Yesterday’s post has a quick list of the trip installments up to this point, and we last left off in Flagstaff where my husband was recuperating from a bought of food poisoning.

When I was planning the trip, I created a Travel Folder. In it were maps and ideas for each leg of the trip. I used plastic page protectors, and they were wonderful for organizing the information we needed for the trip and for maps and other things we gathered along the way. Everything was in one place, and I kept the Travel Folder easily accessible from the front seat of the car.

Originally, we wanted to explore Flagstaff and the surrounding area on foot. We love hiking and couldn’t wait to get out there. I have a high school friend who lives in Flagstaff now, and he was able to point me in the direction of some good hiking trails. It was nice to get the advice of a local.

But, knowing that this was near the end of our trip, and always wanting to have a Plan B, I also printed out some good scenic tours to do via car. I mean, what if Claire had had enough by the time we got to Flagstaff? What if the weather turned on us? It didn’t even occur to me that one of the adults would get sick, but that’s what had happened, and we just made a slight adjustment and did most of our exploring via car, with little hikes here and there.

We decided to use some of our time and head down to Sedona to check it out.

Momma & Claire with the pink javelinas

Claire actually said, "Take a picture of this chair for your blog!" So, we did!

That early evening, while exploring more of Flagstaff, we found a playground and had a much needed break.

Swinging our cares away!

Our slightly altered agenda worked out perfectly!

The next morning, we headed to Santa Fe. We stayed where we’ve stayed in the past. It’s not the fanciest hotel, but it’s literally two blocks from The Plaza and it’s not a million dollars a night.

We got checked into the hotel and decided to unwind before heading out for our explorations. Of course, little did I know that excitement was closer than I thought! I laugh to myself just thinking about it. And, the outcome could have been much more traumatic than it was.

I was out in the main area of our hotel room getting some things situated, and Daddy and Claire were in the bathroom. All of a sudden, I hear a splash and then hysterical laughter.

Yes, she’d fallen in!

She’s been potty trained for over a year, but every toilet we’ve used on the trip was different. She’s rather insistent on doing things herself. Normally, this is fine. Apparently, she’d scootched right up and slipped right in. Luckily, Daddy had handled her rescue in a way that made the whole thing funny and we couldn’t stop laughing. Luckily, she fell in at the beginning of the bathroom visit and not the end! Ewwwww!

Any day you don’t fall in the toilet is a good day, but even this couldn’t damper the fun we had in Santa Fe.

We strolled around The Plaza, taking in the sights. It was nice to have a leisurely evening after a day of driving. We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Santa Fe, and we were excited to see that it was still alive and kickin’.

Our stay in Santa Fe was bittersweet. We knew it was the last stop before heading home. We were exhausted from being on the go for the last 12-days, but we were sad to say goodbye to our vacation.

The next day, we were up and on the road, headed northbound. Every mile we drove put us farther and farther from our vacation but closer to our own beds. The memories we made on that trip are not soon to be forgotten.

“Remember that one time…” will be the only phrase that is needed to bring it all alive again.