Oak Creek Canyon

View from the relaxing deck at Junipine in Oak Creek Canyon

Take a scenic drive down 89A from Flagstaff through Oak Creek Canyon to see how quickly the landscape can change from cool pines to warm red rocks. Heading south out of town on 89A you can first stop at a scenic overlook of the canyon (about 10 minutes from town). There are also often Native American crafts and jewelry for sale here and a great spot for taking in the views.
Once down in the canyon, you’ll find some campgrounds, hiking trails, Slide Rock Stake Park, even some hotels and restaurants. If you want to get out and hike around, you’ll need a Red Rock pass to park on the side of the road. At the south end of the canyon just before you get to Sedona, you can find lots of great coupons in the market area next to Dairy Queen. These coupons can get you 10% off many of Sedona’s restaurants including the tasty Sonoran food of Javelina Cantina and others.

Moms get in free to Flagstaff Arboretum on Mother's Day

Moms, head to The Arboretum Sunday, May 8 (aka Mother's Day) for family-friendly fun.

Moms get in free that day (10a-4p). Regular admission for accompanying family members ($7 adults, $6 seniors, $3 for youth).
The whole family can enjoy a chocolate tasting, create a crafty gift for mom, tour the garden and more. This year families can also have a commemorative photo taken at the photography area.

Backyard Fun: Putting your backyard swingset together

Continuing the Backyard Discovery series as I document the building of our new backyard playset complete with fort, swings and monkey bars...
After a forced break due to rain and snow, the Montpelier play set is now complete. We had another half day of work to put on the finishing touches, which included building the slide (a step we had skipped before), attaching the monkey bars and swing beams as well as the bench.
We also bought recycled rubber mulch mats for ground protection (from Sam's Club) as well as sand for the sand box from Home Depot. Those were very easy to install and look great. Plus the rubber mulch mats won't blow or wash away or fade with time, or so says the packaging.
All in all, this project was pretty easy but it was time consuming. I did 90% of it by myself, an intermediate level DIYer, with some help from my husband, a DYI novice, the other 10% of the time. My mom also lent a helping hand for the slide construction. This is definitely a project that could be completed quicker with two or three experienced project participants.
No matter the time it takes you - it will be worth it. My children are thrilled beyond belief with the results and I'm feeling pretty proud of my work too. Plus - it was pretty fun!

Moms Club of Flagstaff

Hey moms - if you're looking for some other ladies in similar life stages to hang out with, consider joining the Moms Club of Flagstaff. They have playgroups as well as groups for moms to hang with sans the kiddos. Plus they do field trips, babysitting co-ops and more.
There's two groups in Flag - North for members living north of i-40 and South for moms living south of i-40. Get more info on their website momsclubflagstaff.com.

Flagstaff's 2011 Soar Into Spring festival

Fun at last year's festival

Check out Flagstaff's ninth annual Soar Into Spring festival. This year it is in May -Saturday, May 14, 2011 to be exact- at Foxglenn Park, 4200 East Butler Avenue, as always, from noon to 4pm.
Flagstaff Recreation Services hosts this awesome free event that's been voted AZ Parks and Recreation’s Most Outstanding Community Event.
The day includes kite flying, arts and crafts with the Northern AZ Celtic Heritage Society, carnival games, bounce houses, yummy carnival food, a climbing wall, face painting, the Flagstaff Library Book Mobile and Kiddie Kaboose Train. Lots of fun prizes and giveaways too.  Most activities are free. $3.00 wristband for unlimited rides on the Kiddie Caboose, bounce houses and climbing wall.
Parking is free at Sinagua High School and Knoles Elementary School.
For more information contact the Flagstaff Recreation Services at (928) 213-2300 or visit our website at www.flagstaff.az.gov/recreation.

Summer day camps for young kids at Flagstaff's Arboretum

Flagstaff's Arboretum has summer day camps for ages 4-5 and 6-7. Get complete info on their website TheArb.org.

Flagstaff's Lowell Observatory

Looking at the sun at Lowell

Lowell Observatory is a haven of science-based fun for kids and adults. Check their activity calendar before you go so you can get in on tours and special telescope viewing times of the wonders of the sky from solar viewings in the day to stars, planets, the moon and more at night.
Lowell is the home of Pluto’s discovery (even if you don't want to call it a planet, that's a pretty cool find)! You can learn all about that and everything else under the sun.
During the summer months, your admission is good all day so you can check out the tours and museum portions during the less busy daytime and return for stargazing when they are more crowded at night.
Lowell is open daily during both day and night June through August. Check their website for hours of operation other times of the year when they run on a different schedule.

Meteor Crater near Flagstaff

Looking out at Meteor Crater is fun for kids

Metero Crater is the most famous, best-preserved meteorite crater on Earth... and it's right here in Northern Arizona.
Meteor Crater is nearly a mile across, almost two and a half miles around and deeper than a 60 story building is tall. Because the terrain is similar to the moon, Meteor Crater was an official training site for Apollo astronauts. There's a museum at the edge of the rim that includes a great movie about the area that all ages will enjoy.
If you want to take the guided tour out to the crater’s rim, be sure to bring water and wear sunscreen and closed toed shoes. There’s no shade out on the rim at all. It is best to go early in the morning or in the evening when it isn’t as hot during the summer months. It can easily be 80 degrees in Flagstaff but 95 degrees at the crater. Meteor Crater is open everyday of the year, except Christmas.

The Arboretum at Flagstaff

Hiking at The Arb

The Arboretum at Flagstaff is a educational and family-friendly outdoor experience with lots of potential.
A short drive along a dirt road west of Flagstaff (long enough to make you feel lost, though you’re most likely not if you followed the signs) takes you to The Arboretum at Flagstaff. Here visitors can learn of the natural flora and fauna of the region. You'll find guided nature walks and talks as well as special activities. Check their website for a schedule of events including free entrance days which generally include their first day of the season in April as well as Arbor Day. There are also easy trails to explore native birds around the arboretum grounds. The Arboretum is open from April to October only.

Backyard Fun: Building the fort of our backyard playground

As a Backyard Discovery Ambassador, I'm documenting the whole process of building a backyard swingset from the ground up. The company sent me their 2011 Montpelier playset to share my experiences building our family's first ever backyard playset/swingset. This weekend, we got to building the fort...And what a fort it is!
This baby is sweet! The bottom floor will have a sandbox, built-in counter/table and bench. The second story has a bay window, door and porch... plus you can also swing in via monkey bars.
I was excited to get to the fort phase but also a little intimidated. I knew this would be a task and it needs to be almost perfect because it is a structure and my kids will be playing in there.
The parts that are pre-drilled are pretty simple and go quickly, especially because at this point you are familiar with the part names and can find them quickly. But the parts that require pre-drilling as you go are a pain in the you know what, even with my husband helping me for this phase. (I've done about 90% of the construction by myself. I'm quite a do-it-yourselfer, where my husband is not.) I would prefer that every single hole was pre-drilled at the factory. But alas, as it is... you have to settle for about 85% pre-drilled.
I worked on the fort from about 8am to 4pm with a lunch break in there too. Most was done by myself. A few segments needed a second person... but those could have even used a third person for about 30 minutes. Otherwise, pretty easy to tackle solo.
My 5 year old did also help and LOVED it! I had her help me build the bay window and install it (which was so easy!). I was able to get it constructed minus getting the roof attached and building the bench. Then there's putting all the pieces together, anchoring it to the ground and setting it up with the rubber mulch for safety and sand for the sandbox. So there's probably another day of work ahead.
I have to say my hands are sore today - but so worth it! My kiddos are beyond excited as they see me building their playset. I was so proud to have my 3.5 year old say to me, "Mommy, when I'm a mommy I want to build my kids a cool playset like you are making. I'll do the tools and make the fort. Then I will be a good mommy." So sweet!
Stay tuned for updates as we continue to tackle this fun project.

Backyard Fun: Building our own wooden swingset

As a Backyard Discovery Ambassador, I'm documenting the whole process of building a backyard swingset from the ground up. The company sent me their 2011 Montpelier playset.
First up - picking the spot. It has to be about 6 feet larger than the area the set will take up.
We picked this spot:

This week the boxes arrived. I was glad to see that the whole thing could fit in two boxes... made me feel reassured that this was going to be a project we could handle. I think it is!

The two boxes were too heavy to carry with all of the parts inside, so the first thing we did was to open the boxes and take the piece to the backyard. As we did that we sorted them according to part name (each part is labeled with a letter and number) then checked off all the parts on the part list. All was there, whew!
Next it was time to start building! As the kids played nearby, we assembled the ladder, monkey bars and swings post. I wish the parts were all sorted according to what each section needs. It would save SO much time. I spent most my time looking for the right screw, nut, bolt, etc. Some of the building so far was awkward... but it was also really easy. Everything is pre-drilled and it is really a matter of looking at the pics in the instruction manual and following instructions.
All in all, we spent about 5 hours on this section of the sorting and building.

Tomorrow - we move to the building of the fort phase! Stay tuned.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Sunset Crater National Monument is a really cool and unique place to check out a few miles past Flagstaff's mall on the east side.
It features dramatic landscapes that you can investigate first hand with relatively easy hikes. The Lava Flow Trail even features a paved portion that is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. Be sure to stop and read the plaques along the path to learn about the area’s fascinating past.
There's also camping near by.

Visit Flagstaff's Arboretum free today (April 1) plus on Arbor Day (April 30)

 The Arboretum officially opens for 2011 today! As always, all visitors are FREE.
Check it out with the whole fam from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. 
As always, The Arb will also be free on Arbor Day (April 30) and have lots of family-friendly tree-centric fun!
Find out all about this year's events at TheArb.org.