It's been awhile since our last post. Life has been busy. Working 40 hours a week while rewarding, talking to students all day every day can also be exhausting. Johnny has been putting in 50+ hours a week so between our two busy work schedules and just trying to stay on top of the day-to-day stuff (you'd be amazed how difficult it is to keep a 500 sq. ft. apartment clean) we've have little time for rest let alone time to do what we love: explore. Thankfully, Thanksgiving came just when we most needed it giving us some much needed time to be with family as well as take a little time for ourselves to renew in the best way possible: adventure. We are so lucky and apt to experience life in the great southwest. Flagstaff provides us with the comforts of home, such as the snow and cold and changing seasons, but we still have easy access to the saguaros, stucco homes, and welcome warm winter weather that people associate with our new home state. Both our grandmother's and Johnny's aunt reside just 4 hours south of us, not too far from the Mexican border (can I get a "uh-huh" for the to die for authentic Mexican cuisine of that area?!) and so that's where we decided to spend our first Thanksgiving together as a married couple. We had the traditional Thanksgiving meal with my grandma at her nursing home and then a not-so-traditional but equally as delicious home cooked meal that night with Johnny's aunt and grandma. After a short but full couple days spent with family and good food, we had to head back up the mountain but because it had been such a long time since our last proper adventure, we decided to venture just 10 miles off the interstate to check out the San Xavier del Bac Mission. In contrast to the usual robin egg blue sky stands this whitewashed sacred place. Drenched in Spanish influences, it brought us back to our time on the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain, especially when we stepped through the doors of its sanctuary and were hit with the familiar smell of candles burning. We didn't take much time to learn about the history of this visibly ancient (in American terms) place but instead chose to stand in awe as we did so many evenings seated in the plaza beneath the towering 8-century-old Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. In our awe we were greeted occasionally by native children either selling handmade goods or asking to pet Winslow. When we first arrived the sun bleached the white walls and lit up the big, blue, Arizona sky. While we waited for the sun to set beyond the mountains, we made a loop around Grotto Hill, a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes situated on a hill overlooking Tucson and adjacent to the Mission. Once the sun set, the Mission closed its doors, visitors cleared out, and vendors started packing up their stations. We had planned to arrive at the Mission during what photographers refer to as the "golden hour" or the last hour before sunset. However, the minutes following sunset was the Mission's true golden hour. In the final minutes before we departed, we were able to appreciate the "white dove of the desert" in all her glory, unclouded by others visitors buying candles from the gift shop or climbing her walls for a better vantage point. Despite the bustle of the vendors packing up and departing, it felt like we were alone with this distinguish lady and we basked in her diminishing glow.
A mini adventure but nonetheless one to reignite a desire to experience a sometimes seemingly foreign new home state, and for that, I'm thankful to her.
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Just 80 scenic miles from our home lies this big ol' beauty. It still hasn't really hit us that we live in such proximity to one of the world's natural wonders but we most certainly plan on enjoying it as much as possible. Instead of attending the homecoming celebrations and partaking in an NAU ritual, Tequila Sunrise, last Saturday we set out to explore what this state is known for and to our surprise, found it's much more similar to the Arizona we're getting to know (ponderosa pines, brisk October air, and blue sunshiny days) than the sun scorched, saguaro spotted desert-scape most often associated with our new home state. Opting to purchase an annual National Parks pass (we plan to visit a couple more times later this year as well as hopefully making stops at Zion and Glacier National Park as well) we entered the South Rim from the less busy East Entrance (and would highly suggest this route) and leisurely made our way west. To many's surprise, Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most dog-friendly parks out there, so of course we brought our furry sidekick. All along the rim, dogs are free to enjoy the scenic beauty of the canyon alongside their owners. Starting from the west end of the park, there is 13 miles of dog-friendly trail which we only explored a small portion of. According to Winslow, he had a grand time. At the vantage point seen below, he even requested a belly rub as he soaked in the canyon's grandeur and the late October sun. Exploring the canyon from east to west with stops along the way to enjoy views and a picnic lunch we had packed was the perfect way for us to first explore the canyon. Both routes between the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff (AZ 89 and Highway 180) are undeniably scenic especially this time of year when the north side of the San Fransisco peaks are snow capped and set against a robin egg blue sky. If you're looking to avoid the crowd and traffic, 89 will be your best bet but 180 winds through Montana-like fields and will bring you by one of Flagstaff's finest and less well-known gems, the Chapel of the Holy Dove, so you can't go wrong with either. Next on our list is to hike beneath the rim as well as check out the less popular and equally as grand and beautiful North Rim. We're sure to make use of our annual Parks pass and not take this grand neighbor for granted.
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