Birthday 2016 - Southwest Road Trip

We went to White Sands National Monument in July to celebrate my birthday! It is an amazing place. The roadtrip consisted of:

• Scottsdale, AZ 
• Las Cruces, NM 
• Tucson, AZ

 The southwest is really such a beautiful place. There are so many places to discover. Hopefully we get to head back out there. But not in July. Or any month during the summer. It was 99 degrees at 9:00PM in Scottsdale. I like heat but that is a little much for me.

White Sands NM itself did not disappoint. Luca had an incredible time running and jumping on the dunes. The sand itself wasn't hot since it isn't actually sand. It's a gypsum where if you stuck your toes in, it was almost cool! However, he started getting cranky and complained of feeling sick. We thought he was constipated due to potty training stress. But then he was getting kind of listless and his skin was cool instead of hot like I thought it would be in the heat. We became alarmed and left early. I looked up the symptoms and he was likely entering early stages of heat exhaustion which can lead to heat stroke, which is really scary for a little one! So, I'm really glad we left despite spending the least amount of time in the place that was the goal for the entire trip. 

JTree

Many years ago, I spent a day in Joshua Tree on a guided tour, part of a corporate team building exercise. I recall being impressed by the otherworldly beauty of the park. But returning to explore on our own was an entirely different experience.

This place is pure magic.













IG Gallery: #elauincJTree2014



Travel Dates: December 6-8, 2014

Babymoon

Sedona is absolutely beautiful. It was the perfect getaway for us to take a breath and a pause from our increasingly hectic lives. It was a place that allowed us to reconnect with what's real and true: nature and each other.



We took our time and never rushed. We slept in and meandered. We talked about the baby and our future. We casually picked out sights from the map, but were ok if we didn't make it. We delighted in the discoveries we did make.





I forget how vast the sky and earth is out in the desert. The famous fiery Sedona sunsets did not disappoint. No filter or color adjustments needed.




We stayed at the cheery Saguaro Hotel in Scottsdale. The walls were a little thin and honestly thought the room could have been renovated with higher quality materials. But the grounds were beautiful and serene, and the service was absolutely impeccable. Also, our meal at the restaurant, Distrito, was DELICIOUS.




I selected a handful of souvenirs from a Sedona shop that carried rocks and minerals from all around the world. But we made sure to select what was local to Arizona. Chrysocolla, Desert Rose, and Peacock Ore to remind us of this special trip.


Full photoset here.