Well...this year we continued our tradition of doing a "non-traditional" Christmas. Last year we created a giant scavenger hunt of sorts for our kids for Christmas...effectively making them WORK for all their gifts by bicycling all around Yuma to find their presents. =) It was great fun for all of us, and it made both the act of giving AND receiving more enjoyable.
This year, we decided to not do presents at ALL...and opted instead to take a family SKI vacation to Flagstaff, Arizona!
We drove up on Friday, December 28th, kids and dogs all crammed into the van along with our huge mountain of WARM clothes...we did NOT want to be cold. The drive up was uneventful and except for Sadie, our new black lab puppy, everyone stayed in their seats. She spent the day trying to sit on Alexander's head, gaining access from the mountain of luggage that was piled behind his seat. It was incredibly amusing for the rest of us...though I'm not sure Alexander would agree.
As we got higher into the mountains, and about a half hour south of Flagstaff, we saw our first signs of SNOW!!! We arrived in Flagstaff, put our dogs in a kennel (we couldn't keep them in the hotel), and headed off to find a ski rental place in town so we could avoid the long lines the next morning. Then we went and found our hotel and a meal...marveling at and enjoying the low temperatures.
We stayed at a lodge that is right at the base of the road to Snowbowl, so our drive to the ski area was only 20 minutes...which is nice aprés ski when you're tired and ready for a meal and a bed! We had our own little cabin that was heated by a faux woodstove. That first night, poor Alexander was right next to the stove and he was fairly cooked by the time we woke up the next morning.
We got ourselves all dressed and headed to the lodge for breakfast. Ryan was the first to spot the thermometer on the wall of the office... 9º outside. Yes....NINE DEGREES! Damn...it was COLD!! We had a good breakfast and then piled into the van for the quick drive up.
We arrived, parked, got our lift tickets and then headed to the snow. We wisely decided to put the skis/snowboards on and let the boys get acquainted with their gear before attempting the chair lift. The night before I had made them practice putting on their skis and such, and unbuckling the snowboard binding quickly...so they SORT of knew what they were doing in that regard. However, being on snow is a different story.
For those that don't know...I have skied since I was a babe, but Daryl and the boys have never been on the snow before...EVER...so this was all new.
After a few shots at walking up a small hill and trying to come down with control, we decided to try the first lift. Snowbowl is a GREAT mountain for beginners; it has a HUGE bunny hill that is wide and well groomed and is really perfect for learning. We got into line, and got on the chair without incident, enjoyed the ride up, and then I think Ryan was the only one who fell down as were were getting off the lift. The lift operators were pros tho...and they were able to drag carcasses out of the way quickly to keep things moving.
Daryl did really great that first day. He fell a couple times and promptly got back up to try again. Alexander learned fairly quickly how to stand straight up and just "shave" his way down the mountain...he didn't much like to turn....so he just did the snowboard version of snowplow the whole first day. Ryan didn't have it quite so easy. He was more comfortable facing the mountain, and spent that first day bent over, holding onto the mountain and trying to come down backwards.
After lunch, we had a few more runs, and then Daryl and Ryan decided to pack it in while Alexander and I had one more run. The plan was that Daryl and Ryan would go get the van warmed up and meet us in the turn around when we came down. Well...as the title of this blog indicates...that plan would become moot.
As I walked towards the parking lot, I met an angry looking Daryl. He promptly told me that MY son had locked the keys in the van while it was running. Honda Odysseys have a VERY cool (heavy sarcasm) safety feature that prevents you from locking your car doors while the engine is running and the car is parked. Ryan manually locked all the doors...and the "boooker" (the little gizmo that unlocks your door remotely) no longer worked.
Thank god for cell phones.
A call to a locksmith and $85 later we were heading down the mountain to the lodge. Grumble.
But, we tried hard to rally and not let boneheaded teenager moves upset our fantastic day on the slopes. We headed into town for dinner at this cool little Irish pub that we have visited before and had an enjoyable meal and a couple games of pool. Aside from our lame waitress, it was a good time. We were all pretty tired, so we decided just to head back to the lodge and settle in for the evening. As we snuggled into bed I realized that I had forgotten my credit card at the pub. Boneheaded Mom move.
Sigh....and a phone call.
The next morning we awoke to a sunnier and slightly warmer day. We had breakfast at the lodge and then headed up the mountain for day 2. As we unloaded the van and got ourselves ready to go, I realized that I had left my entire PURSE on my chair at the lodge.
Sigh. Can you believe it? Another phone call.
So, day 2 began...and we wisely decided to put Ryan in LESSONS for the morning. That proved to be a good idea, and he was MUCH better in the afternoon. 
Daryl did great again on day 2, in spite of the HUGE bruise on his leg from day 1. He marveled at how every time he fell, his left ski managed to hit his right leg in EXACTLY the same spot every time!!
At lunch time, Daryl and Alexander went into the ski lodge to "ram a snack" (thank you cousin), and I decided to check out the more challenging runs on the other side of the hill. I had stayed with Daryl for the whole previous day, and all of that morning, so I was fairly itching to see what else the mountain had to offer. I found a great, long run with some challenging spots and after one run came down to the lodge to find the boys...my legs finally aching in that good way they do after skiing.
In Flagstaff...movie watching is a BIG thing. They have a large theatre complex with a HUGE parking lot that was virtually FULL. Apparently, that's all they do in the wintertime in Flagstaff...
So, movie and a dinner and bed. Good day.
Next morning, we picked up the dogs....who were VERY happy to see us...and headed down the highway toward Phoenix.
Now....IF I had been a more technologically saavy person, I MIGHT have checked my cell phone and discovered the text message from my friend Melissa that morning. She had been watching the news, and as she knew we'd be travelling south that morning had TRIED to warn me about the huge accident on the highway.
As it was...we got about 3o miles south of Flagstaff...when suddenly the traffic gets directed to one lane...and then an off ramp. We were told by a highway worker that we would have to go BACK to Flagstaff and then take the lovely SCENICE route down to Sedona as there was an accident and they CLOSED the highway.
Sigh.
Long story short:
- Road closed due to HAZMAT issue + traffic fatality.
- Road to Sedona now clogged with traffic...although, if you have to be stuck in traffic...Oak Creek Canyon is a picturesque place to do it.
- The five hour drive took NINE hours.
- Sadie, again, made most of the drive sitting on Alexander's head...or on Daryl's lap in the front seat where she had a good view.
All in all...a GREAT trip.
And the best thing?? They all loved skiing and would LOVE to go again!
WOOOT!!!!!
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