owner. There were sooo many exquisite pieces, if I had the room (or the belief I could get things home without total destruction), I would have snagged more!
But Chica picked out some really, really, gorgeous, glass jewelry pieces that were handmade by a local artist, and they capture the light beautifully!
After finishing up our shopping (at least for that round), we headed to a restaurant of the hubby’s choosing (Picazzo’s), and the tagline on the staff members’ shirts read: “our food is gluten free AF,” bahaha. Need I say more??
I mean, I only snagged a picture of this beautiful salad, but the restaurant is known for its pizzas, and the hubby declared the dairy-free/gluten-free crust to be the best he’d ever had.
I mean, to find a restaurant that is entirely gluten-free and mostly vegan, as well. Who cares what the rest of us ate; that is a special meal for the hubby, and he was in heaven.
Chicklet hysterically brought some stuffed animal friends along for lunch (the small ones were new souvenirs between her and Little Man, and the snake traveled with us from San Antonio, ha). I’ll be sooooo broken-hearted when she finally grows out of this stage. From the age of two up ‘til now, she’s rarely been without a stuffed friend.
Next up: a quick change back at the hotel, and more shopping. This time, we were on a crystal/gem stone mission, as Sedona is really known for this.
The kiddos spent so much time selecting gorgeous and meaningful stones—and I won’t even tell you my total bill when we left, ha.
But these crazies were high on life over their purchases, and spent the entire half hour drive to our next adventure all giddy in the backseat, examining their finds and reading about the meaning behind each and every piece.
And, boy, was our next adventure a top-notch one:
Horseback riding! Woohoo!
Now. I was a little hesitant to sign up for this activity, for two reasons.
Now. I was a little hesitant to sign up for this activity, for two reasons.
First: last summer, we had the most incredible round of horseback riding in Vail and I was slightly worried this would majorly pale in comparison. You can read about that excursion here:
And, second: this trail took us slightly outside the heart of the red rock country, and I was worried the terrain would be flat and boring and we’d regret spending a bit of time away from the Sedona epicenter.
Well, peeps.
I’m happy to report I was wrong, wrong, WRONG on both counts! And I mean…way wrong!
In the end, this will be one of our best memories from this vacation! And absolutely equal to our top Vail round of horseback riding. And that’s saying a lot!
The terrain was stunning. The Verde Valley is gorgeous and I’m glad we spent time there.
The time of day (4-6) showcased the most gorgeous light, especially on the back half of the trail.
And the cowboys who escorted us. I mean…hysterical. From the get-go, the liveliest one was a riot and kept up the most entertaining round of borderline kid-inappropriate stories, haha.
But these three gents (it was just us five on this tour, with three cowboy guides!) totally made the trip. They were great with the kiddos (and Chicklet even kept up the most hysterical banter with them; giving as good as she got). It was a treat to spend time with true cowboys, who’ve spent time living and working all over the country.
So grateful we made time for this excursion. It was one for the books, without a doubt.
I mean…protective helmets with cowboy hats attached?? I die.
Chicklet’s pose here is all the vibes:
And because I know my kiddos will ask me this years in the future, here were our horses names:
Chica: Abby
Chicklet: Cha Cha
Little Man: Calvin
Mama: Indy
Daddy: Tinker (a boy Tinker, hehe)
Sooooo many prickly pear cacti and other native desert plants on this trek. Such a cool and different vibe from any other outings—and pretty familiar to us South Texans, actually!
This next pics, as we began our descent, really showcase the gorgeous light.
Sooooo many prickly pear cacti and other native desert plants on this trek. Such a cool and different vibe from any other outings—and pretty familiar to us South Texans, actually!
This next pics, as we began our descent, really showcase the gorgeous light.
Such a blessing to spend such wonderful time out in nature. Exactly the kind of thing we create on these types of trips.
After our trek, we returned to our resort for a wonderful meal, and then let the kiddos swim for a brief (crisp!) swim in the heated pool.
It really was a wonderful Day 2, and I’m so grateful for another successful round of keeping the family entertained and accumulating amazing memories.
It really was a wonderful Day 2, and I’m so grateful for another successful round of keeping the family entertained and accumulating amazing memories.
Excited for another day, mañana!
More later, peeps!
Over and out.
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