The Arizona News

March 2, 2009
By Ryan & Aaron, Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa


Saturday February 21st

Grandma: Is so good having the family here in Lake Havasu. I thought they would never get here. The plane came in 2 hours late.

Ryan: The ride was so long I couldn’t wait until we got to Las Vegas to see Grandma & Grandpa and drive through 3 states. We had a tiring night.

Mom: After grandma & Grandpa picked us from the airport we drove through town looking for a place to eat. We finally found an “In & Out”, a burger joint. The burgers and fries were good.

Dad: Mitchell Field was closed down two times while we were there. We saw three fire trucks chasing down an airplane that had breaking problems. The most interesting event we saw was the 18 truck snow plowing convoy removing snow from the runway.

Aaron: We got on the airplane and I lost a tooth. Grandma & Grandpa picked us up and we went to eat. I was asleep in the car. We went to sleep.

Grandpa: Boy, what a long day. We had a nice visit with my mom and went to lunch at the Black Bear Diner. When their plane finally left Milwaukee, I could track it on the computer. At 7:30 they all arrived safe and we drove home.

Sunday February 22nd

Grandma: I made breakfast. Wow, can those boys eat! I think that’s why they get taller each time we see them. After breakfast we all hopped into the car to show them Lake Havasu.

Ryan: Grandma made breakfast and we ate real fast. Today was a super slow, long fun day. I hoped that we would swim in Lake Havasu but instead we crossed the London Bridge.

Aaron: We went to the swap meet. We walked in a park. We watched remote control cars on a real dirt track. It was cool!

Mom: The swap meet was fun and I bought a T-shirt and new sunglasses. It turned out to be a cool day as it was mostly overcast. Later on, when we walked through the park at Lake Havasu, The sun peaked out some and we finally warmed up. Grandma made a great pot roast for dinner.

Dad: There sure are weird people down here. They like to take their dogs for a walk, but they put them in a suitcase, a baby stroller or in a basket on the back of a bike. There are also birds down here that can run on water and they have glow in the dark green feet.

Grandpa: I’m just the driver. We took a lot of Flat Stanley pictures. I’m sure that we will take a bunch more at Oatman and the Grand Canyon.

Monday February 23rd

Ryan: We all went to Oatman where Dad almost got eaten by burros through the window of the car. When we were leaving Oatman I got car sick and we ate at a restaurant in Kingman where I got sick again. Then we had pizza for dinner.

Aaron: All of us went to Oatman. We got chased by burros. We left Oatman and went to Kingman for lunch. We finally got to Williams, AZ. We went swimming at the hotel. We ate dinner at the Pizza Factory. We came back and went to sleep.

Dad: “Attack of the Hungry Burros”. We stopped in Oatman to see wild burros and they came after us thinking that we had carrots. We didn’t realize they were friendly until we were safe in the car. They came after me again during a gunfight in downtown Oatman. On the way to Williams we saw snow in the desert. Downtown Williams is the most historic of all the towns on Route 66 that we have seen.

Mom: Monday was a good day for a car ride as it was a bit cool and overcast. We even got a little rain but it didn’t last long. Just outside of Oatman we saw burros on the side of the road. Grandpa stopped and we all got out. It wasn’t long before we all ran to get back in the car. Everyone was screaming at Grandpa to start the car so we could roll up the windows so the burros couldn’t get us. We had a nice lunch at a diner in Kingman. Once in Williams we had a nice swim and the hot tub was nice and relaxing. For dinner we had a good pizza at the Pizza Factory.

Grandma: By now I guess that everyone can tell the burros were the highlight of our day. Time is flying by.

Grandpa: The bad, Ryan got sick. The good, I really enjoyed driving about 150 miles of Route 66. The really GREAT was hearing Matt screaming like a little girly-man for me to roll up his window so that the burros couldn’t get him.

Tuesday February 24th

Ryan: The Grand canyon doesn’t look so big from far away but it’s large. It’s like almost impossible looking at the Colorado River through rocky Valleys. Grandma and I are scared of heights and we were scared. We took the train to the Grand Canyon and back to the hotel and we saw Humphrey’s Peak, the tallest point in Arizona. On the way to the Grand Canyon we saw elk, antelope and cows. On the way back we saw a whole herd of elk, antelope and female deer and one male one. Across the street from the hotel we ate dinner at Rosa’s Cantina. Then we drove home.

Dad: We had an exciting trip to the Grand Canyon. We took a train from Williams to the Canyon. On the ride we saw Elk, antelope and cows. The terrain changed several times, from snow to forest to prairie to desert to canyon. It was a beautiful sight.

Mom: We had a nice relaxing train ride to the Grand Canyon. Wow, very beautiful and amazing site to see. It was odd to see snow while it was a fairly warm and sunny day. The train back to Williams held a surprise. We had train robbers! Somehow we escaped with all of our stuff. We ate dinner at Rosa’s Cantina for Mexican dinner and then headed home to Lake Havasu.

Aaron: We went to the Grand Canyon. It was more than cool, it was Awesome! We went on a train to get there and back to Williams. We ate at Rosa’s Cantina. We came home and went to bed.

Grandpa: What a day! It started with a gunfight at the hotel where one of the cowboys started talking to Ryan. He wanted to know if Ryan had a job and was married. It was pretty funny when he kept telling him that he should get a job when he gets home on Monday and Ryan should write to him every 2 weeks to let him know if he was making any progress. I’ve seen the Canyon 3 times now and it’s still amazing. It was great to experience it through the boys eyes. Of course Matt had to terrify his mother by standing close to the edge to take pictures.

Grandma: I thoroughly enjoyed the Canyon as long as I did not get too close to the railings and look down. I think that the boys are learning a lot.

Wednesday February 25th

Ryan: On our way to Yuma we saw Parker Dam and a golf course. I played my DS almost all the way there. When we got there it was 80 something degrees. Dad took a lot of pictures. We went to a famous prison with a lot of rocky walls.

Mom: Today we got up early and took a long ride south to Yuma. The landscape was pretty at times with colorful mountains and the Colorado River. Other times it was just flat. We did pass a lemon tree orchard and the U.S. Army proving grounds. Once in Yuma, we learned a lot about the Yuma Prison and about how they dug a river under a river so that they could get water to the area for farming.

Aaron: We went to Yuma. We went to the jail. Next we went to “Jack in the Box”. We went to a national park. We ate sloppy joe’s corn, salad, carrots and chips. We had brownies and ice cream. We went to bed.

Dad: 3:10 (3 hours 10 minutes) to Yuma. It was a very scenic ride with a lot of mountains and desert. We saw Parker Dam. Roger is not quite ready to race NASCAR. He decided to go three wide passing a slower car (on a two lane highway) and almost put a truck into “the wall”. We ended up with a cracked windshield and a third place finish. Yuma was 81° and very comfortable. We saw Yuma Prison and the Yuma Crossing. Did you ever see a river go under a river?

Grandma: I always wanted to see Yuma. Now I did and don’t need to do it again however some of the scenery was gorgeous But it was a long ride.

Grandpa: It was a long drive but Yuma was an interesting city. Yuma Federal Prison was open for only 33 years. Only two men ever escaped that were not re-captured. I cannot imagine being a prisoner there during the summer. Even in February the heat was uncomfortable. The Yuma crossing amazed me. They actually routed the Gila River under the Colorado River by digging a siphon tunnel to irrigate crops on the east side of the Colorado.

Thursday February 26th

Mom: Thursday was a nice relaxing day. The sun was out and it was beautiful all day. We took a relaxing boat ride across the Colorado River to a casino in California for breakfast. After breakfast we all went to the library and we all checked our e-mail. After that we came home for a relaxing afternoon. We out for pizza and ice and then came back home for a relaxing night in.

Ryan: Today is a relaxing day for Mom, Dad Grandma and Grandpa but not for Aaron and me. We swam in the freezing water of the Colorado River and we went to the library to check our e-mail. After we went swimming Aaron and I built a rock city and I took pictures of different buildings. For dinner we went to “Mudsharks” for pizza and “Scoops” for ice cream. Tomorrow is the last day we’re in Lake Havasu.

Aaron: We went for a boat ride to California. We went swimming in Lake Havasu. It was cold. We went to the library to check our e-mail. For dinner we went to “Mudsharks” next we went to “Scoops for ice cream. We went to bed.

Dad: We took a little trip across the pond on a ferry to get breakfast at the casino. When we got back the relaxers relaxed and the adventurers adventured back to the little pond (Lake Havasu). Grandma read and played suduko while I took in some sun and took pictures. Ryan and Aaron swam, played on the playground and built sand castles. Then we all went out for pizza and ice cream for dessert.

Grandma: I think that Grandma and Grandpas batteries are running low. We are not use to being on the go all the time but we are really enjoying having the family down here. The time is going by so fast.

Grandpa: Had a couple of cocktails and relaxed. I know how to do that.

Friday February 27th

Ryan: Today is going to be a busy day. We have to drive 3 hours to Hoover Dam. I stood in two states and two time zones at once, Arizona and Nevada. Then we drove to Las Vegas to look around. We went to our hotel, Excalibur, and watched a dinner show called The “Tournament Of Kings”. At the end a big fireworks banged right in front of Grandma and me. Then we walked to the Blueman Theater. We were in the poncho section but Blueman didn’t spray anything out, but they accidently flinged jello at Grandma. We got a picture with one of the Bluemen.

Aaron: We went to Las Vegas. We saw Hoover Dam. We finally got to Las Vegas. We went to our hotel, the Excalibur. We went to see “Tournament of Kings”. Next we went to the Blueman Group. It was great!

Dad: We started off the day going to Hoover Dam. That was an awesome sight to see. We then headed to Las Vegas. We toured the town and looked at all the hotels and casinos. We went to the Excalibur “Tournament of Kings” dinner show. That was very exciting. We then went to see the “Blue Man Group”. They sure put on a great show. We sat in the third row and had to wear ponchos. Good thing because Grandma got catapulted with a large piece of jello. It was a very late night.

Mom: Another busy day. We stopped to see Hoover Dam. Awesome accomplishment, neat. After we checked into the Excalibur we took a walk down The Strip. Lots to take in. We had to sprint back down the strip to make it to our dinner show. The show was fun. After dinner we all went down to the Venetian to see Blue Man Group. We were in the third row in the poncho section. It was awesome, very fun.

Grandma: Jeanne did it again, she got front row seats for the medieval dinner (hands only for eating) and jousting show. Third row seats for The Blue Man show. That was amazing to see. It was a walking marathon that day, but we all made it.

Grandpa: As relaxing as Thursday was is how frantic Friday was. I’ve probably driven across the Hoover Dam 4 or 5 times but never stopped. I’m glad that I finally did (we needed Flat Stanley pictures). I think that Grandma’s and my age is catching up to us. After our sprint back to the Excalibur for the dinner show, We took a cab to the Venetian while the others walked. After the show we took the boys in the cab with us to go back. We hit the bed and pretty much just passed out.

Saturday February 28th

Aaron: We got up and had breakfast. We checked out. Then we went to Mandalay Bay casino. Next we went to the Orleans for lunch. We met Great Grandma Schmit. After lunch we went to Rio to look around. We went to the airport. The best thing about the trip was the Blue Man Group because I never saw them and they were cool.

Ryan: It’s going to be a sad day for all of us. We had to leave today. Noooooooo! We went to McDonalds for breakfast. Then we went into different casinos. Grandma was the only one who won money. She split it with us. We ate lunch with Grandpa’s mom. Then she gave us money. That was so nice of her. We went to the last casino and then grandma and grandpa dropped us off at the airport. Then we flew to Milwaukee. I got four cookies on the plane because the stewardess said I had big brown eyes.

Dad: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. So I will have to omit all of the juicy stuff. Out of all the restaurants in Vegas the boys wanted McDonalds. It ended up being the cheapest meal of the week. We then toured through some casinos on the way to Orleans to eat lunch with Great Grandma Schmit. She was so excited to see us all. The boys were also very excited to see their new Great Grandma. Ryan and Aaron were the only ones who won money in Vegas. $10 each from playing the “grandma slots”. It seams to only pay out on grandchildren, as Roger soon found out. Thanks Grandma & Grandpa for taking care of us for the week. It was a great vacation.

Mom: Today is the last day of our AZ vacation. We got up and ready for the day by repacking our suitcases. We headed to breakfast and decided that McDonalds was the quickest and cheapest way to go. We got to me McDonalds in our hotel at the right time because the line stretched on and on after we got there. We tried a couple of slot machines, “The Rich Piggies” & Kenny Rogers” but lost right away. We drove over to the Mandalay Bay in hopes to see some parrots but did not find them. We found a shark reef but seeing that we didn’t win at slots we couldn’t afford to go in. From there we drove to Orleans to have lunch and meet Great Grandma Schmit . She was fun; it was great to meet her at last. After lunch we drove around a bit and eventually got dropped off at the airport for our trip home.This was an action packed trip. We did many great things and saw some fun shows. We were in a car, a train, a plane, a tram, a boat, a taxi, elevators, escalators, and moving sidewalks. The best of all was spending some time with Grandma & Grandpa Schmit.

Grandma: Well our fun filled vacation came to an end when we took the family back to the air port for their return trip home. I enjoyed every moment having them all here. I know we didn’t do everything they wanted to do, but we did pack as much as we could in each day. The week just few by and a few tears were shed at the air port. It is sooo quite here now.

Grandpa: Time to pack up and head out. The main event of the last day was having lunch with my mom. The boys were looking forward to it as they had never met her. After packing, we went down for breakfast and to donate a little money to the slot machines. Grandma was the only one to win. Of course she gave her winnings to the boys. We met Mom at the Orleans and posed for pictures with Flat Stanley in front of the gators. We ate at the Courtyard Café and had a very nice visit. All too soon it was time to leave and take the kids to the airport. And so, a great week came to an end. Grandma and I headed back to our very quiet house in Lake Havasu.