THE UNITED STATES OF US

When you have an opportunity to explore with a local, you take it! Yes, we have visited Sedona in the past, but not like this - off the beaten path. On this day we were taken to a special little place called Buddha Beach. It’s located in the Crescent Moon Picnic Area, otherwise known as Red Rock Crossing. It's not a highly populated area, no signs, you definitely need to find it on your own. The 'beach' is tucked neatly behind a forest and in between creeks. You will get wet

It’s no secret that The Grand Canyon, located partially in Arizona and partially in Nevada, is one of the most traveled destinations in the United States. With miles of gorgeous views, hikes that will take your breath away (figuratively and literally), The Grand Canyon is why they say: "America The Beautiful." While some people may think that this is a destination fit only for outdoorsmen and adventurers; think again. The Grand Canyon is a place the entire family can enjoy.

Sedona is located in the Upper Sonoran Desert of northern Arizona at an elevation of 4500 feet - chug chug chug that water!!! Sedona's a-maz-ing.... Upon arriving the RV had a moment of silence. As the red sandstone formations showed themselves against the blue sky, we were hooked. It's no wonder Sedona attracts spiritual seekers, artists and healers. Many New Age types believe that Sedona is the center of vortexes that radiate the Earth's power. We definitely felt something

You can't just drive by these places, although you can't stop at every historical mark either. We decided that Montezuma Castle was worthy of an O'Dorisio stop. Montezuma Castle National Monument protects a set of well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings near the town of Camp Verde, Arizona. Montezuma’s Castle is one of the best preserved cliff dwellings, and a great stop on a tour of some of Arizona’s stranger sites. Compatible with my strange kids:) Although the hi

It was time to juice up on family time. It had been a while since we've spent time with relatives and so this stop was, well, selfishly for our state of mind:) We thoroughly enjoyed quaint little Tucson - right down to the kitchy RV Campground we called home. Our Tucson introduction began at the infamous historical hotel, Congress Hotel. Built in 1919, this hip Downtown hotel once provided rooms to legendary bank robber John Dillinger. The interior still has much of it's orig

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is 'The Grand Canyon with a roof on it" - as Will Rogers once put it. Centered within the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico, the main attraction of the caverns is the show cave, and boy did it show us! Long, long ago - say 900 AD, Native Americans came across this giant cave system. The settlers only noticed it a century ago, after seeing swarms of bats rushing out of a hole in the ground at sunset. It's a very big deal to celebrat

White Sands was our time to cut loose and just be kids again, all of us! A one-of-a-kind outdoor activity, White Sands National Monument is neatly tucked within the Tularosa Basin. [between the Sacramento and San Andres Mountain ranges of southern New Mexico] At first glance you are sure the dunes are snow, not sand. The sands are not composed of quartz, like most desert sands, but of gypsum and calcium sulfate. Unlike other desert sands, it is cool to the touch, due to the h

Many times we stop where the wind blows us, and without hesitation, we happily let the wind do it's work. Lucky for us, the wind blew us in the direction of my favorite President's forest. Lincoln National Forest, named after President Abraham Lincoln was established in 1902. The forest is made up of more than one million acres spanning four counties and four different mountain ranges. That's a whole lotta acres! The Lincoln National Park just happens to be right next to the

Ground Zero for aliens, Roswell, Mexico is home to the International UFO Museum and Research. In case you did not know, Roswell was the sight of an infamous alleged UFO crash back in 1947. Uniquely, the town still celebrates that legacy today with an annual UFO festival and the International UFO Museum & Research Center, a popular tourist destination. As we read while visiting, in July 1947, something happened northwest of Roswell, New Mexico, during a severe thunderstorm. Wa

Yes Gigi, another space museum...you cannot go through New Mexico without exploring a hub of space experimentation and innovation! This museum is unique in that it showcases the state’s long history of rocket launches, satellites, and simulations that helped make human space flight possible. [White Sands Missile Range - yep we drove through it] The museum is home to many important space artifacts, including the coveralls worn by the only scientist to walk on the moon, the Dai