As we came off our Grand Canyon highs and lows, the Hoffpack switched gears as we prepped for our next big challlenge- getting ready for our first family backpacking trip!  We spent one night in Flagstaff to restock on essentials and get a quick fix of civilization.  Flagstaff is a great spot in the summer with its perfect temps and has so many beautiful places nearby.

We showed our oldest Boy Scout how to use our backpacking stove,

and met up with my brother and sister-in-law, who joined us for a morning in Walnut Canyon National Monument, and would be joining us on our much anticipated trip to Havasu Falls.

  

The kids enjoyed climbing around in the cliff dwellings,

and Gavin  completed yet another junior ranger badge by racing up the 240 stairs to finish his book before we had to head off before our Flagstaff checkout time.

  

With much anxiety, we had planned on abandoning our home-on-wheels at a never before seen location while we left all of our essentials behind on our first family backcountry camping trip.  We researched every option in the area, and with Grand Canyon Caverns policy of allowing you to leave your camper parked in a camping site for free, we decided this was our best option.

Upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised.  The campground was tucked away in the back of the  property, and while almost every site was unoccupied, it was very nice.  When the security guard drove through, he even told us to feel free to leave our camper plugged in while we were gone so we didn’t have to use up propane on the fridge.

This place had so much to offer!  An old café where they served free breakfast (to those not taking off on a crazy hike at 3am before breakfast),

an eclectic collection of old cars and fire trucks,

a nice pool,

and more.

The campsite was a great launching spot to get all of our geared switched over to backpacking mode

while the kids were able to literally “hang out.”

  

  

The strangest part of all was the actual caverns.  Not only could you tour the caverns, you could eat dinner down there, sleep down there, or even take a paranormal tour.

  

The giant sloth was one of the craziest parts, having been well preserved down under for so long.  The actual sloth has been moved to a museum, but the replica was quite interesting.

Not only were the caverns a restaurant and hotel, but a fallout shelter!

Dave and Jess slept in the back of their rental pickup, while the Hoffpack enjoyed a short last night in the camper before our next big challenge!  We had a 3am wakeup call to head into Havasupai!  (travel dates 7/1-7/2/18)

After having our vehicle trouble and being re-routed to Flagstaff without the boys, we were overjoyed to be reunited with the boys and the Hamilton’s… and have our wheels again.  The Hamiltons had taken the boys to Slide Rock with the Mattsons before saying goodbye to them as the headed back east,

then continued on to Sedona.  They spent the next day taking a couple hikes, one to Chapel of the Holy Cross,

  

and the other to Soldier Pass, a 4-5 mile hike.

     

Even though the boys were invited into the Hamilton abode, they chose to pitch their tent out back in the Hamilton campsite.

After our car was finally fixed, we arrived at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in the heat of the day – a major shock to the system after the cool Flagstaff climate.  We were thankful for electric sites, and wonderful bathrooms with showers.  There were hardly any sites taken here, so we had the place almost to ourselves.

We cooked dinner under our canopies and waited anxiously to meet up with the David family, who would be joining us the next day.

The only company we had were several skunks, who must have been lonely, as they spent most of the evening hanging out under our chairs or picnic table!

 

The next morning, we hiked Cathedral Rock.  While we didn’t start nearly as early as the Grand Canyon, the earlier you hike in the summer, the better.  It was HOT!

  

  

At the summit, Chuck happened to run into fellow North Central alum Tyler…. of all the places!

  

The way down is always harder than the way up, as witnessed here as we slid down the rocks to get back to our car!

We did one more short trail before throwing in the towel and deciding it was too hot to continue hiking.

From there, we knew a swim was the only way to pass the day in the hot Arizona heat, so we headed over to Grasshopper Point to cool off.  Our second tow truck driver recommended it as a favorite of the locals.  While the parking lot was full, we waited just a few minutes and were granted entrance.  Yay!

We started out with the lower cliff, and the boys quickly moved on to the higher one.

  

While the rest of the crew was either cliff jumping or watching, Brian found the most comfortable bed of rocks in all the land.

  

One of the best parts at Dead Horse State Park was the amazing park.  I think the dads enjoyed the zip line even more than the kids!

Our final day in Sedona was spent at Red Rock Crossing, a great park with lots of waterfront picnic sites… with one of the best views of Cathedral Rock.

The kids loved finding critters,

Hanging out in the creek,

jumping into the cool water,

or throwing in others.

For the last time, our twin cars would be sharing parking spots as we said our goodbyes.

Everyone exchanged hugs before heading off in different directions.  See you soon Hamiltons! (travel dates 6/27-6/29/18)