To kick off the holiday season, we took a family trip to Williams, AZ to surprise the kids with a fun filled weekend to get them in the Christmas spirit - Grammy & Pops joined us in our adventure!
After getting off work on Friday, we loaded up our truck & set out on our vacation. Our 'home' for the weekend was a 1920's Santa Fe caboose, retired from the Atchinson, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railway, completely remodeled to accommodate 6 people comfortably. The kids thought it was the coolest room ever - Cooper even asked "Can we hook it up to the truck & bring it home?"
We spent Saturday morning exploring the grounds of the motel park - the kids were captivated by how the creek completely froze over & the ice was "stuck" on the ground (yah, you can tell we're from the desert).
After eating breakfast at Grand Canyon Coffee & Cafe, we made our way to Bearizona to spend the day.
Our first stop was to feed the otters - each kid was given a tiny fish to toss to the playful creatures & they didn't let any go to waste & put on quite a show!
Then we hopped on the Wild Ride Bus Tour - an old school bus driven by a tour guide through the wild animal exhibits. She gave us information on each animal, their names, age, and where they came from - it was super fun & very informative!
After getting up close and personal on our tour, we made it back in time to catch the Raptor Free Flight show. They displayed all sorts of birds, but my favorite was George, the Great Horned Owl!
After the show was over, we took a stroll around the park. We saw animals of all kinds - from porcupines & beavers, to fox & bobcats, and of course, lots of bears!
Before heading back to our caboose, we drove our truck through the wilderness area to catch another glimpse of their beautiful animals. The wolves were particularly spunky this go round, even trying to bite the taillights of the car in front of us!
After resting up, we ate dinner at Red Raven and it was sooooo good! While at dinner, Santa dropped a package for the kids with Polar Express tickets inside - Cooper couldn't contain his excitement, it was the best reaction we could've imagined!
We finished up eating, bundled up into our jammies, and made our way to the Williams Depot to have some fun before we had to catch our train. The kids each wrote a letter to Santa & placed it in his mailbox, before meeting Mrs. Claus.
Once the train arrived, we joined the crowds of kids lined up to take their seats.
Once aboard the train and everyone was seated, we were on our way to the North Pole! Our waiters served hot cocoa & Mrs. Claus's homemade cookies, while the conductor came around and stamped our tickets.
During our journey, we all read 'The Polar Express'.
As we neared the North Pole, the kids kept their noses firmly pressed against the window, hoping to catch the first glimpse of Santa.
Santa boarded the train and made the ride back to Williams with us. The kids (not so patiently) awaited his arrival in our car, while we all sang our favorite Christmas carols.
Once he arrived, he gave each passenger a reindeer bell from his sleigh - by this time, our kids couldn't believe Santa was actually there!
We laughed, sang, and danced all the way back to Williams - it was truly a magical night!
That night, we crashed in our caboose, but woke the next morning refreshed and ready for the day. We snapped a few pictures, then headed out to the Grand Canyon.
Our first stop was brunch at El Tovar, where we ate exceptional food & celebrated Grammy's birthday.
To work off our food, we took a stroll along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The kids wanted to be adventurous, but the ice & long drop made me nervous!
After our hike, it was time to head back home. The moon greeted us as we got back on I-40 towards Vegas.
We had such a great weekend spending time with the kids - it was definitely a fun & magical experience!
Now on to Thanksgiving... ;)
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