Four Years Together

August 1, 2015: I'm loving this picture!

On July 30th, Chris and Sarah celebrated four years of marriage and made it memorable by enjoying a 3-day vacation together in northern Arizona. Normally, their anniversaries are quiet affairs with an evening out, but they decided to make it extra-special this year.

July 30, 2015: Chris at Bearizona.

They left home on the morning of their anniversary, Thursday, July 30th, and drove to Williams, Arizona, just west of Flagstaff. Their first stop was a wildlife park called Bearizona. There, they drove a 3-mile road into the heart of wilderness populated by black bears, bison, mountain goats, and other creatures. Sarah said the bears were quite abundant, and they have the photos to prove it!

Since they had to take pictures through the car's windows,

many were a bit fuzzy, but this one is great!

Some of the bison calves were only a few days old.

Next, Chris and Sarah walked through Fort Bearizona, where they were able to see baby animals and smaller critters up-close. And, of course, Sarah fell in love with the petting zoo called Bearizona Barnyard. She has been a huge animal lover since her infant eyes first focused on a four-footed friend.

This iridescent peacock appeared out of nowhere near their car.

There is also a Birds of Prey show featuring hawks, falcons, owls, and other raptors. Sarah said she got a great picture of Chris when a bird flew right over his head, but she accidentally deleted it. Darn!

Now accepting donations: this bird takes your money and puts it in the donation jar.

From Bearizona, the happy couple went on to their hotel room in Williams, where they spent the next two nights. They said the bed was uncomfortably hard and the walls were so thin that they could hear everything the neighbors were saying (so Sarah kept hushing Chris), but it fit into their budget. Cheap, in other words. I remember those days, when Mark and I stayed in cut-rate hotels with our kids so we could enjoy a family trip. We made good memories in those run-down places...

July 31, 2015: Chris with one of the Wild West show actors.

Early the next morning, Friday, Chris and Sarah headed over to the Williams depot of the Grand Canyon Railroad, where they enjoyed a Wild West show and shootout before boarding the train. Then they relaxed and soaked in the amazing scenery as they traveled through the rugged mountains toward the Grand Canyon.

Chris the conductor.

Mark and I took the kids on the Grand Canyon Railroad way back in August 2002. I'll have to do a post on it sometime. Sarah was only 12, Jacob was 11, and Dylan was 5. We road the train there, spent one night at the Grand Canyon, and then rode the train back to Williams the next day. We all have amazing memories of that trip.It was hard then to imagine that our children would all be grown up someday. Now that they are grown up, I still have a hard time believing it!

July 31, 2015: Chris and Sarah at the Grand Canyon!

They got to see a Native American performance at the ruins.

Back to the train.

After just a few hours of marveling at the view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, it was time to re-board the train and head back to Williams. Chris and Sarah both agreed that the two-hour-and-fifteen-minute train ride is simply wonderful. Chris especially loved it when robbers on horseback held up the train, forcing it to stop and boarding the cars to demand money from the passengers. I remember how big our kids' eyes got when our train was robbed back in 2002!

The great train robbery.

August 1, 2015: Watcha got in yer cup there?

On Saturday, the first day of August, Chris and Sarah checked out of their hotel and made one final stop, at the Grand Canyon Deer Farm, also located in Williams. The farm has deer, elk, and even reindeer galore, along with a host of other animals, such as the camel caught kissing Chris in the first picture of this post. Priceless!

Chris feeds the deer from a cup of feed.

$3.00 for the cup and feed, and keep the cup as a souvenir.

Bring the cup back on another visit, and the feed costs only $2.00.

Sarah thinks she died and went to heaven.

August 1, 2015: Sarah at the petting zoo.

They had a great time, an anniversary they'll never forget. And I'm so proud of Sarah for doing all the research and planning ahead for this fun and educational trip, preparing an itinerary to fit their budget, time, and interests. She got that from me, of course! Happy anniversary, my darlings!

Sarah holds a baby wallaby. Now she knows she died and went to heaven!

1 Aug 2015