Vacations Blog

Dress your dog in holiday festivewear for the 1.2k Santa Sled Run.

The 12K’s of Christmas celebrates the “health, fitness, and joy of Christmas.” This Christmas run is being held in the town of Gilbert, Arizona on December 12th at the Freestone District Park. Every registered runner receives a free Santa hat to wear during the run. Chorale groups will be stationed along the route singing Christmas Carols, and prizes will be offered for those runners with the most inventive Christmas-themed running outfit.

Along with the 12k marathon is a 1.2k “Santa Sled Run” for the whole family to enjoy, including your four-legged friends. Decorate strollers, wagons, bicycles, and even your dog to run, walk, or stroll the 1.2k. Prizes will be awarded for the 12k’s of Christmas Judges Award, the Spirit of Christmas Judges Award, Santa’s Favorite Pet, Best Decorated Entry, and Individual and Child’s Christmas Spirit awards.

Non-runners can enjoy the Christmas Bazaar for some last-minute Christmas shopping, food, and drink. Downtown Gilbert will also be hosting post-event celebrations, so make a day of it and enjoy the 12K’s of Christmas!

Registration Fee for the 12k Race is $30 prior to race day, and $35 the day of the race. Registration includes water stations and snacks, Santa Hat and collectible finishers pin. Day of Race Registration is 8 am to 9:45 am, the race begins at 10 am, and the awards ceremony immediately follows the race.

Registration Fee for the Santa Sled 1.2K Run is $30 Team entry (4 people), $5 for each additional person.
Registration is from 8 am to 9:45 am, and the race Begins at 10:12 am.

Photo Credit: “I like my new sweater” by mbtrama on Flickr Creative Commons.

The Sam Adams tent at the Big Pour in 2008.

The Big Pour, a beer festival hosted by Draft Magazine, is this weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona. From the official site:

“The Big Pour is the ultimate beer lover’s adventure with hundreds of craft beers from breweries across the globe, seminars, food pairing tips and some of the world’s most celebrated brewers and beer experts. After a rousing premier in 2008, The Big Pour also returns with live music headlined by Everclear.”

Really, I can’t say it any better than that!

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The view of Flagstaff from the top of Mars Hill.

Last weekend my husband had to work up in Flagstaff, AZ, about two and a half hours north of our home in Chandler. I availed myself of the opportunity for a free hotel room, and drove up to join him on Friday night.

Saturday I set out to explore the lovely city of Flagstaff. I wanted to enjoy the wonderful fall weather to its fullest, so I decided a bit of hiking was in order. After perusing the area map provided to me by the hotel, I found one of the entrances to the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS, pronounced “foots”).

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I’ve mentioned before, more than once, that Boston Massachusetts is one of my favorite cities. It’s hard to beat the combination of fresh seafood, architecture, and history of the place. Handily, there is one ideal location that combines all three, to provide you with an unforgettable experience on your next trip to Boston – The Freedom Trail.

The Freedom Trail is a three-mile walking tour along the heart of historic Boston, marked by a red line or red brick along the sidewalks. It begins in Boston Common (America’s oldest public park), and ends in Charlestown at the Bunker Hill Monument. Area maps can be purchased at the Information Booth near Park Street Station, and are also available at most area hotels.

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Majestic Lake Powell in Page, Arizona

With nearly 2,000 miles of shoreline, Lake Powell stretches into both Utah and Arizona. On a houseboat you can explore the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Lake Powell area. The rock canyons and towers are one of the most beautiful sites in the world. If you don’t want to stay on the water or guide your own boat, there are tours available as well as hotels RV parks, and campgrounds. All together it makes a complete family vacation package in a place with a rich history of being a backdrop for numerous movies such as Planet of the Apes and Maverick.

Family oriented activities include golf, guided fishing excursions, boat rentals with GPS, powerboat with water toy rentals and a complimentary Lake Powell Explorer pack aimed at younger kids and their parents. The pack includes a parent’s guide, hiking maps, word puzzles and a field trip to the Glen Canyon Dam Visitor Center.

Glen Canyon near Lake Powell, Page, Arizona

Book a package with days between November 5th to 8th and you can be a part of the Balloon Street Fair and watch the Hot Air Balloon Regatta fly overhead.

Photo credits both go to Wolfgang Staudt.

A bridge in the Grottos Day Use area in Independence Pass, CO.

Independence Pass connects Aspen and Leadville, Colorado via State Highway 82. It is the second-highest paved highway in Colorado, reaching 12,095 feet at its highest. With a 6.5% grade and narrow switchbacks all along the road, traversing Independence Pass is an adventure in the summertime, and prohibited completely in the winter (the road is closed altogether).

The ghost town in Independence Pass, CO.

In the late 1800’s, Independence Pass was the main route into and out of the Roaring Fork Valley during its heyday as a location for silver mining. The town of Independence was established in 1879, and by 1880 was inhabited by 1,000 people. Once the silver ore was completely mined, the population dwindled until the last person moved out in 1912. The ghost town is currently an historic landmark and active archaeological site.

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Equitours is “America’s oldest and largest horseback riding vacation company.” They only sponsor tours that have been carefully selected for quality, safety, and value. With a huge amount of world-wide destinations to recommend, visitors are provided with a wealth of information with which to make their travel decision. A sample of some of the destionations available include:

California Redwood Coast Ride: A seven-day itinerary starting at $2,295 per person, which includes food and lodging. Rides feature a different ocean beach each day.

Ireland Atlantic Coast Ride: An eight-day itinerary starting at $1500 per person, which includes lodging and two lunches, and airport/train transfers. Rides feature beaches, mountain trails, local villages, castles, and historic sites.

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Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Many people think of the desert when they think of Southern Utah, but the desert can be beautiful. Encompassing over 3,700 acres, the Coral Pink Sand Dunes make an ideal location for part of your family adventure vacation. The dunes are created because winds flow between the Moccasin and Moquith mountains carrying grains of sand creating the beautiful park. The park is surrounded by the red sandstone cliffs Southern Utah is famous for. Add in the stunning blue sky and the green trees around the perimeter and you’ve got the perfect photo opportunity.

Yellow Flowers at Coral Pink Sand Dunes Utah State Park

If you go to Coral Pink Sand Dunes in your RV, there is an inexpensive campground on the premises. Kanab is nearby and makes a great place to stay if you’re not camping. You can rent off road vehicles in Kanab to play on the dunes as well as go hiking or sand tubing. Two popular places to hike are South Fork Indian Canyon Pictographs, where ancient pictographs can be seen along the sand walls, and Moquith Mountains where you can actually see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

The park has nice, maintained bathrooms and places for picnics. Check out the other nearby attractions here.

Photo credits – Top image by Passerine, bottom image by Respres.