Traveling Thursday~ Hello Arizona

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Well, hello there! It's been a while since I've shared a Traveling Thursday post. We've traveled a bit since my last post. I figured I'd start sharing some of our recent trips. A few things have changed from when I posted last. We have officially completed our homeschooling journey. Both Michael and Therese have graduated high school and both have earned an associate's degree from the local community college. They are both currently working on the next step in their journey. Therese is continuing her education, while Michael is currently in the hiring process as a firefighter/paramedic. Life goes by so quickly!

So what does that mean as far as our traveling journeys? 

It means the last few trips have been just my hubby and I. It's been a little weird to travel without kids again. It's nice but completely different. There have been many times during our trips that I stop and think how much they would love to see what we are exploring. I miss experiencing new adventures with them, but I am loving the time with my hubby.

So first up... Arizona! This past September, we traveled to Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. We spent 2.5 weeks exploring this beautiful area. We had never been to Arizona or Utah before so it was amazing to see these stunning states. We both had been to Colorado as children, so it was a different feel for both of us.

The last time I flew anywhere was when we went to Disney World when the kids were 3 and 4. So it had been a while. Security is crazy now. The airport in Virginia was better and quicker with its security line. Phoenix was not good!

My gf free meal on the plane. 

I got sick so I didn't eat my meal on the return flight.

We flew into Phoenix, Arizona. It was hot, hot, hot! It was a city. Not a city like New York City, but still a city. Nothing too spectacular to me. 

I tried to get the Welcome to Arizona sign but as you can tell I missed it. I missed quite a few along the trip. Oh well! We did see Sequia cactuses alongside the ride though.

We picked up our rental car...a Jeep!

It was a fun ride. It was great to take the top off when we were sightseeing. 

The pictures don't do the sky justice. Coming from the east coast it always amazing me how blue the sky is out here. The difference is drastic. 

From Phoneix, we drove straight to the Grand Canyon! 

Stay tuned for our adventure there!

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Till Next Time,

Monique

Traveling Thursdays~ Outer Banks, North Carolina

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Good Morning, dear friends. I stopped blogging for a bit, but I'm trying to get back into it on a pretty regular basis. I still need to share our trip we took last fall to Utah, so I'll be getting those posts typed up over the next few weeks. 

But first, I'll share about our trip to Waves, North Carolina, in the Outer Banks. The beach we stayed at is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. 

Our house was right on the beach. We walked out the back patio door and up and over the sand dunes, and we were on the beach. It was a nice, quick walk, except in the middle of the day. The sand got so hot it burned your feet. A few of the kids (grown adults) used socks and sandals to get around, while a few ended up with blisters. 

We took both dogs with us. It was their first time at the beach. Maddie, our 11-year-old black lab, loved it. Ruby, our 2-year-old red fox lab, wasn't so sure at first. She quickly changed her mind, though. 

Since the sand got so hot during the middle of the day, I spent a lot of time with the dogs at the house. We stayed by the pool. I had a migraine for most of the trip, so it was easier to stay near the house too. We bought the girls a kiddie pool to cool off, since dogs were not allowed in the big pool. Maddie loved it. 

I did none of the touristy stuff. I hung out by the pool with Therese and the girls. We relaxed in the sun, read a book, One Golden Summer, swam, and played fetch with the girls. 

The boys went fishing and even went out on a fishing charter. They caught some Spanish Mackerel. 

Overall, it was a relaxing trip. It was a little different with the dogs, but we realized it wasn't that bad, and we would definitely take them on a trip again. They did exceptionally well and enjoyed themselves. 

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Till Next Time,

Monique

Blog 365 #5~ A Much Needed Vacation

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A few weeks ago, my hubby and I took a much-needed vacation. We spent 10 days in Florida. It was so nice to get away. The temperatures were amazing. It was in the high 70s and low 80s the entire time we were there. Our days were filled with relaxation and sunshine. 

We started our trip to Orlando.

From there, we headed down the gulf coast. We stopped in Siesta Key and Marco Island.

We traveled across the Everglades and then headed to one of our favorite places... The Florida Keys. The Keys hold a special place in our hearts. We got engaged there and we have so many memories of my late father-in-law from when he lived there. 

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Monique

Blog 365 #2~ Tranquilty

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Good Morning! Now that things are a little settled down, I'm going to join Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom on her Blog 365 challenge. I'm starting a little late, but hey better late than never!

“The ocean stirs the heart, 

inspires the imagination 

and 

brings eternal joy to the soul.” 

~Robert Wyland

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Till Next Time,

Monique

Traveling Thursdays~ Crazy Horse Memorial

After our morning trip to Mount Rushmore, we headed down the road to visit The Crazy Horse Memorial. I thought Mount Rushmore was big, but the Crazy Horse Memorial makes the four president's head look like peanuts!

The Crazy Horse Memorial is located in the beautiful Black Hills, South Dakota. It's a wonderful memorial to the Native American tribes. It's the world's largest mountain carving.

The Crazy Horse Memorial was a dream of Henry Standing Bear, who was a Oglala Lakota Chief. He asked Korczak Ziolkowski to create a memorial in honor of all the great Native American tribes. Ziolkowski started the memorial on June 3, 1948. The first blast was witnessed by five survivors of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It was started a long time ago. I'd love to see it completed.

The memorial will be 641 feet long and 563 feet high!

"My lands are where my dead lie buried."

~ Crazy Horse 1877

The Crazy Horse Memorial is filled with tons to see. When you arrive, you enter the welcome center. I highly recommend watching the film about the memorial and the Ziolkowski family. We learned so much about this memorial and this family that is helping to create this lasting memorial to the Native American tribes.

From the Welcome center, you can head into the Indian Museum of North America. The museum has an amazing collection of artifacts from various Native American tribes throughout the United States.

In the Wall of Window room, visitors can view the Crazy Horse Memorial. Opposite the windows ad their breath taking views, you can see a collection of stunning portraits of Native Americans that fought in the Battle of the Little Big Horn. I was too busy looking at he portraits and reading about these brave men to remember to take any photos. The portraits bring to life these amazing men. We looked for a book with all the portraits in it, but unfortunately we couldn't find one.

We loved visiting this American treasure. I enjoyed seeing the various Native American artifacts and artwork. A few years ago, we had visited the Cherokee Reservation and the museum there. The museum at the Crazy Horse Memorial was even better. I loved the seeing the different pieces from a wider selection of tribes.

The Nature Gate

If you're ever in the area, the Crazy Horse Memorial is a must see. You won't regret stopping to see it. The Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation's mission is to protect and preserve the culture, tradition, and living heritage of the Native Americans tribes. The Memorial does not accept federal or state funding.

If you'd like to donate to help the dream come to life, you can donate here.

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you. 

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