Discover the best family adventures in Washington DC with a visit to the White House and the Washington Monument! Join our adventure-loving crew as we conquer Washington DC! One thing I knew we wanted to do in Washington DC was tour the White House and go to the top of the Washington Monument! Of course these are not something you can just walk up and do. How to Request a White House Tour Well before your trip, you have to reach out to your Member of Congress. Requests have to be made no sooner than 3 months before your trip and no less than 21 days before. Tours fill up fast, so submit right at the 3 month mark and have flexibility in your tour date. The process was pretty simple. Look up your Representative or Senator here. Most have a tour request form where you simply check the boxes of the tours you are interested in. You enter the dates that you are interested in and they submit your information. You will receive an email confirming your request for a White House Tour and providing a link to provide additional information about each individual in your party. You must provide this information by the date listed. Ultimately, you do not receive notification of your actual tour date until right before your date. They say 2-3 weeks, but we received ours closer to 1-1.5 weeks. This means I had to do some last minute scheduling changes for our itinerary (since there is no moving your White House tour after it is scheduled). Important White House Tour Details Tour Dates: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Tour Times: 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM (you will be assigned a specific tour time) Requirements: All U.S. citizens ages 18 and older, and foreign nationals of all ages (including children), must present a valid, government-issued photo ID Prohibited Items: This is a long list, but the highlights include NO bags of any kind (including fanny packs and clutches), cameras with detachable lenses, food, liquids, strollers, and video cameras. So basically leave everything except a form of ID, money and your cell phone in your hotel. There are NO storage facilities available to store your things. There are also NO restrooms available, so have your kiddos go before you arrive. Our Family Adventure at the White House After a delayed flight that was leaving me worried we may miss our tour time, we arrived in DC, quickly dropped our luggage off at the hotel and made our way to the White House. You join a (sometimes) large line outside the White House and head through security screenings. The line moved pretty quickly and was mostly shaded. Our tour included the east wing and several of the rooms we see on TV and movies. There are Secrete Service in every room and each is a walking encyclopedia of history and facts. So we challenged the girls to ask at least one question in every room. Buttercup struck a conversation with the Secrete Service officer we met outside of the movie theater / china room (by the partitions blocking to the west wing) and complimented the Secrete Service pin on his tie. So he gave both girls a matching pin. I didn’t notice anyone else handing them out, so it was pretty special! The Secrete Service officers are really open about answering questions and talking about how the first family lives. An interesting facts we learned ... -Right after the last tour, a crew comes through, removes the ropes/signs, unrolls the carpet, and the rooms are converted back for the family’s use. -Each president has to purchase his own Presidential china (which costs a ton!). - The walls of the Green Room and Red Room are covered in fabric, not wallpaper. - Spider Monkey wants a duplicate of the movie theater. - Working on the White House tour is a huge honor for the Secret Service (they have to pass a big test). - The Blue Room was covered in precious stones. There are no modern photos of it or samples remaining. The White House tour ended up being a highlight of our trip (and well worth the last minute scramble to change up our plans! How to Get Tickets to Visit the Washington Monument You can visit the outside of the Washington Monument without a ticket, but to go inside and travel up to the top of the monument for amazing views of DC, you have to have a ticket. You have 2 opportunities to get tickets - online at recreation.gov 30 days prior to your selected date or at the Washington Monument Lodge the day before your selected date. Tickets are gone in seconds, so you need to be online before 10 am ET on the 30 day mark. Have your account set-up and refresh your browser starting 1-2 minutes before 10. Keep refreshing until the tickets load. Another tip - there is no size minimum for group tickets (and they can be easier to get). Tickets are "free" but there is a $1 "convenience fee". Tickets must be printed or viewable from your recreation.gov account. In person tickets are released at 8:45 am, but the line starts forming much, much earlier. Tickets are scheduled every half hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., so have and idea of your desired time and a backup time. Our Washington Monument Adventure We arrived early for our tour, and discovered there is very little shade around the monument. It was so hot! When you arrive, the Rangers direct you to sit on a bench labeled with your tour time. This is a line-up for the order you will enter the monument. We rotated who waited on the very sunny bench, while the others sat by the monument in what little shade was available. Moral of our story ... don't be too early! The doors to get inside are more national security thick than national park service secure. After passing through security, you take the elevator all the way up and take in the amazing views! There are fun facts along the way and a small museum. We learned that the monument is made completely of stone and that it was damaged during a recent earthquake. States and foundations came together to help repair it. Each has a stone on the interior. We also saw the lightning rods that use to attach to the monument. Makes sense, but I never thought about it be strike by lightning before. Buttercup spoke with the ranger about her wanting to become a NPS Ranger while we were waiting in line for security. So he gave her the special honor of using his key card to unlock the giant monument door when we were exiting. My Travel Philosophy Our action-filled itinerary may not work for everyone. When planning, I follow 3 basic rules. First, aim to see everything that sounds important or interesting. There are so many places we want to see in the world, so we do not routinely return to the same place more than once. I try to map out as many of the highlights or the "only available while you are there" activities. My second traveling rule ... too much "downtime" makes my girls bored and drives me crazy. So we keep moving. We don't have to get to everything, but at least I have something planned to ward off the boredom whines. My third traveling rule ... you will never please everyone with your planning! Each of us gravitates towards different adventures and activities. I try to balance it all out, but we have worked with the girls to understanding that today's adventure may not be a top priority for one of them, but tomorrows likely will. The Family Verdict The White House was a highlight of our trip. Not something you do every time you visit Washington DC, but definitely something you need to do at least once. The girls loved it! The Washington Monument had amazing views, but the lack of shade was hard for everyone. If I could, I would have planned that visit for early morning instead of the afternoon. Follow along as I explain each leg of our adventures through Washington DC! Adventure is in Our Souls Join the Adventure All rights reserved. © 2024 Adventure Is In Our Souls

Ready to explore incredible rock formations filled with natural stone arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks? Join us on our family adventure in Arches National Park! After leaving Mesa Verde in Cortez, Colorado, we traveled to Utah to visit the "Mighty Five" National Parks. This is the part of the trip where we strapped on our hiking boots and set out to explore the trails through America’s beautiful natural wonders! Visiting Moab, Utah Our first stop in Utah was Moab. Moab is home to two of the amazing Mighty Five National Parks – Arches and Canyonlands. While being pretty close together, they are each so uniquely different! Admittedly, Arches NP was high up on my “must see” locations, so I was super excited to get here. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Moab … I was warned to keep my expectations low. But, I was pleasantly surprised and really liked Moab. It had an “outdoor adventure” feel with a hint of commercialism creeping in. Don’t expect to find fine dining or excellent restaurants, but the people are so welcoming and the atmosphere is amazing! Moab has experienced periods of great growth and downsizing. During the 1940s and 1950s, Uranium was discovered in Moab and people flocked there. So much so, that the population quadrupled and by the 1950’s Moab became known as the “Uranium Capital of the World.” The government pulled out and stopped buying Uranium in the 1970s and eventually the uranium mill closed, leaving 12 million tons of mildly radioactive uranium tailings covered over with a layer of protective soil. Years later, there were concerns about leaching into the ground water and the Colorado river, so the Department of Energy assumed responsibility for cleaning up the site (which is still going on today). We spent four nights and two full days in Moab - leaving us with a full day in each National Park. We set of to explore Arches National Park early on our first morning. We could have easily split Arches NP into two separate days of hiking, but we managed to see a lot in a full day. Arches NP also has amazing night sky viewing. Our kiddos go to bed early, so we did not get to experience it on this visit. Our Family Adventure in Arches National Park Arches NP is home to over 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks -- in fact, it has the world’s largest concentration of natural sandstone arches! It is also filled with window formations, rock bridges, newly forming arches and collapsing arches (new arches are constantly forming and existing arches continue to weather until they eventually collapse). To control crowds entering the park, Arches NP requires a timed entry pass for entry from 7 am to 4 pm between April 1 and October 31. The park will release tickets first-come, first-served on Recreation.gov three months in advance in monthly blocks at 8 am MST/MDT (so April entry is reserved in January, etc.). You can enter before 7 am or after 4 pm without a timed entry. These sell fast! So I recommend being online, logged in and ready the morning of the release. We had an early 7 am timed entry into the park so we could do a little hiking before the sun was too high in the sky over the exposed hiking areas (and to beat some of the crowds). Devil's Garden: Landscape, Pine Tree, and Tunnel Arches Our strategy was to hit the most exposed trail / the trailhead where the parking area fills up the quickest first. So once we entered, we drove all the way to the back of the park (about 18 miles) to the Devil’s Garden Trailhead. From the trailhead we hiked to the Landscape Arch along a pretty well marked trail (the primitive trail forks off right before reaching the arch). The trail twists through sheer sandstone walls that hide views of the arches from the trailhead. Landscape Arch is a long thin arch that stretches 306 feet across the sky – making it one of the longest stone arches in the world. In 1991 a large slab of the rock fell, leaving some narrow sections (some as thin as 6 feet across). We visited a couple viewpoints and then hiked up the rocks as far as we felt comfortable with the girls. The drop-offs were more than a little scary, so Spider Monkey and I hung back about mid-way up while Dustin and Buttercup climbed to the summit. On our hike back we took the spur trail to the Pine Tree and Tunnel Arches. The spur branches after about a quarter mile to the different arches. Go left to Pine Tree Arch and right to Tunnel Arch. After checking out these two large arches, we hiked back to the main trail and then back to the trailhead. Follow along on our adventures in Devil's Garden: Landscape Arch Trail Details: Start: Devils Garden Trailhead Parking Area Distance: 1.8 miles; out-and-back (taking the spur trail to Pine Tree and Tunnel Arches adds 0.5 miles out and back) Difficulty: Easy; well-maintained trail of sand and rocks Approximate Time: 1-2 hours Skyline & Sand Dune Arch After leaving Devil’s Garden, we slowly made our way back towards the entrance of Arches NP, stopping at various pull-offs and trailheads. One of the first stops was the trail to Skyline Arch. The trail is a short out-and-back hike up a slight incline. The Arch sits atop a tall fin of rocks, so it is visible from many areas within the park. Skyline Arch Trail Details: Start: Near the far north end of the main park road, south of Devil’s Garden Distance: 0.4 miles; out-and-back Difficulty: Easy Approximate Time: 15 minutes Our next stop was one of the girls’ favorites – Sand Dune Arch. Sand Dune Arch is a giant shaded sandbox of fine red sand, where the girls could have dug and played for hours. From the parking lot, follow the trail a couple minutes to the junction of the Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch trails. The Sand Dune Arch trail takes you through thin corridors with giant sheer rock faces and a floor of soft red sand. You cannot climb on the actual arch, but there are some fun rocks behind it that Dustin explored while the girls played. Then the girls took turns sliding down the rocks into the sand. Follow along on our adventures at the Sand Dune Arch: Sand Dune Arch Trail Details: Start: Near the far north end of the main park road, south of Devil’s Garden Distance: 0.4 miles; out-and-back Difficulty: Easy but through deep red sand Approximate Time: 0.5 hours + (depending on how long the kiddos play in the sand) Salt Valley Overlooks, Delicate Arch & Panorama Point We drove past the Fiery Furnace area, stopping to take some photos of the landscape along the way. This area is very exposed … hence the name. To hike the Fiery Furnace, you need a permit or a ranger guide hike. Both options require reservations and advanced planning -- not something for young kiddos like ours. After passing the Fiery Furnace area, we entered the Salt Valley area and crossed over the Salt Valley Wash. Salt Valley occupies 11 miles of Arches National Park. Around this area the landscape becomes green with glittery sparkles all over. It is really a crazy sight! The glittery sparkles are gypsum, and the green comes from iron-rich volcanic ash that fell into an ancient lake that was here 150 million years ago. The lake was salty, which deprived the lake of oxygen and turned the iron into beautiful shades of green and turquoise. There are numerous pull-offs throughout this stretch of road that each provide amazing views of the Salt Valley landscape. The spur on the road to the left leads to the Delicate Arch trail and overlooks. Delicate Arch is one of the most famous rock formations in Utah and is featured on their license plate. It is 64 feet tall and 45 feet wide, making it the largest free-standing arch. The first parking area is for those hiking to the arch. By this point, the sun was hot, and we were only mid-way through the park. So, we did not hike to Delicate Arch. Instead, we drove less than a mile further to the parking area for the shorter hike to the viewpoints. The Lower Viewpoint follows a short, hard-packed trail and provides a very distant view of the arch. The trail to the Upper Delicate Arch viewpoint starts out along an easy path, but then begins climbing steeply. The trail provides beautiful views of the sparkling green landscape! In hindsight, I think we would have really enjoyed an early morning hike to Delicate Arch, instead of hiking past Landscape Arch in Devil’s Garden. Delicate Arch is visible in the distance from the viewpoints, but it was too far away to grab the girls’ attention. Plus, I didn’t I realized just how steep the rock climb was in Devil’s Garden once you pass Landscape Arch. If I was doing this trip again, I would stop first to hike to Delicate Arch, then make my way to the back of the park and hike to Landscape Arch. You can see how tiny Delicate Arch looks from the viewpoints (even with a zoom lens)! Delicate Arch Trail Details: Start: Wolfe Ranch Cabin Distance: 3.2 miles Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult Approximate Time: 2-3 hours Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trail Details: Start: Delicate Arch Viewpoint Parking Lot Distance: 1 mile; out-and-back Difficulty: Easy, but steep 0.5 mile climb Approximate Time: 30-45 minutes After viewing Delicate Arch, we continued to drive towards the front of the park, stopping at various numerous pull-offs and taking in the landscape of the Lower Salt Valley, including a spur for Panorama Point. From Panorama Point, you can see for miles! Windows Section: Garden of Eden Then we took Windows Road to the left towards the Windows Section of the park. The road first curves around and offers a little pull-off viewpoint for the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden is an open area of rock towers and fins waiting to be explored – and another of our family favorites!! Arches National Park classifies this area as a “viewpoint”. But it is really an open trail where you can explore and climb around the sandstone features. You can climb up all around to explore the baby / soon-to-be arches. You can also view Owl Rock (a giant stone sentinel that looks over the valley) from the parking area. There were very few people in this area, so it was a great place to explore. Just remember to watch out for the cryptobiotic soil! The Windows Section: North Window, South Window, & Turret Arch Continuing along Windows Road, you can see Elephant Butte in the distance before arriving at the end of the road and the crowded Window Section parking area. This area is the most popular in the park, so it is highly concentrated with people! The North and South Windows are formed from openings in the same sandstone fin. These window arches stand side-by-side with a rock formation known as Nose Bridge between them. When viewed together, the two windows and bridge are known as “The Spectacles,” since they look like a pair of glasses. We made a 1-mile loop, starting with the North Window and ending with the Turret Arch. The short hike starts from the parking area along a flat and hard-packed section of the trail. Then the trail splits to the various arches. The trail becomes more uneven after the split and requires climbing up stone steps before reaching the North Window. The hike is pretty easy, but not accessible by stroller. Before we knew it, we were standing under the giant North Window arch! We spent some time here climbing and exploring under the arch before continuing to the South Window. After backtracking a short distance, you find the short spur trail that takes you to the South Window. This arch is perched higher up on a cliff, so you can’t get as close as you can with the North Window. On the plus side, it is much less crowded, so you have a better chance of getting a family photo without people in the background. Finishing up the Windows Loop, we continued the trek up the steps to Turret Arch. The arch gains its name from the towering spire on the side of the giant sandstone fin. This arch is smaller than the two windows, but you can get walk through it and explore the area before heading back to the parking area. Windows Loop Trail Details: Start: Windows Section Parking Lot Distance: 1 mile loop Difficulty: Easy Approximate Time: 1 hour The Windows Section: Double Arch Double Arch is the tallest and second longest arch in Arches National Park. The Arch consists of two arches that share the same stone as a foundation for both outer legs. Unlike most of the other arches in the park, Double Arch was formed from water erosion from atop the sandstone (rather than wind and water erosion from the sides). The arch is accessible from the Windows Section parking area or a separate Double Arch parking area. Rather than moving the car, we took a connector trail that joined the two parking areas. The connector trail is well marked along a slightly sloping flat and hard-packed section of the trail. Once you cross the Double Arch Parking Lot, you can access the short trail to Double Arch. The trail is hard-packed and easy to follow. When you reach the Double Arch, you can hike up and explore under the arch. During our visit, a fire along the primitive trail was growing and the Rangers were urging visitors to move their cars from the Windows Section Parking lot, so we did not stay long to adventure under Double Arch. Double Arch Trail Details: Start: Double Arch Trailhead (also accessible via a connector trail from the Windows Section Parking Area) Distance: 0.6 miles (out-and-back) Difficulty: Easy Approximate Time: 30 minutes Balanced Rock Once back in our car, we exited the Windows Section and made a quick stop to visit Balanced Rock from the parking lot. Even though it looks small from the parking lot, Balanced Rock stands 128 feet (39 m) tall. Ironically, there is not a “balanced rock” here. The top boulder of Entrada Sandstone is attached the Dewey Bridge mudstone pedestal. The exposure of these two rock strata layers is ideal for the formation of arches and balanced rocks. Eventually, the 3,600 ton boulder will fall as erosion continues. Balanced Rock Trail Details: Start: Balanced Rock Parking Lot Distance: 0.3 miles Difficulty: Easy Approximate Time: 15-20 minutes There are tons of other viewpoints along the road back to the park entrance, but we had a very full day of adventures. So, we opted to just stop at the Visitor Center so the girls could turn in their Junior Ranger books and get sworn in. Visitor Information Address: 5 miles north of Moab, Utah, on US 191 Hours: 24 hours Cost: National Park entrance pass required (included in your America The Beautiful annual pass), plus timed entry pass ($2 fee paid online) from 7 am to 4 pm between April 1 and October 31 Tour Time: Varies greatly! We spent about 10 hours in Arches NP, but could have broken this into 2 days and spent longer exploring different areas. Disclaimer: Always make sure to check out the latest information from the park website before you arrive. The Family Verdict I had reviewed the park map before our visit and determined what areas our crazy crew would enjoy the most, but there are plenty of other areas in Arches NP that you can enjoy. We visited in June (luckily, it was not extremely hot yet this year!) so I tried to keep our longer hikes to the morning before the sun was too high overhead. Overall, Arches NP was beautiful! There was a great balance of viewpoints that did not require a ton of hiking and fun trails for added adventure. If you loved this family adventure guide, check out my review of Lower Antelope Canyon and follow along on our road trip through the American Southwest!

Ready to take a glimpse into early Native American history in Arizona? Montezuma Castle National Monument doesn't disappoint! After setting off on our road trip through the American Southwest, we drove about an hour and a half from Phoenix, Arizona to our first stop at the Montezuma Castle National Monument. What is Montezuma Castle National Monument? Ironically, this area has nothing to do with the Aztec's (i.e., "Montezuma"), but gained its name from assumptions made by early settlers. Montezuma Castle is the third National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture. The National Monument protects a set of well-preserved dwellings located in Camp Verde, Arizona, which were built and used by the Sinagua people between approximately AD 1100 and 1425. The main structure comprises five stories and about 20 rooms and was built over the course of three centuries. The trail signs and a wonderful diorama help to depict the grandeur and sophistication of the dwellings. Montezuma Castle NM can be combined with nearby Montezuma Well NM and Tuzigoot NM. We were limited on time and the girls had limited attention span, so we opted to only visit Montezuma Castle. The park brochure combines all three national monuments: Why Stop Here? Montezuma Castle is a lovely 1-2 hour stop that is easily accessed off I-17. It introduced the girls to early Native American history in the southwest (something we built upon along our road trip) -- and it was also a great precursor to the extensive cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. Our Family Adventures at Montezuma Castle NM There is a small visitor's center located near the parking area (maybe a 1-2 minute walk). We toured the small exhibit room while the girls worked on some of their Junior Ranger books. The books prompted them to think about life long ago and what it would have been like to live here. From the visitor's center, you can take a short 1/3 mile walk along a paved and well shaded trail to view the dwellings and read the informational signs. There are benches and shaded areas to rest and enjoy the views. Make sure to bring a water bottle and a small pair of binoculars to see the details of the cliff dwellings. My girls each use these binoculars. Spider Monkey burns pretty easily, so we also make sure she has a hat on when we are outside in the Arizona sun. The girls soaked in the importance of the area while completing their Junior Ranger badge activities. Junior Ranger Tip: you can download the Junior Ranger book here and work on some of the pages before you arrive! Visitor Information Address: 2800 Montezuma Castle Road, Camp Verde, AZ 86322 Entrance Cost: $10 per person or covered by a America the Beautiful National Park Pass (tip: a National Park Pass pays for itself ten times over -- and it is FREE for 4th graders!!) Hours: 8 am - 5 pm Cell Service: limited Disclaimer: Always make sure to check out the latest park information from the National Park Service before you arrive. You Must Try the Fry Bread! There were not a lot of food options available nearby when we visited, but there was a little roadside stand selling Indian fry bread. I had heard it was definitely something we needed to try, so I was on the lookout for it. OMG it did not disappoint!! Similar to a funnel cake, but so much better. We tried the salt, powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon/sugar varieties. All 4 were amazing, but my favorite was the salt (the girls loved the powdered sugar). They sell Navajo tacos there on the weekend. We visited mid-week, but made sure to try out Navajo tacos later on our visit ... spoiler ... they are amazing too!! The Family Verdict We thought Montezuma Castle NM was a pretty amazing short stop on our road trip adventure. If you are in the area, make sure to stop by and admire this national treasure. If you loved this family adventure guide, check out my review of nearby Sedona and follow along on our road trip through the American Southwest!

Ready to slide through emerald water and glide over Sedona red rocks while taking in the forested walls of Oak Creek Canyon? Slide Rock is the perfect summer adventure! A short 7 mile drive from Sedona, Slide Rock State Park was our last destination after a day full of outdoor adventures! It was the perfect place to cool off and enjoy the late afternoon. It is far from a secret location, and can draw big crowds. However, we did not find it overly crowded in the late afternoon. What is Slide Rock? Slide Rock is a frequent top-10 runner on lists of the best swimming spots. Underground springs help Oak Creek form a natural water slide of ice cold water. Aided by a thin layer of algae on the rocks, this combination creates hours of chilly fun. This refreshing plunge is the perfect way to beat Arizona's summer heat. To get to the natural water slide, you enter the state park and follow the crowds down the paved walkways. Along the path you will learn about the Pendley Homestead, a 43-acre historic apple farm that encompasses the current park. Frank L. Pendley acquired the land under the Homestead Act in 1910, and due to his unique irrigation system (which is still in use by the park today) Pendley was successful in planting an apple orchard. The Pendleton Homestead is one of the few homesteads left intact in the canyon today. Once you reach the trail, you cross over rocks until you find the perfect place to jump in. We opted to hold Spider Monkey's hand over the rocks since they were a little slippery. Buttercup had no problem until we started walking through the water (then it gets pretty slippery). Our Family Adventures at Slide Rock Buttercup opted to explore the area first, while Spider Monkey jumped straight to the slide. The water gets surprisingly deep in areas, so we tried to catch Spider Monkey before she ventured too far down the slide. I was surprised by this as there were littles all over. Our catch method worked, but I would have preferred having her in a PFD. After splashing around for a while, the sun became shaded by the cliffs, so we opted to head back to Sedona for dinner. There are little shops along the walkway that sell ice cream and snacks, but we were heading out for dinner elsewhere. Tip: Bring a small tube or float for easier sliding. The girls had no problem using their bottoms, but it looked much easier with the aid of a float. Visitor Information Address: 6871 N. Highway 89A Sedona, AZ 86336 Entrance Cost: varies by season ($10-$30 per car) Your America the Beautiful National Park Pass is not accepted at Slide Rock. Hours: 8 am - 6 pm (varies by season) Cell Service: limited Disclaimer: Always make sure to check out the latest park information from the park website before you arrive. The Family Verdict Dustin was a little slow to warm up to the chilling water, but everyone ended up having a great time at Slide Rock. Just be sure to keep an eye on your littles while they are in the water. In all, our time at Slide Rock was a great way to end our family adventures in Sedona. If you loved this family adventure guide, check out my review of nearby Sedona and follow along on our road trip through the American Southwest!

Imagine a blinding ball of light approaching the Earth at a speed of 8 miles per second causing the evacuation of millions of tons of rock in an ancient juniper and pinyon forest area of the Colorado Plateau. Meteor Crater National Landmark is one of a few places on Earth where you can marvel at the massive effect an asteroid makes when impacting our planet. About 90 minutes from Sedona, Arizona (or 45 minutes from Flagstaff) is a hidden astronomical surprise. Driving through the flat desert climate where the road continues for as far as the eye can see, we approached what appeared to be a low ridge and small building in the middle of nowhere. We take every opportunity to stop and visit "something different" during our road trips, so Meteor Crater was the perfect short stop on our travels towards the Petrified Forest National Park. I mean, how many people can say they have seen an actual meteor crater? Not to mention, because of its young age and the area's dry climate, Meteor Crater National Landmark is one of the best preserved impact craters on Earth! What is the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark? This area of the Colorado Plateau is believed to have been a gently rolling countryside covered with a juniper and pinyon forest and inhabited by large mammals such as mammoths, ground sloths, bison, camels, tapirs and horses. Around 50,000 years ago, a 150 foot diameter iron-nickel asteroid struck the ground with a force 150 times greater than an atomic bomb. During the impact, the asteroid, bedrock and any animals/flora at ground zero would have been vaporized. Surrounding bedrock was thrown and the shockwaves would have produced 1000 km/hr winds that stripped away the grass near the crater and flattened the 10 miles of forest. Very little of the original mass of the 150,000 tons of the meteor survived impact. Most was vaporized and remains in the soil around Meteor Crater. After impact, the crater filled with water to form an ancient lake. It was crater was also subject to erosion, loosing around 20 feet of it elevation on the rim, and the bottom has filled with about 200-250 feet of rubble and sand. The resulting crater is now nearly a mile wide and 570 feet deep. Our Family Adventure at Meteor Crater We arrived early, so the parking lot was not yet crowded (it was pretty crowded around lunch time when we left). The Meteor Crater land is privately owned and maintained, which makes it a little pricey. After paying our entrance fee, they provided the girls with a scavenger hunt booklet to complete (similar to a short Junior Ranger booklet), which kept them engaged in the museum activities. The museum as small, but very informative and provided enough interactive / hands-on activities to keep both girls interested. We completed the main part of the museum in about an hour. Also included with the price of admission, is a guided tour of the crater rim. Guided tours run at scheduled intervals (every hour when we were there). We met the tour guide in the designated area for the tour orientation. Our tour guide, a local Winslow resident, explained the formation, history, and geology of the crater as we walked along an easy paved path over a portion of the crater rim. The tour was very informative and helped the girls complete the last few questions in their booklets. The entire tour lasted just under an hour. If you wanted to skip the guided tour, there are four lookout points that you can visit to see portions of the crater. After our tour, we were perfectly timed for the 4D theater experience, which is also included in the price of admission. The girls love 4D theaters, so this was the perfect way to sit back and enjoy the air conditioning. Our last stop was the gift shop, where the girls turned in their booklets and received a patch to add to their Junior Ranger badge collection. Visitor Information Address: Interstate 40, Exit 233, Winslow, AZ 86047 Hours: vary by season Tour Time: 2-3 hours Cell Service: Available Disclaimer: Always make sure to check out the latest information from the website before you arrive. The Family Verdict Everyone had a good time, but the girls got a little bored on the long tour (Dustin and I both really enjoyed it though). The museum and 4D theater were great -- plus the scavenger hunt booklets encouraged the girls to engage in the exhibits. In all, Meteor Crater was a good stop on our family adventure road trip. If you are in the area, it is worth the visit. If you loved this family adventure guide, check out my review of nearby Sedona and follow along on our road trip through the American Southwest!

Does your family love to explore the outdoors? Are you always ready for a new adventure? A trip to Sedona is perfect for you bucket list of adventures! Follow along for our family adventure guide to Sedona, Arizona. After leaving Montezuma Castle NP, we drove a few more miles and watched the scenery drastically changed from white sand mountains to red sandstone as we neared Sedona. At first glance, Sedona is a charming town with new age spas, art galleries, and adventure outfitters surrounded by red-rock buttes, forests, and trailheads. The buildings blend nicely with the natural scenery giving off an overall sense of serenity. First Stop ... Food With only fry bread in our bellies since leaving Phoenix, our first order of business was picking one of the many restaurant options for a quick meal. We drove through the town and decided to try Picazzo's Healthy Italian Kitchen, a "fusion approach to a modern-Italian cuisine that sprinkles in the bold flavors of Asian, Mediterranean and even Mexican ingredients, into [their] menu of salads, entrees, pasta and pizza". All-in-all, it was hit and miss for our meal choices. I had the Bianca and Dustin had the cheese bread, both were great. The girls had the linguine with house-made marinara and they couldn't stomach any of it. After trying it, we quickly gave them a pass at finishing their meal ... it was awful! Later we were looking for authentic Mexican, so we decided to try Tortas de Fue. The parking lot is tiny and there is very limited seating, but the portions are huge (we could have split a couple dishes) and the prices are reasonable. I would have loved a margarita at the end of our busy day, but an ice cold Coke and excellent food did the trick. We would definitely return. Family Lodging Lodging in Sedona can get pricey, which can be tricky when you traveling for almost 2 weeks. Based on the reviews, we opted for the Hampton Inn Sedona. Pros: The room and hotel were clean, plus they provided breakfast and had a pool (a big plus with the girls). The beds were comfortable and we had two great nights of sleep there. Cons: Breakfast started at 6:30 am (different than on the posted sign) and they were strict about making everyone wait until then. This caught me as a little odd, since the food was put out earlier and everyone was made to stand around until the clock struck 6:30. The pool was outdoors and looked nothing like the photos. Clean enough to swim in, but was definitely showing wear and tear. All things considered, I would stay there again and found it to be a good value for the area. Our Family Adventures in Sedona After checking into the hotel, we swam and relaxed after our long flight and day of traveling. Hot Air Balloon Ride I had scheduled a hot air balloon ride over the Sedona landscape with Northern Lights Balloon Expedition for our first morning! There are multiple hot air balloon companies in the area, but Northern Lights was one of only two companies permitted by the US Forestry Service to take off and land in Sedona -- plus they are a family-owned company with an outstanding safety record. Our scheduled pick-up was 4:50 am (no problem since we were still functioning on eastern time). Pick up ran smoothly. The weather was a little chilly, so the girls and I dressed in layers. The van took us and 8 other guests into the desert where we got our first glimpse of the basket. Spider Monkey was very concerned about how we were all going to fit, but the guides explained how the 100 foot balloon raises up into the air and picks up the metal burner system, leaving the entire basket open for all of us. Upon arrival at the departure location, the company tests the winds before launching by releasing a black helium balloon and watching it react to the winds high in the air. Unfortunately, my bucket list hot air balloon ride will have to wait until another day, because the winds did not want to cooperate today. So we packed back into the van and returned to the hotel before breakfast started. This is a perfect example of why I always have back-up adventure options! Cons: I need the ability to control the winds and weather. Pros: Viewing Sedona's beautiful landscape from the serenity of a hot air balloon sounds amazing!! So we are keeping this one on our bucket list. Coconino National Forest & Oak Creek Canyon Since it was still pretty early, we drove through Sedona to explore some of the overlooks mentioned on our audio tour (I use the GuideAlong tours). We explored the Oak Creek Visitor Center area (the hours listed on their website were wrong and it was not open a 8:30 am when we visited). We took a short hike around the pull-off for Midgley Bridge, which spans over Oak Creek Canyon. Buttercup spotted a nest of Ravens under the bridge, while Spider Monkey found rocks to climb and pose for photos. The girls had been working on their Coconino National Forest Junior Ranger activity books, so we ventured to the Red Rock Ranger Station. 4x4 Panoramic Jeep Tour Then it was time for our back-up adventure that I was able to book over breakfast ... a 4x4 Jeep adventure with Red Rock Western Jeep Tours! We drove to their office to meet our guide before our scheduled tour. They asked us to check in 30 minutes before our tour time. Checking in took maybe 5 minutes, and then we waited around for the other 25 minutes. I'm not a huge fan of ideal time standing around listening to the girls tell me how bored they are -- especially since we had a private tour and did not need to wait on other families to arrive. Our guide, Salt, was the last guide to arrive (several other groups had already left), but she had a great personality, was very easy to talk to, and went out of her way to make sure the girls had fun. So she gets an overall thumbs up in my book. After we loaded into the red jeep, Salt took us on a panoramic tour of the mesa and a close-up view of Doe Mesa. The girls loved the “roller coaster-like” bumpy off-road adventure. Buttercup and Salt found Mountain Lion tracks, coyote scat, and lots of wildflowers. We also learned about Sedona’s “Vortex’s” – Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, and Boynton Canyon, the “merging dimensions” portals at Bradshaw Ranch (and the now “secret governmental presence there”, and all the crazy paranormal/inter-dimensional activity that occurs in the area (all an interesting side note that explains the endless spiritual crystal shops and vortex tours offered in Sedona). The Bradshaw Ranch will be featured on “Beyond Skinwalker Ranch” on the History Channel. Cons: Cost-wise, the tour was a little over half the price of our hot air balloon ride (so a little pricey) and felt like we were rushed, then waited ideally, only to be rushed again. Pros: The girls loved Salt and had an amazing time! So, I would do it again, especially in a pinch like today. The Family Verdict We thought Sedona was an action-packed outdoor wonderland! So much to do, see and experience! If you loved this family adventure guide, check out my review of nearby Montezuma Castle and follow along on our road trip through the American Southwest!