Summer Vacation 2024 Is Right Around the Corner

By Marcella S. Meeks

School lets out for the summer here in the little town of Logansport, Louisiana on May 22^nd and we all know what that means! Vacation time for this traveling Mamaw! Kendray (my 12 year old grandson) and I will be leaving out on the 23^rd or 24^th (west bound!) to Colorado for several weeks. This year, I have the privilege of staying at the Texan Resort in Lake City until August 1^st. The Texan will be

our base camp but we’ll be moving around a bit in June and July but coming back to Lae City each time. We’ll be in Cuchara for a few nights at the Dodgecreek Inn, and then heading over to Leadville to stay at Sugar Loafin’ Cabins before heading back to Lake City. I’ve got a rafting trip in Taos, New Mexico coming up at New Mexico River Adventures – my grandson and I are both are looking forward to that. We’ll be heading over to Farmington, New Mexico at some point to visit family for a night or two and then over to Hanksville, Utah.

While we are in Hanksville, we’re going over to Moab and ride the rapids with Sherri Grifith River Expeditions. Rafting is the best! We’ve rafter before with several groups from Canon City, Buena Vista, Salida and Durango before and they were great. Each one was different and got the adrenaline flowing, that’s for sure. NM River Adventures and Sheri Griffith Expeditions sounds like a lot of fun. We’ve yet to experience these thrills but soon, very soon, we’ll ge the chance!

We’ll squeeze Arizona in somewhere on our way heading home, we’ll come back through Carlsbad. We’ll stop and do the Carlsbad Caverns.

I’ve think I’ve got Rocky Mountain Fever (or cabin fever!). One of ’em! I can’t wait to be in Lake City at The Texan Resort. But as I always say, The Texan has become a family tradition and I don’t feel right if we didn’t come here every year.

I’m looking forward to this trip and can’t wait till packing day. Oh, but that’s right. I’m already packed and ready – just have to load it all in the trailblazer! My excitement is mounting and I am getting antsy. I just know I will forget something when we leave. It never fails.

I had to renew my license last month. So I didn’t forget about that. I’m legal for another six years LOL! I got the oil changed in my car and the tires rotated. All the belts checked and other than the AC not working yet, I’m all good. But hopefully that will be fixed over the weekend! We drove home through Amarillo last year in the scorching heat when the AC quit working. We went through a case of water trying to stay cool. We must have stopped a hundred times in one day just to get ice chips! Fingers crossed – the new compressor will solve the problem this year…

That’s it for today! Just counting down the time until we leave! I’ll have more about our trip coming as it unfolds!

Springtime Has Arrived in the South – Trip Planning Time Underway!!!

By Marcella Meeks

Spring has arrived here in the south. Along with it, a whole lot of allergies going around. So far, I’ve been blessed and never had ailments form allergies but I know what those allergies do to people. I have family who suffer from allergies as well as asthma. Just be careful and well, all…

For several months I have been working on my vacation for this summer and have been trying to get all the kinks out of my itinerary. I know the typical vacation lasts about two weeks, but I am working on a two month vacation and have only got the first 6 weeks planned, booked, paid for and out of the way, so to speak, I have about three weeks left to cover before May! Wish me luck. Now that spring is here, it’s time to get things wrapped up as best as I can before May!

Talk about an epic trip! This year’s vacation is all that and then some. I have put a lot of time, hard work, money that I’ve saved along the way, and patience getting this vacation package together!

Since I am now officially a senior citizen, I am buying a senior’s pass from the National Park Service where I can get in all the national parks along with my family for free. I did it last year and it worked well – saved me hundreds of dollars on our trip last year.

There are state and national parks all over the place where we are going.

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May 31^st thru June 3rd

Our first stop will be at Capulin Volcano National Monument. CVNM is an extinct cinder cone volcano – located at 46 Volcano Highway, Capulin, NM near Raton, NM. There are picnic tables available and dogs are allowed so bring a picnic basket for an enjoyable afternoon. https://www.nps.gov/cavo/index.htm

From there we will be heading North to Cuchara, Colorado to Dodgeton Creek Inn. https://thedodgetoncreekinn.com/ We’re staying there four nights. While we’re staying at Cuchara, we’ll drive over to Mosca about 75 miles one way to the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. I’ll be able to use my senior pass here as well and the boys will be able to spend the entire morning out in the Sand Dunes. Word of caution: the sand dunes can get up to about 135 degrees during the day so it’s best to go out there before daylight and early morning hours. Always bring plenty of water. https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm

June 4^th thru June 6th

When we leave Cuchara, we’re driving over to Canon City, Colorado and spend a few hours at the Royal Gorge Bridge. https://royalgorgebridge.com/ We’ll take a picnic lunch with us and eat before spending the afternoon at the bridge. After a few hours of that, we’re driving over to Leadville (2 ½ drive).

We have a cabin booked for the next three nights at Sugarloafin’ Campgrounds/cabins https://sugarloafin.com/ in Leadville. The next day, we’ll take an afternoon ride on the Leadville train.

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June 7th thru June 29th

The next step of our trip, we’ll drive over Gunnison, Colorado and stop off for groceries and much needed supplies (restock our coolers with meats and milk, etc.) before heading up to Lake City where we’re spending the next 22 nights at The Texan Resort. http://www.texanresort.com/new/index.html We’re meeting up with my friend Marjorie Bull and her family from Natchitoches, Louisiana. They’re staying at G & M Cabins https://www.gmcabins.com/ in Lake City for a few nights. My niece Sylvia and her family from Nacogdoches, Texas will also be joining us in Lake City for several nights as well. They, too, have a cabin booked at The Texan Resort for a few nights.

When we all get unpacked, and rested, and we all finally get together, we’re going to grill some burgers, sit at our fire pit and enjoy a long evening of relaxing and enjoying the fresh mountain air. The boys (and niece’s daughter) can fish and enjoy some fun at the park at the resort. Maybe a game or two of basketball or horseshoes!

The next day, we’ll all get our coolers ready for an afternoon picnic and head over to Creede. Between Creede and Lake City there are several waterfalls that we’re going to explore and then we’ll sit down for a long picnic! North Clear Creek Falls; South Clear Creek Falls; Copper Falls; and Treasure Falls. TF’s is located on the west side of Wolf Creek Pass.

By the time we spend the day driving around, and exploring the water falls, we can spend the evening again around the fire pits after having some hot dogs roasted on the grill and covered in hot chili and melted cheese! Who’s up for s’mores? I think all the kids will agree on this special treat – the grownups too!

We’re all going to the Mountaineer Theatre https://mountaineertheatre.com/ in town while they’re all in town and after they leave, every Friday evening we’ll be going as well. I think they have a Sunday matinee that might be fun!

Twenty-two nights is a long time but we need the rest. We need to get away and just enjoy some quiet family time in the mountains after everybody goes home. My grandson Kendray is familiar with Lake City beings as we go every year! He knows how to entertain himself! It will be wonderful as always and I can hardly wait till June.

Since my trailblazer has 4 wheel drive, we’re planning to drive the Alpine Loop pass over to Silverton and possibly Ouray, if we have enough time.

June 29

We’re heading over to Farmington, NM to visit family as we do every year. We’ll eat out and the next day, we’ll get up real early and head up to Cortez, Colorado. We’ll spend most of the afternoon visiting Mesa Verde National Park, https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm nd have a little picnic lunch- another senior pass special, before heading over to Ouray – there, we’ll drive through town, stop in at a few shops and be on our way to Hanksville, Utah.

June 30^th thru July 5^th

We’re staying the next six nights at our cabin at Muddy Creek Mining Company.

https://www.muddycreekminingcompany.com/. While we’re there, we;’ll visit some of the state parks along the way such as Goblin Valley State Park and Capitol Reef National Park. We’ll also visit

Robber’s Roost and Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry. We’ve never been this far before so it will be an exciting journey for us.

July 6^th thru July 10^th

If we don’t have a change of plans anytime soon, on July 6^th, we’re heading off to Sedona, Arizona for the next five nights. We’re staying at the El Portal Sedona Hotel – A Luxury Inn.

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The entire time we’re there, we’ll be out ad about. Sedena has some wonderful places to visit. We’ll have to do a lot of walking out on the trails but this adventure is well worth the wait and the walk. Here are several interesting finds in and around Sedona. Oh, you can bet there is more but this is a good starting place. Of course, we’re only going to be here for five nights and six days but we’ll cram as much in as we can. (Cathedral Rock, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Devil’s Bridge Trail, Bell Rock, Oak Creek Canyon, Broken Arrow Trail, Airport Mesa, Slide Rock State Park, West Fork Oak Creek Trail, Red Rock State Park, Boynton Canyon Trail, and Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park.)

July 11^th & 12^th

On the 11th, we’re heading back to Carlsbad, New Mexico – we might stop for the night in Tombstone, Arizona – if we do, we’ll be back in Carlsbad on the 12^th and hold up there a couple of nights. We’re going through the Carlsbad Caverns this year and try to be out there that evening for the bat flight. We’ve missed this every year so it will be on our to do list when we get there. https://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm

Stay tuned to see where all we go in addition to the places mentioned in this article. If you can, plan a vacation on your own and take the family out.

I know I mention a lot of state parks to visit but years ago, I didn’t know how exciting and adventurous they really were. But we just didn’t or couldn’t fit it in our already bulging budget. Now, I regret that we

missed these things. My children never got to see some of it. My grandkids loves going to these different places, and I love the fact that I have a senior pass that wasn’t expensive at all and that we’re able to get in these national parks at no charge. Otherwise, we’d have to pass it up.

I’ll keep you posted as our itinerary changes…

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Vacation 2024 Has a Change of Plans!

By Marcella S. Meeks

Lake City, Colorado has always been my favorite destination spot and still is, and I am still going and staying at The Texan Resort for 21 days. It’s already booked and paid up and has my name on it so I am going there regardless. But after much thought and deliberation and cost consideration, I decided to extend my vacation a couple more weeks more. I figured since we were already halfway there to where I am fixing to tell you about, we may as well go – so we are.

While we ae in Lake City, Colorado, my best friend Marjorie Bull and her son John and his family will be joining us for a few days. They’ll be staying in town at G & M Cabins, another of my favorite places. I can’t wait till this summer – we are all going to have so much fun.

Arizona has always fascinated me to some extent, but I just never had the courage to do something different. I have always thought about it and have researched places like Scottsdale, Phoenix, Flagstaff and Tuscan – even Tombstone. But each year, it got canceled and added to my bucket list of places to go and has just sat there idle for many years.

Well, when we leave Lake City and the comfort of our cabin at The Texan at the tail end of June ’24, we’re going to head over to Albuquerque, NM for 2 nights – there’s some things that my grandsons enjoy doing in Albuquerque, and since it’s not far out of our way, I figured we’d go ahead and stay for a couple of nights on our way to Arizona.

When we leave Albuquerque, we’ll head off to Sedona, Arizona. We’re staying at the El Portal Sedona Hotel for the next five nights. OMG! What a beautiful place to stay at. Why did I wait so long to go here? And our pets can stay for free. It’s a bit expensive – but worth it. After all these years of wanting to travel to Arizona, I figure it’s time to treat myself and my family to a little luxury.

We’ll be in Sedona for five nights and so far, each day is filled with fun things to do. I did a little research and found a bunch of things we can do but I’m going to take it slow and easy as not to wear myself out. Most of the things I want to go see is mainly hiking trails and state parks but that’s okay. Here are some noteworthy places: Cathedral Rock, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Devil’s Bridge Trail, Airport Mesa, Red Rock State Park, and Slide Rock State Park. The Chapel is one that I will be spending some time at. I saw a video on YouTube and this place fascinated my curiosity big time. They have a trolley that will take you around but driving to these places is really the best way to go. You can take your time and not have to cram everything into one ride. And if you’re in your own vehicle, it’s more economical and don’t cost you anything except a few gallons of gas.

There are some other places we’ll probably be going to and staying at before heading back to Louisiana – just playing it by ear for now to see how things go. I’ve been tossing over in my mind about extending this trip even more – I’m wanting to go to Las Vegas, NV and then over to a little town called Tehachapi, California for a few nights. I’m looking into staying at the Brite Vista Retreat in Tehachapi but it is not a definite as yet.

As that unfolds I will let you know for sure how it turns out. And then we head back towards Louisiana with many stops along the way. I want to stop in Tombstone and possibly Phoenix on our way back. Once we get to New Mexico, we’re stopping for the night in Carlsbad and doing the Carlsbad Caverns. I’ve only been there once a few years ago, and have always wanted to go back.

That’s still in planning mode at this point but it’s all coming together slowly! As this trip unfolds I will update this post accordingly. Arizona and California – here we come!

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The Benefits of Family Travel

By Marcella S. Meeks

12/5/23

I’m not going to pretend that I know everything about traveling as a whole but I do know a lot when it comes to traveling with family members, mainly children and teens. I had several children of my own who always traveled every where I went back in the 90’s and they loved it. Now, it’s grand children who started traveling with me at very young ages, and some of them are grown now, and have children of their own. In a few short years, when these babies are old enough (out of diapers and pull ups!), I’ll have the pleasure of traveling with the great grand kids!

But first, I need to clarify some misconceptions about traveling with family little people. It’s not always easy and there will be bickering and arguing – a fight among the brothers or cousins may occur along the way or someone will get car sick. There is no perfect child or no perfect way to travel, but the memories you all create together will be a treasure that will remain in your hearts and withstand the test of time forevermore. That’s a fact, coming straight from the mouth of someone who has made more memories traveling with her family than she the average person.

Making memories that you can cherish for a lifetime ought to be priority whether you travel or sit home and just be there for your kids. However you do it is fine by me.

But I am passionate about traveling to different places. I am also passionate about returning to places that appeal to me. One of my favorite destinations is Colorado – anywhere in Colorado just as long as I can stand on the soil of that great state. The Rocky Mountains are breathtaking and it makes no difference to me if I’ve been there a hundred times or not. I love Colorado – simple as that and will keep going back every year as long as I am able to travel.

I am fascinated with mountains, with beaches and with beautiful scenery. My desire to travel anywhere and everywhere is great but I don’t care for traveling alone. I want to watch my grand kids faces light up when they see a place for the first time. I want to experience their joy and happiness and feel it in their reaction. Does that make sense? To me, this is the benefits of traveling with those you love.

Some people like to travel solo but I have always been a part of a large family even before I married and had one of my own. We always did everything as a family, and I’m still doing that today later on in life. It was never just me. It was always ‘us’. Being alone has never been a part of my lifestyle – there has always been someone around – whether it’s a son, daughter, grandchild, aunt or uncle or the family pet. And that’s the way it always will be for me. It’s all about family…

I enjoy traveling with my family. Bottom line. I get relaxed, feel at home and at ease when they are with me. I’m never lonely and there is always plenty to do. If we run out of fun things, we invent our own and that makes it more interesting.

The benefits are endless. And te memories are priceless.

I Haven’t Been There Yet, But I Will Go There Next Vacation

By Marcella S. Meeks

There are so many places to go here in the United States, places I have never been, and I just keep adding them to my bucket list. Today, I sat down and constructed a round road trip for July 2024 that I plan on taking if all goes as planned. It will cover several states along the East Coast that I’ve always dreamed of going to someday. Whether I make them all yet remains to be seen.

When owe leave Louisiana, our first stop will be in Biloxi, Mississippi where we’ll stay a couple of nights before driving to Mobile, Alabama for the night. The next day we’ll drive to the Florida Panhandle and work our way down to Clearwater Beach for two more nights. We’ve been to Clearwater Beach a few years back. They have the softest white sand I’ve ever seen. After that, we’re heading to the Florida Keys – Key West, The Lower Keys, Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo, After visiting seven or eight days here, we’ll venture on to Jacksonville and stay the night. After Florida, we’ll stop off in one of the coastal towns in South Carolina before heading on to North Carolina where we’ll spend another night. Our next stop will be Norfolk, VA where we’ll spend a couple of days before heading off to see the state capitol and then somewhere in New York where we’ll hold up a couple of nights before heading to Niagara Falls. We will stay in Niagara Falls a few nights before starting our journey home. On our way back, we’ll stop for the night somewhere in Tennessee and then get up real early the next morning and drive home. Ten states (counting Louisiana) in one month!

This will be an epic trip of a lifetime and one that we probably won’t do as often but this is one time (July 2024) that I’m going to strive to make happen.

There will be two groups traveling together (both groups will have teenagers and pets along for the ride) so this will be interesting. We need trip ideas for each place – if you’ve ever been to any of the places above, we could use some ideas here. What are some of the interesting places we should visit? Leave us a comment or reply in the Reply Box below.

This trip idea is only in idea stage at this time. I’ll keep you posted whether we make it or not …

The Endless Highway

By Marcella S. Meeks

11/16/23

I love the open road, the feel of the West Texas wind blowing my hair through the open window when we are heading to Colorado. When we reach Decatur, Texas, my excitement mounts. I can’t wait to get to the other side of Amarillo where we turn and head toward Dumas and Dalhart on our way to Colorado. Oh, yeah! We’ve been there numerous times through the years and it never gets old to me. The grand kids get bored riding through what they call the ‘Flatlands’ but my mind is always searching for an idea spark for a story that I might be working on or planning to start. Not only do I love the ‘boring’ scenery that goes on for miles and miles, but deep down there are thousands of people who live there who might be a good prop for a story – what do they do? Farming, I presume but why in such a desolate place? Acres and acres roll by as we pass through with no movement for miles except an occasional train that you can see coming for miles and miles down the track from our spot on the open highway.

I wander sometimes where all these people come from? All the people on the highways – do they live close by or are they traveling somewhere? What do they think of the landscape that goes on for miles and miles? The endless questions may never be answered unless some day I stop in one of these little towns a hundred miles from no where and ask them myself. I really want to know about why they chose to live in such a remote area. Some of the old timers who have lived there for years must have some background history and stories never told that they’d be willing to share. I want to learn the history and the culture of some of these people that I have thought so much about every time we pass through all the way from Wichita Falls to Dalhart. It might sound boring but there is a fascination about this entire place that draws me every year.

I’m not a flying person and even if I was, I’d still want to drive through here regardless. The only thing about flying is that you miss so much and to me, that is trip wasted. I know that flat land that stretches hundreds of miles to no where isn’t the most interesting subject and probably not travel worthy, but it’s the unanswered questions that I have that keep me interested and keep me coming through here year after year.

You know, this would be a wonderful idea for a video series for the Family Travel Host blog. Road trip 2024, get ready to make some movies!!!

At the end of this drive through and endless flat land that goes on and on for hundreds of miles finally comes to an end as we reach Raton, New Mexico on our way to our final destination in Colorado, my

favorite place in all the world, and I have written countless stories about the towns we visit in Colorado every year. You’ll find most of them here on my blog.

For Christmas (hint! hint!) I would like to get a video camera that I can use on these trips every year. My phone does a great job but I want to look professional especially since I will be interviewing people along the way. Any ideas for a video camera, feel free to share in the reply box below. Not too expensive – just one that will do the job right and be affordable at the same time.

That’s it for now…Stay tuned for more…

A PRIORITY TOUR IN 2024

By Marcella S. Meeks

This past year, in July 2023 to be exact, I drove from Albuquerque, New Mexico through Durango, and drove through Silverton and Ouray, making our way to Lake City. My grandson Kendray hadn’t been to Ouray since he was three or four and he turned twelve in July, and I wanted him to experience the Million Dollar Highway ride over to Ouray now that he was older. He whined and fell asleep a couple of times so we stopped at Molas Pass between Durango and Silverton and several other scenic spots along the way to arouse him awake. We finally got close to Ouray and pulled off at the scenic Gorge on the Million Dollar Highway (I can’t remember everything I read about the gorge but if I’m not mistaking, the The Uncompahgre River ran under the highway at that point).

After we left Ouray, we drove to Montrose and by this time, it was getting late and we needed to get to Lake City before nightfall. I didn’t get the chance to stop at any of the scenic recreation areas and overlooks between Montrose and Gunnison. I wanted to stop at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park but we were out of time so I decided we’d do that tour in June 2024.

Next year, we’ll have to leave Lake City pretty early in the morning in order to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I’ll be sure to pack a cooler with plenty of water and food for the picnic. Note to self: don’t forget the trail mix!

The most popular is the SOUTH RIM whereas the North Rim is a little more remote and much quieter. I think we may stick with the South Rim when we do go. The South Rim Road is 7 miles long with 12 scenic overlooks and 5 hiking trails. One of the scenic overlooks that is easily accessible and close to the entrance is the GUNNISON POINT OPERLOOK. I am definitely stopping here.

Then, there’s the OAK FLAT TRAILS (2 miles long); CROSS FISSURES VIEW (a 15 minute hike); PAINTED WALL OVERLOOK (about 200 yards); CEDAR POINT NATURE TRAIL which takes about 10 minutes to complete; and the EAST PORTAL ROAD which can be accessible from the South Rim. There are plenty of parking spaces and picnic tables here. I think this will make a perfect spot for an afternoon picnic with the kids.

NORTH RIM: There are 5 overlooks that we will try to see while we’re at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: NORTH VISTA RAIL, a 1.5 mile hike; EXCLAMATION POINT OVERLOOK, NORTH RIM CAMPGROUND (picnic tables are available – we’ll have a snack while we’re here. CHASM VIEW OVERLOOK TRAIL; and the NORTH RIM SCENIC DRIVE.

There are dispersed campsites in and around the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park for those who wish to camp. Since we are already booked at the Texan Resort in Lake City, we’ll leave ‘The Gunnison’ and make our way back to Lake City by way of Highway 50 – it’s roughly about a 2 hour drive, give or take.

We are looking forward to our trip next year and have a lot of things planned. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is going to be a priority next year. And yes, I am looking forward to a day of hiking and exploring. Come join us on our family outing!

Summer of 2024 – Plans In The Making!

By Marcella S. Meeks

In the summer of 2024 , we’re heading for Colorado Springs for a couple of days, and then over to Canon City, Salida and Leadville before heading up to Lake City where we’ll spend the next twenty two days at The Texan Resort. While we’re there, we’re going to drive through the high elevation of Cinnamon Pass and Engineer Pass in the San Juan Mountains that connects the towns of Silverton and Ouray with Lake City. We started up one year and several miles before reaching the Alpine Loop, we chickened out and turned back. I , of course, was the elected driver! It is considered as the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway. According to what I understand, it will take us 7 hours to drive this way. We may find an alternate closer path back to Lake City before night falls or get a room either in Silverton or Ouray.

I’ve been to Silverton and Ouray many times but not up and over a mountain in a four wheel drive vehicle. It’s only about 65 miles across this way but you have to drive slow because of a rough and rocky road espcially in the higher elevation. Since we have not done it before, it is something I truly look forward to. And I will be taking lots of pictures along the way!

Ouray is such a wonderful to visit. I have stayed there many times. One year, we went to Ouray with our family by way of the Million Dollar Highway and stayed at the old Historical Hotel in town. I wasn’t too pleased with our bed but the experience we had while we were staying there made it all worthwhile. There was a back entrance on the second floor and a window overlooking the roof. My daughter, then in her early twenties, decided she was going to make history and ghosts come alive one night around 11 o’clock. The bathroom was in the hall and was shared by the guests on one side of the wing. After all the kids were done bating and settling down for the evening, my turn rolled around to get a bath, as I was coming out there was a great commotion in the hall. The lights had been turned down with only a couple of night lights down the way. The kids were screaming and the adults all clamored out of the rooms to see what was going on. Outside the window on the room was a figure of a woman ghost kind of floating around (clearly visible to all of us in that hall). An eerie sight especially to all those little kids watching. No one knew that Theresa was our ghost until later. After the kids were settled down and all the adults had a good laugh, we finally got some rest. We had no problem getting the kids back to bed and they didn’t dare get back up that night! Even today, we still get a good laugh about the ghost that peeps in the window on the roof of that old hotel.

When our vacation in Lake City is finally over at the end of June, I have plans to head off to Albuquerque for a couple of nights and then venture off to Las Vegas for three or four nights. I just might get lucky and win some $$$. After that, we may head down to Arizona for a couple of weeks to visit family and friends that live out there. I have never been to Arizona and looking forward to the experience. I plan to write about our trip next year as it unfolds and you can read it right here on our blog page! I will keep everyone posted and have plenty of photos to share.

When we start back home, I plan to stop at Carlsbad so we can all do the Carlsbad Caverns. I’ve only been once several years ago and didn’t get a chance to see the bat flight in the evening. That will be something spectacular to look forward to.

By the end of July, we’ll be traveling back home. This will by far be the longest trip I’ve ever taken in my life. It is a new adventure and one that I hope I can finish! If you have any ideas and and fun stuff in Arizona for families, feel free to drop us a comment at the end of this post. We’d love to here from you.

ALL ABOARD!

By Marcella S. Meeks

Do you believe in Santa Claus? Not many people do and I, as a parent and grandparent, respect that decision to believe or not. I’m certainly not one to judge you regardless whether you believe there is a Santa Claus or if the sky is falling or if you are who you say you are, whatever. But I enjoy a little fun once in awhile even at my age, especially when my grandchildren share in it with me. There is nothing better than when they come over to my house and we gather around the TV and spend the evening watching cartoons or a good family movie together. Sometimes, we sit at the table and make art or play board games but the younger ones have an attention span that don’t last as long as mine! When we’re watching a family movie together, somehow I can keep them closer a little longer.

My own children are grown up now but once in awhile, we get together for coffee and just enjoy our little time together even though it’s few, far and in-between. Everyone is so busy these days.

This story isn’t really about whether we believe in Santa Claus or not; the point here is to enjoy your time with the little ones every chance you get and if you can get them all huddled close and watch a movie together once in a while, you’re creating a precious memory with them they’re not ever likely to forget. And the holidays are usually a great time to do just that. Volunteer a few hours to babysit the grand kids while Mom and Dad go shopping. Take that time for something special like a movie (The Polar Express!).

Ever year, since the movie Polar Express came out in 2004, sometimes in December, I buy up several boxes of hot chocolate and packs of marshmallows and have them on hand for when the grand kids (and great grand babies) come to visit. I arrange it with the parents to dress the kids in warm pajamas when they come over and this mamaw is prepared for an evening of cuddles, giggles and an evening of family fun. I also bring out the movie Polar Express. Sometimes in December, this may happen multiple times because everyone has different schedules and can’t all be in one place at the same time and there are different sets of grand kids! And that’s fine with me. I love it all!

I’ve managed to nap ta little through the movie a few times while we’re curled up on the couch but I still enjoy watching it. It doesn’t sway my beliefs any. But the precious time I took to spend with these grand babies sure warms my heart and soul – that’s all that matters right?

Ever since the first time I saw the movie, I’ve often thought about what it would be like to ride on a real Polar Express in the wintertime with some of the grand kids along? Oh, glory be! I can only imagine the reactions of some of the younger kids when we actually board a real Polar Express train!

When I started this article I had no idea where it was going or how it was to end. But I know it needs an ending where people can find train rides that feature the Polar Express train ride this year. So here goes my list and hope that you may be able to take the ride of ‘our dreams’ and enjoy it with your family. It’s not a complete list by far by far, but it’s a start. If you know of a train in your area, feel free to send us the email in the comments section below or drop us a line on our Contact Us page.

If anything changes, and we decide to go somewhere during the Christmas holidays, I will make it a point to go someplace where The Polar Express will be in operation, weather permitting. The little kids will love that; the older ones are welcome to come along for the ride! They will never forget the experience and neither will I.

Train Ride List…

COLORADO

1. THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride, Durango/Silverton Railroad, 1-877-872-4607, Durango, Colorado. Read Full Story Here
2. THE POLAR EXPRESS™ TRAIN RIDE, 800-365-6263, Golden, Colorado. Read Full Story Here

3. Georgetown Loop Railroad, 888-456-6777, Georgetown, CO. Read Full Story Here
4. Royal Gorge Railway, Santa Express Train. Canon City, CO, 719.276.4000. Read Full Story Here
5. The North Pole – Santa’s Workshop. Cascade, CO. 719-684-9432. Read Full Story Here.
6. Pueblo Railway Museum’s Pueblo Express, Pueblo, CO. 719-544-1773. Read Full Story Here.

7) LEADVILLE RAILROAD HOLIDAY EXPRESS, 866-386-3936, Leadville, CO. …

Read Full Story Here

8) The Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway, (719) 685-5401, itou Springs, CO … Read Full Story Here

NEW MEXICO

9) Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railway, 1.888.286.2737 , Chama, New Mexico. Read Full Story Here

OKLAHOMA

10) Oklahoma Railway Museum Polar Express, 405.424.8222. Oklahoma City, OK. Read Full Story Here.

TEXAS

11) Galveston Railroad Museum Polar Express, (409) 765-5700. Galveston, TX. Read Full Story Here.

12) Texas State Railroad Polar Express, 855–632–7729, Palestine, TX or Rusk, TX. Read Full Story Here.

13) Whistle Stop trains and Christmas Festival, 817-645-2455, CLEBURNE, TX. Read Full Story Here.

ARKANSAS
14) Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, Holiday Express / Pajama Train, 479-751-1281, … Read More Here

ARIZONA
15) Grand Canyon Railway, ALL ABOARD THE POLAR EXPRESS™!, 1-800-THE-TRAIN (800-843-8724), Williams, AZ, … Read More Here

NORTH CAROLINA
16) The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, (800) 872-4681, Bryson City, NC., The Magic of The Polar Express Train Ride, … Read More Here

TENNESSEE
17) NORTH POLE LIMITED CHRISTMAS TRAIN, 423.894.8028, Extension “0”, Chattanooga, TN, … Read More Here

Summer Camp With Wi-Fi!
By Marcella S. Meeks

 I want to tell you about our adventure at the hostel in Salida. I have never stayed at one before and was a little skeptical at first, especially with all the Covid-19 propaganda going around (another story for another time!). When we arrived at the Simple Lodge & Hostel, my first impression was, ‘okay, can we do this?’ My three grandsons were okay with it and their response was, “Wow! Ma-maw, this is like summer camp with Wi-Fi!”

     I wasn’t really sure what the word hostel meant. According to Google dictionary, a hostel is a an establishment which provides inexpensive food and lodging for a specific group of people, such as students, workers, or travelers. It was very inexpensive, simple and a friendly place to stay. There was food available but we brought our own.

      We were greeted by a young man who welcomed us and showed us around the living area and the kitchen and finally to our room. It was a little small but we booked at the least minute and it was fourth of July weekend so we were lucky to be able to find a room at all.

     My youngest grandson Kendray remarked, “This place is so homey!”

     It was a little different than the places we were accustomed to but we were fine with it. My first impression was to run away to one of the modest motels I saw coming in but too late – the kids wanted to stay. I thought they’d be upset not having a pool but they had their I-pads and phones and Wi-Fi so all was well in our world.
     I went down later and made chili dogs for the family and they were satisfied.

     The Simple Lodge & Hostel is located in the downtown section of Salida – there isn’t a lot of parking space but the lodge itself is okay.

      There were mostly young people staying there and they all got along really good. It was quiet and peaceful. The beds were okay, as good as any we slept in. The room were clean. But there was no air conditioning. But in Colorado that is the norm for some of these places. It was a little hot when we went to bed that first night but by morning we had to turn the fans off and cover up.

      The upstairs bathroom were multi-use and shared by other guests but they were private and clean.

My Marcella S. Meeks

My yearning to travel goes way back as far as I can remember. School field trips was one of my favorite things to do because our class visited places that were sometimes taken for granted especially if they were in our town or city. We’d visit museums and interesting places like the Houston Planetarium, the Intercontinental Airport and Hermann Park Zoo field trips stick out in mind more than anything. Someday, I will venture back to Houston, Texas to revisit the places of my school days! My grandchildren would appreciate visiting some of these places as well.

Now, many years later, as an adult and an avid traveler, before leaving for a trip, I search out every museum in the town or city of our upcoming trip destination before hand. We fill every day with tons of activities, some of which is free or inexpensive, educational and all the while, we’re making memories as a family.

The Internet is a luxury I never had back in the seventies. Had it been around back those days, there’s no telling where I’d be today! Maps are easily at our disposal and GPS’s makes traveling so much easier. Nowadays, before arriving at a destination, I know exactly what we’re going to do and when we’re going to do it. Nothing bothers me more than to hear a bunch of teenagers whining about being bored and not having anything to do!

Especially on my trip! So I plan every day ahead of time, and make sure that slack times are in the evenings where we gather around the pool and enjoy a good swim or if we’re camping out, we all gather around the fire where we can roast wieners or marshmallows, make s’mores and have family time and share our thoughts and pictures of the day.
We’re not the perfect family and no, we don’t always have a perfect vacation… but we make memories and have fun trying and that’s what makes it so good! Because we are not rich and have to vacation on a shoe string budget every year makes us appreciate the things we do and see, and the places we go! It’s not all about theme parks, glitz and famous places – there’s something good even in the smallest museums. You just have to know ‘what’ and ‘where’ it is! It’s called research! If you travel with teens, nine times out of ten they carry cell phones. Keep them busy on Google looking for fun activities in the town you’re visiting. You’ll never know what you may find!

Let me tell you about our trip last year.

Day one, we started off here in the South, drove to Amarillo, where we spent the night in an affordable room that served breakfast. In the evening before retiring for the night, we ate sandwiches and chips, and swam for a while and ended the evening with a movie or two. The next day we spent the biggest part of our day driving on to Colorado Springs, Colorado where we spent the next few days having a blast before going on to the next destination on our itinerary.

Day three, while we were in Colorado Springs, our first visit was to the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park, Colorado.

They have a wonderful display of dinosaurs, prehistoric marine reptiles, pterosaurs and fish of North America’s late Cretaceous period. In addition to vibrant graphics and life-restoration sculptures, visitors could venture around the museum reading the stories of each specimen. They also have a working fossil laboratory where important recently discovered paleontological specimens are being freed from their rock matrix and undergoing restoration, as well as a children’s area where they can brush off fossils in our dig box, there are books to read, a magnetic board for them to make their own imaginative dinosaur, and a rubbing station where they can take home their colorful drawings of dinosaurs. Everyone in the family will enjoy the Dinosaur Resource Center. If you have a few extra dollars to spend, there is a gift shop for souvenirs.

Later that evening we had dinner, swam at the pool at our motel and spent the remainder getting baths, and ready for bed so we could get a decent start the next day. Since we had such a large group with us, we got multiple rooms where everyone wouldn’t be too cramped and could enjoy a good nights sleep after the long drive the day before and the outing this day. Our motel wasn’t the best but it provided the essentials we needed at an affordable price, and it was clean and quiet. We were on a budget!

The next day, we packed a picnic lunch and headed off to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings located in Manitou Springs, Colorado, five miles west of Colorado Springs.

We toured the Anasazi Museum. Impressive dioramas depicted the daily life of the Pueblo Anasazi. At the museum, we saw exhibits of tools, pottery, weapons, and informative videos that offered a glimpse of the mysterious people who left a remarkable architectural legacy on mesa tops and in cliff walls like the one at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. Scientists still are unsure why the Anasazi left their cliff dwelling homes hundreds of years ago, but when you tour the dwellings and museum you’ll also become intrigued with finding out more about their lives as my family has.

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings was an all-time favorite. My grandchildren spent hours roaming through the cliff dwellings and climbing in and out the dwelling windows and outlets as the Anasazi children probably did hundreds of years ago. It was something we all found in common and most of the older grand kids are still in search of unanswered questions about the Anasazi of the Colorado Springs area that dwelt here many years ago.
Day five, we were on our way to Cripple Creek, Colorado for a one-night stay. We had a train ride the next day aboard the Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge Rail Road.

Cripple Creek & Victor Narrow Gauge train was small in comparison to the ones that we’ve rode in the past, but it was a huge blast with the kids as we took a scenic tour up the mountain. They took turns helping the conductor steer the train up the mountain. The younger children were excited beyond degree and talked about their experience driving the train for days to come. Though we had to drive quite awhile to get there it was worth it in the end.

Day six, we headed over to Sugar Bush Camp Ground located in Howard, Colorado just a few minutes from Salida where we’d spend the next three days camping out and touring the countryside. We drove over to Canon City to the Royal Gorge Bridge, the world’s highest suspension bridge that was built back in 1929.

You’ll find some surprising adventure awaiting you at the bridge – a miniature train, a theatre and historical expo, a skycoaster, zip line, gondola and the bridge’s newest addition, children’s playland. Your admission ticket allows you peruse the entire park. It may seem a little scary but it is truly worth the visit. Personally I am afraid of heights and walking the 2,200 feet across the Royal Gorge over 1,200 feet above the Arkansas River really wasn’t my cup of tea. I walked across in the middle with my eyes shut with grand kids on both sides leading me on! I frantically made my way across without looking through the cracks! The quiet and scenic views made the walk memorable but being the scardie-cat that I am, I wasn’t ready for the return trip back across.

Day nine, we left the Salida area and ventured over to Leadville. We rode the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad later in the afternoon. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, this scenic train trip lasted about two and a half hours. We traveled about 1,000 feet above the headwaters of the Arkansas River Valley. We chose the open car because the afternoon was cool and the kids enjoyed not being cooped up for the journey.

Day ten, we drove up to Lake City where we spent the next five days at TEXAN RESORT. We had a two-story three bedroom cabin large enough we could all spread out and stretch without bumping into each other at every turn. With all the comforts of home at our fingertips, we rested and enjoyed ourselves. While we were in Lake City, we had a picnic downtown at the park while the little ones played with the other kids. We grilled hamburgers in the evenings back at the cabin while the kids played horseshoes with some of the other guests at the resort. We were fortunate enough to meet up with some children who lived there year round who showed our clan some fun and adventure while we were there. The mornings were rather cool but sitting on the front porch wrapped in a cozy blanket and sipping hot coffee while the family slept on soothed my nerves. I wasn’t ready to go home. I’m not sure I’d really want to be in Lake City in the dead of winter but at this moment when all was well with me, it was a wonderful thought!

This is our fourth year staying at the TEXAN RESORT – they have cabins to fit your group size. Be sure and tell I recommended them when you call. If you like to fish, hunt, hike or just wan to get away for a few days, then The Texan Resort is the place to be.
While we were in Lake City, we took the kids to the park downtown, and we eased up the mountain to the Hard Tack Mine Tours & Museum. The tour into the mine shaft was cool and educational to say the least, but the gift shop caught their eye immediately. I handed out rolls of quarters and let them spend a few dollars on rocks and magnets, etc.
Later in the week on Friday, we went to the Mountaineer Theatre downtown and saw a good movie.

Lake City is a relaxed, laid back little town. There are a few horseback outfitters in the area and backpacking, and rafting if you’re into that kind of thing.

Our trip didn’t end there though.

On day sixteen, we left Lake City and decided to take a little longer getting home so we drove over South Fork, Colorado – camped out five days at River Bend Resort – the kids were utterly miserable because our cranky older neighbors kept yelling at them for playing in the water. Chevy Chase made a hit movie here back in the eighties and one would think it would be a family place. If you’ve got kids, this is not the place to be. It is filled with camper trailers and with that comes the older generation who don’t tolerate kids while they’re relaxing and fishing. We were comfortable and all that in our tents and with our air mattresses but the manager came down and threatened to make us leave if the kids kept throwing rocks in the water. So – next year, we won’t do that again.

Since there wasn’t a lot to do in South Fork, I drove the grand kids over to a little town called Mosca – we went to the Colorado Gators Reptile Park.

On Friday evening, we took the kids to the Star Drive-In theater a in Monte Vista about fifteen miles from South Fork. If you’re in the area, and want a real old-fashioned drive in experience, this is the place to be. There are two large screens and two different movies playing on the weekends.

We left South Fork and decided to stay several days in Blanding, Utah. We liked our motel, the Four Corners Inn – there was no pool but Lawrence, the general manager, made our stay comfortable and the breakfast every day were really good. Even though it didn’t have a pool, we were able to find a mini water park in town that was fairly reasonable and the kids loved it there. It stayed open from 1:00 in the afternoon until 7 p.m. We took a picnic lunch each day so that was really nice.

The kids enjoyed an outing at the Dinosaur Museum in Blanding.

We left Blanding and drove the few hundred miles to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The first three nights we were supposed to stay at Hotel Cascada but because of a transformer explosion that not only affected the electricity – it also blew out a water main – we were sent over to Home2 Suites. Every one at the motel was evacuated and sent over to the other motel. Some new arrivals were upset because they had driven for hours with their families but things happen. It was not their fault that the transformer blew. Michelle, the manager of Hotel Cascada, was as nice and polite as any one person could be and she went out of her way to assist her customers.

We spent three nights there at Home2 Suites and let me tell you, they had the best beds I believe I have ever slept on. The breakfast was super good as well. The staff made sure we were comfortable. There was even a dishwasher and fully stocked kitchenette in each room. We had to buy our own food though!

The last four nights we stayed at Hyatt Place Albuquerque/Uptown – the pool was awesome. The staff went out of their way to see to it we had a wonderful stay. Breakfast was not only good but everything was served fresh.

The kids had a blast out at Hinkle Family Fun Center located at the northwest corner of Tramway and Indian School in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

We rode the bumper boats, the go-karts, and spent endless hours inside playing the arcade games. This place is awesome and it’s not just for kids. They have this wheel similar to the one on the game show The Price is Right that is my favorite! I played it so much that I hit the 1000 jackpot every time! When it was time to go, it was a lot of fun redeeming the tickets for our gifts. Having over 7000 tickets, I split them with the grand kids and they picked out a lot of stuff to take home.

We ventured out to the Albuquerque Zoo and Botanical Gardens one day; Cliff’s Amusement Park the next; we visited the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science located at 1801 Mountain Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM. We walked around Old Town and ventured in the local shops. We ate at the HACIENDA DEL RIO RESTAURANT & CANTINA in Old Town section of Albuquerque.

We saved the best for last! Albuquerque, NM is the place to be! Look out July 2024! Here we come!

Our trip home was long but not boring. The kids were already making plans for the next year and believe me, this ma-maw is ready to go! As I always say, have grand children, will travel!!! We’ll see you there…

– The End –

By Marcella S. Meeks

My sister Kitty hates to travel. She acts like her home is some kind of palace and she hates staying any where else. She calls her home a castle and it’s nothing but a simple older model three bedroom double wide mobile home sitting on several acres of land. Kitty not only hates to travel but she also hates being a widow, too. She had been married five times and all of her husbands are dead. Who wouldn’t hate that? She, even though she is in her late 70’s, is looking for husband number 6. Watch out, gentlemen! Here she comes, she’s a man-eater! I sure wouldn’t want to be husband number 6! She has hobbies at home that she enjoys and she spends her free time going out to clubs and dancing closer to home. Traveling just isn’t her cup of tea. There are thousands of people who share that same insight – traveling just doesn’t suit them.

If there is anywhere I can go, I will. If a travel opportunity presents itself, I’m ready. My bags are always packed and I can be on my way in a snap.

People has asked me multiple times why I enjoy traveling so much. There’s no one answer to that age-old question. My main reason is that I love going somewhere – anywhere – as long as I’m not going home! I love my home and I’m peaceful and happy in it but I love hopping in the car and taking day trips here and there, spending a night or two in new places and I love taking short and long term vacations. The longer the better. Simple as that. For no definite reason other than it is who I am and what I do. Traveling is my hobby, my job, my way of life, and I am very content the way I am. Unlike my older sister, I can’t stand sitting at home being ‘Suzy-home-maker’ when there are places to go!

Traveling is not for everyone – I get that.

I remember a time when I didn’t travel much. Financial reasons for one thing. You certainly can’t go places if you’re broke or don’t have transportation. Travel is limited if you have children in school unless you’re fortunate enough to have a live-in nanny. I was never that fortunate. Finding a baby sitter while I worked day jobs was hard enough! Honestly, I dreamed of traveling but just didn’t have the means to do so at certain times in my life. The desire was there.

As the years passed, I found a way to support my traveling habit. I learned how to travel on a shoestring budget and it always worked well for me. I’ve never smoked, or drank, or had bad habits that drained my money. I’ve always had bills to pay just like everyone else, and personal needs that needed taken care of too. But I learned to manage my finances a long time ago and save a few dollars back every month for a mini trip or upcoming vacation. I start saving a year in advance and along with that, save all my change. You’ll be surprised how much change adds up in several months time.

When I buy groceries, I buy a Wendy’s food card, Burger King food card or whatever is available or affordable – at least one $10 or $15 card each month, depending on how many people I’m bringing on a trip. The more food cards I buy in advance for when it’s time to travel, the less money I have to take out of pocket for food. I already have multiple food cards purchased and available when we need it. Believe me, this helps. I also buy Shell gas cards and load money on them as well, at least $25 every other month.

I love traveling – I love taking tours and doing fun things, especially with my family. This is memory making time. Trust me, we’ve made many memories through the years that will never be forgotten. This may just well be the reason I love traveling so much.

Finding ways to support my traveling urges makes me happy and believe me, I am always looking for new things. If it makes my trip better and allows me money to enjoy the trip, you know I will try it.

What do you enjoy most about travel?

The Benefits of Staying in Cabins or Cottages Vs. Staying in Motels

By Marcella S. Meeks

10/21/23

I’ve traveled a lot in my lifetime throughout Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. I’ve stayed in 1 star hotels/motels that didn’t have much to offer except a bed to sleep in and that wasn’t much. I’ve stayed in 2, 3, 4 and 5 star hotels/motels as well and have been treated kindly in each place I’ve stayed in a hostel before and was treated with kindness and respect and a fairly decent bed to sleep in. I’ve stayed at B & B’\s and at cabins, cottages and condos and have camped out out in primitive camp sites with no amenities and at KOA’s where we had access to showers and bathrooms. In a sense, I’ve had a taste of a little bit of both worlds.

The last 19 years, I’ve traveled with grandchildren quite a bit and in the beginning I always made sure our motel had a pool. When the pandemic hit full force a few years ago, that changed things drastically for us because no mater what hotel/motel we stayed at, the pool was always closed. I thought it would make a huge impact with the kids but it didn’t. I honestly believed they’d be disappointed without a swimming pool. But looking back on the last few trips we took before the pandemic, the kids hardly went swimming at all. They were getting older and the pool was too much trouble for them and took them away from their smart phones and games.

Since then, I started booking 2 and 3 bedroom cabins. Most of these cabins didn’t have pools but no one seemed to miss them at all. At some of the places there was a swim beach close by or a community pool in town that had giant slides and such. The best part about the cabins is easy to figure out. Depending on where we were and how big the cabin needed to be, it costed about the same as a five star motel. The cabins that we stayed at had linen, towels, a kitchen and stocked with dishes and pots and pans – all the conveniences of home and then some. With a kitchen, I am able to cook full meals for the family and we don’t have to eat take out or go to expensive restaurants except when we want a special treat or outing.

Not only have I saved a few dollars on food, but I’m able to sit around the dinner table after the meal and talk and play cards or board games with the kids. I’d like to call it quality time. Then we can venture outside and whenever available, we can build a fire in the fire pit and sit around and roast marshmallows and eat s’mores.

The good thing about staying in cabins or cottages rather than a one room motel/hotel or even a suite is the ability to feel at home, and do the things that really matters. A pool night be an added bonus but in my opinion, spending quality time with your family is much more important whether it’s twenty or thirty minutes or an hour. The best part is, the privacy of multiple bedrooms and usually a front or back porch to sit out on after a long day of touring and having fun. Depending on where you are, there might be fly fishing or some other type of sport offered at the cabin/resort like hiking, kayaking or even rafting expeditions. It’s simply the best!

There is a couple of places in Lake City that you might find appealing to you.

The TEXAN RESORT . Reservations (970) 944-2246 • Toll free (877) 220-1179. The Texan has a place for fishing onsite and swimming. There is horseshoe games and a basketball goal for the older kids and a park for the little ones. There are hiking trails everywhere. It is not far from town and there are different size cabins to fit your needs. You can contact The Texan Resort at

Another cabin in town that some of you will really enjoy is G & M CABINS, 331 Gunnison Avenue, Lake City, CO. 970 944 2282. There’s no place to fish or swim but you can do either of the two about five minutes away. I love their beautiful cabins and OMG – the flowers Ms. Jacqui is famous for will honestly take your breath away. Just remember though, they don’t allow fur babies here. But families are always welcome.

I’ve had the pleasure of staying in cabins and motels but the benefits of the cabins are much greater to me than that of motels in most cases. I usually rent a motel for a night coming in and a night going out but my preference would honestly have to be for cabins or resorts. Again, it depends on where I am and what I am doing that really makes the difference. And it also depends on how much money I’m willing to pay for food whether it’s take out or dine or or home cooked.

It’s your choice – you have to decide which is better for your family. If you’re not willing to cook and clean just like you would at home, then motels/hotels might be the better choice for you.

Tonight, it’s chicken fried pork chops, gravy and rice and little red potatoes seasoned and simmered to perfection and home made biscuits. And home made peach cobbler for desert. So, no motel for this family this trip! Are you hungry?There’s room at my table for one more…

and Well-being is Worth the Sacrifice

The Benefits of Family Vacations: Your Sanity, Health, Happiness

and Well-being is Worth the Sacrifice

By Marcella S. Meeks

The year of the pandemic was troubled times for many Americans. The uncertainties and travel restrictions brought on by the pandemic put this country in a stressful state, in more ways than one. Still, a lot of families are still afraid to travel because of the fear of catching a disease or getting quarantined in a city other than their hometown. But the pandemic is over now and people can start living their lives once again and doing the things they love to do.

One of the things my family enjoys is vacations. Vacationing is essential for me and my well-being and sanity. Believe it if you will but it’s true. The year we had the pandemic was the most stressful year of my life. I took a trip to New Mexico that year and had to turn back because of travel restrictions. I never got Covid-19 during that time and I really wasn’t that worried, but the stress of it all nearly got me down mentally, emotionally and physically.

Since then, I’ve had Covid twice after the pandemic was over. For me, it wasn’t as bad as doctors claimed it to be. I had the flu several times during my lifetime and it buckled me to my knees and almost put me in the hospital each time. When I got Covid, except for a headache, diarrhea, and a little off and on fever a couple of days, I never would of known I had it had I not been tested for it. I’m not saying it’s not bad because for some, it could be. I had Stage 4 cancer twice, and Stage 1 cancer – all within a 5 year period and have to have two rounds of radiation for five days a week for six weeks (two different times) and believe me, my immune system is pretty darn weak. The second Stage 4 happened while the pandemic was still under way and I was hospitalized for three weeks without family around and that made it even worse than it was.

That’s over with now, thank goodness, and we Americans are striving to get back into living a normal life. In doing so, this one America (ME!) is going to spend as much time as I can traveling around the country. And it’s starting very soon! I saw what shutting this country down did to us. I lived through it and felt the pangs of stress and immobility for months on end. Our children suffered greatly when they were forced to stay home and go to school virtually. They were scared and didn’t know what was happening. We couldn’t visit friends, we were restricted and not allowed around friends and family and it put a toil on our children, as well as parents nationwide.

I am a grandmother and I am raising my twelve year old grandson Kendray who has been used to traveling frequently by car to different places. Kendray’s grades dropped drastically to C’s and D’s. when the pandemic hit. It took several months for him to finally start doing good in school after the pandemic went away, grade wise.

The masks were another problem. That was the biggest joke I ever heard of but that is my opinion and mine only. Two of my grandsons has asthma and ended up in the emergency room several times with breathing problems because of wearing masks.

Because I did have Stage 4 mouth cancer twice and the radiation afterwards, it burnt my bronchial tubes and I already had existing breathing problems. The masks were a no-no for me because I couldn’t breath with them on my nose and face. I wore masks only when forced to. The pandemic took it’s toil on this country in more ways than one.

Businesses suffered greatly and some even shut down for good.

But this story is not about the pandemic – it is about the essential benefits of travel and what good it does for a person’s well-being. Now that the pandemic is behind us, it’s time to get out and go somewhere. Regardless what it will cost me in gasoline to go on a long extended vacation, I will pay the price for my sanity’s sake. My health depends on it. My family’s health and well-being depends on it too. We can’t live confined to one place all the time. We are Americans and we live in the land of milk and honey, the land of the free, and not being able to travel for some of us is like putting us behind bars.

For most working people, after vacation time, employees who took a vacation are relaxed and more focused on their jobs, motivated and more productive. Travel is essential because it lowers stress, people have a better outlook on life, and they are happier and satisfied. Traveling relieves anxiety and depression, and people are more relaxed and at ease on the job or off.

Sometimes, though, traveling can create stress if a trip is not planned properly. The key to achieving a successful trip is to plan. It’s not necessarily where you go that makes a trip successful, it’s knowing how you’re getting there, how much money you have to spend, where you’re spending it at, and making sure everything is done according to plan, allowing for the extra surprises and activities you encounter along the way.

If you’re traveling with children, you want to make sure there is a pool at the motel, possibly an arcade or game room. Having a few rolls of quarters stashed in your travel bag is always a good idea. You sure don’t want to be sitting a room with two or three children with no pool or game room somewhere in the building or on the premises. You’re on vacation so make the kids vacation is as entertaining as your own. You’ll be happier in the end.

Families who travel together bond. They create long-lasting memories that last a lifetime, and they are much happier and satisfied than those that don’t travel. After a trip, the kids will talk about their vacation for weeks and weeks afterward. The key is making memories they’ll never forget, and passing that on to their own children.

There are a lot of places you can take your family, but there are places that are seldom overlooked. Sometimes, just finding a diamond in the rough (a travel oasis the whole family will love) is a blessing in disguise. And there is such a place, if you love nature. It is a ‘the place to be’, especially in the summer months.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, near Alamosa in southern Colorado is a great place for families. The best time to visit the Sand Dunes is early in the morning before six or seven – before the sun comes out and heats things up.

The Great Sand Dunes Lodge (Mosca) is located about five miles from the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and is about twenty-five miles from Alamosa, the nearest town. The Lodge opens for business in early March and closes about the middle of November for the winter season. All nineteen rooms/suites are clean and comfortable, each one with a patio for your enjoyment. The Lodge is pet-friendly which is a plus for families with fur babies. They serve breakfast and have an indoor pool for your convenience.

Mornings are cool in the mountains but having breakfast on your private patio is relaxing and gratifying to your soul. The hummingbird feeders are always full and the little birds come back every year. There’s nothing like sitting outside early in the mornings with no worries except what you will do for the day with the kids. .

You can stay two or three days or the whole summer if you want. You don’t have to go into the Sand Dunes if you’re not physically able but just seeing them is well worth the drive.

Bring the family and enjoy the blessings of Colorado’s beautiful scenery. The Sand Dunes awaits… Pack up the kids, the fur babies and head out to Colorado this year. Remember, your sanity, health, happiness and well-being is worth the trip and sacrifice.

Happy travels… Be sure to tell everyone The Family Travel Host USA sent you…

We got back from Colorado a few days earlier than expected for various family-oriented issues. For one, my youngest sister Elaine was hospitalized – though she is doing fine she will have to stay for a few days nevertheless. And two, money was getting tight, and we ran out of things to do at the cabin, so it was time for us to head home. There were only the three of us traveling together this time: Me, Kendray and his friend Dewayne.

While we were on our way home, Butch, our adopted fur baby who had stayed home, decided to venture off during the night chasing wild things. He ventured about a mile from home on Hwy 84 and got hit and killed. My daughter found him the next morning and there was a funeral for him. It was upsetting news when we finally arrived home, and both Kendray and I cried ourselves to sleep that night. Butch was a good dog and protected us from things that go bump in the night on the outside. He is already missed so bad. It wasn’t like him to venture off. There was someone here caring for him, but he apparently found him a girlfriend close to town that was in heat and he went a little crazy and ventured off one time too many. Still, we miss him so bad.

All in all, we had a wonderful trip in spite of the little extra activities the two boys decided to delve into without permission while we were gone! Kendray fell down a mountainside and got banged up a little more than I liked. He ended up in the ER with minor internal injuries that we are still keeping an eye out for, making sure there is no blood in his urine. A follow-up with his PC doctor next week and he’s good to go. He got skinned up pretty good but the wounds are already healing nicely.

Enough about all that! I know everyone wants to hear about our trip! So here goes…

When we arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico late in the evening, there wasn’t a lot of time to do anything except eat, swim and relax. But the pool was closed when we got there, which sucked. When I called, and booked the room for several nights we were informed that it would be open. Just didn’t work out that way.

I want to complain a little about Albuquerque, New Mexico anyway while it’s still fresh on my mind. We have been going to Albuquerque since 1992 and have always made it a priority on our westerly trip. We’ve always loved it because of Cliff’s Amusement Park, the zoo and aquarium, Hinkle Family Fun Center – just a few of our favorite places there. The last few years though, there have been panhandlers in various parts of the city and each year they get worse. Now they are on almost every major street corner asking for money and stuff. I would think there would be a city ordinance against this type of thing. Who wants to pull up to a red light to be confronted with people in wheel chairs or possibly crack heads asking for money? Not me, especially when I have children in the car with me. I don’t usually complain but it has only gotten out of control. Now, crack heads are hanging out at the motels and are in the parking lots waiting to make a deal. Not happening on this level.

I just don’t feel safe going to Albuquerque anymore and it will be deleted from my travel plans for 2024. I guess what I am really trying to say is this: I live in a small town in Louisiana – our town is almost small enough that everybody knows everybody else – almost anyway! Everybody knows the meth heads, the pot heads and the crack heads, if you will, and honestly when I leave home, I don’t want to be confronted on every street corner with basically the same thing just in a larger and different way.

Maybe if some of the city officials were aware that this is the type of things that keeps families away, maybe they will clean it up so we will come back. Or not… But it’s not my duty to complain. I am a travel writer trying to show people wonderful places to visit – not the negativity of a city. But since I don’t feel safe there anymore, I don’t think I should send families there where they may not feel safe either. Just saying it the way I see it…

We left Albuquerque, went through Durango, Silverton, Ouray, and made our way over to Lake City (Colorado) where we had a cabin waiting for us for the next few days. After we settled down a few days, we took a drive over to Creede, and then I took the boys to the Great Sand Dunes near Alamosa, Colorado. They loved it but it was hot! One of the ranger guides said that the sand temperature was 135 degrees. That’s not exactly my cup of tea (or should I say sand!)

Back at the Texan Resort the two boys had the time of their life fly fishing and swimming in the river that flows through the property. I kept my promise – I brought a book, bottle of cold water and a folding chair and sat out there everyday reading and just relaxing. That’s exactly what I have been needing for a long time. I probably had just as much fun enjoying my book as the boys did fishing and swimming.

When we finally decided to pack up and come home, I cried. I’m not kidding. I knew I had to go but part of me wanted to stay. And so did Kendray. His friend Dewayne was home sick and ready to go, but had it been only me and Kendray alone I would have stayed a few more days.

I’ve already started planning next year’s trip (minus Albuquerque). Now it’s time to start saving money! That’s a tough one though, but I can do it. Sheer willpower because I love to travel! Simple as that!!!

By Marcella S. Meeks

Vacation time will be here before you know it. I wanted to share with y’all a sneak preview of the places we’re going this summer. Some of it we’ve done before, and some of it is new to us. All in all, it will be a fun-filled and creative trip and one we are looking forward to once again. My only concern is that the gas prices don’t hike up any higher before we leave. Buying gas is one of the major expenses on these trips because we have to have fuel to get us from point A to point B and back again. Motel rooms are also one of our greatest expenses, and with a family in tow, we have to watch our spending. I try to find rooms that rate at least three stars. I always get rooms that has breakfast and I make sure everyone eats before we leave.

We’re heading west again this year. It’s a ten hour drive to Carlsbad, New Mexico, (exactly 665 miles one way). We’ll stay one night there and visit Carlsbad Caverns (https://www.nps.gov/cave/index.htm) the next morning where we’ll spend the biggest part of the day. After we leave Carlsbad, we’re driving over to Roswell, New Mexico, (seventy-six miles away) and visit the alien museum while we’re there. If we don’t get abducted by aliens, we’ll drive the three and half hour drive (two hundred and five miles) to Albuquerque, New Mexico where we’re going to be staying the next four nights.

I took the liberty to book us a room for four nights at La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham, a 3.6 star facility. We have stayed here before and enjoyed it very much. They have an onsite guest laundry and the best part is, they are pet friendly so Isabelle, our daughter fur baby (Yorkie) can travel with us. They serve breakfast as well.

Why Albuquerque, you may ask? Simple.

Albuquerque is a mini vacation in itself. It can be short or as long as you want it to be. There is plenty to do for everyone in the family. Why go anywhere else for an eventful vacation when you go to Albuquerque!

We’re only staying in Albuquerque for four nights before going on to Colorado to finish up our trip.

Some of our favorite things to do and provide links here and there.

If you have children, and a few dollars you can turn loose, Hinkle Family Fun Center on Indian School Road. (https://www.hinklefuncenter.com/) is the place to be. You will run out of money before you run out of fun! They have arcades, mini golf, bungy jumping and more. Just bring your credit cards and let Hinkle Family Fun Center provide the fun! It is an exciting place to be for families of all ages.

Then there’s the Albuquerque Zoo and Aquarium. The kids will love this one. Plan an entire day at the Alb. Zoo and Aquarium.

Then there is the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. You sure don’t want to miss out on this one! If you have a kid who loves dinosaurs, this si the place to be. And the planetarium is also a must see.. Visit it at the dinosaur museum before you leave.

There is more to Albuquerque though. Take the kids on a free tour of Old Town. Be sure to take a water bottle and wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking awhile. While you’re touring, stop in at the rattle snake museum in the old town section of the downtown area.

If you’re into theme parks, take the kids out to Cliff’s Amusement Park (https://www.cliffsamusementpark.com/). Be prepared to stay all day for the rides and the next day for the water park. Their prices are affordable and the rides are a lot of fun. My favorite (always has been) is the log ride. But I’m old school and this ride is the only one that doesn’t scare me to death. Except the drop!

If theme parks are a little out of your league, then drop by the Petroglyph National Monument (https://www.nps.gov/petr/index.htm)

or the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum (https://balloonmuseum.com/).

There’s more – if your kids love skateboarding, there are a couple of skate parks (for scooters and bicycles too) in town where the kids can spend the entire day or an afternoon enjoying skating for free. That’s the best part of it all. Here are several that we’ve visited through the years but always double check to make sure they’re still in operation and safe for kids. Also, please note this list may not be complete. I did a Google search for skate park information in the Albuquerque area. We’ve been to several of them and of course, our boys loved them. Skate parks are free and your kids can have a hour, a day or a week of free fun – depending how long you intend to stay in Albuquerque. You supply the skate boards or scooters (and the kids) and they provide you with an ample supply of skate parks to choose from. Here’s my list  Los Altos Park Skatepark, North Domingo Baca Park Skatepark, Calvary Skatepark, Río Bravo Park Skatepark, Tower Pond Park Skate Park, North West Modular Skate Park, and Paradise Hills Skate Park.

I won’t even try to name all the activities or restaurants in Albuquerque – you’ve just got to be there and experience it your own way. There’s just too much to do, to see and enjoy!

After leaving Albuquerque, we’ll head over to Farmington and most likely, get a room and stay the night. We have family there and it wouldn’t be right not to stop in and visit since we’ve come this far. We’ll also visit the Aztec Indian Ruins in Aztec, NM on our way out. (https://www.nps.gov/azru/index.htm)

Then we are heading to Cortez, Colorado for the next couple of nights. Yes, you guessed it – Four Corner and Mesa Verde National Park (https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm) is next on our list before heading back down to Durango, Colorado where we’re spending the next three nights camping out at United Campgrounds of Durango.

We’ll take a day trip over to Silverton and then on to Ouray. We have ridden the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Train so many times in the past that it is not for us. I enjoy it every time but our kids are older now and don’t care for it anymore. If you’re bringing kids and they’ve never rode it, then it’s worth the money you pay for it. But it is slow and usually takes all day, round trip. Because I have done it so many times through the years, it is tiring to me because it is slow and a bit noisy. The first few times I did ride it, I found it exciting and fun though, and so will you.

After leaving Durango, we’re driving over to South fork. We’ll do Pagosa Springs another day. Driving over Wolf Creek Pass has always been exciting and we always stop at the summit and take pictures. You should too. Wolf Creek Pass is a high mountain pass (elevation over 10,000 feet) on the Continental Divide.

When we get settled in at South Fork for the next four nights, we always venture up to South Clear Creek Falls, and North Clear Creek Falls near Creede. Creede is about 25 miles from South Fork, and is something to do while we’re there. We spend a few hours at the falls for a picnic lunch, and then we drive into Creede for a little while before heading back to South Fork.

we head back down to South Fork and rest up. Sometimes, depending on our trip budget, we stay a day or two.

This time, we’re staying in Lake City at our favorite resort called A Texan Resort (http://www.texanresort.com/new/index.html) for several nights before coming back down the mountain and heading over to Monte Vista.

We usually stay in Monte Vista three or four nights because it’s an in-between location of some of the things we like to do while we’re here. Monte Vista Skate Park is the kid’s favorite of all and they spend as much here as they can. The best part is, it’s right across the street from our motel. So convenient! We usually try to book our rooms here on the weekend so that we can go to the Star Drive In Theatre in Del Norte (bestwesternmoviemanor.com), a little less than twenty miles away. You simply must take the family out to the Colorado Gators (https://coloradogators.com/). It’s about a twenty-five mile drive from Monte Vista. And don’t forget, the Great Sand Dunes National Park (https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm) is only a short drive from Monte Monte Vista. And bring plenty of water for this one. Another all-time favorite for the kids. Don’t forget to rent a sled. Be sure to take water with you on the slopes.

Friday evening, we’ll drive over to Del Norte and take a movie at

I wouldn’t recommend the Sand Dunes for older folk. They are hot, and if you have health issues, this is not for you.

When it’s time to say goodbye to Monte Vista, we’re heading over to Salida (about eighty miles away) and we’ll stay here a couple of nights, do some rafting and sight seeing before heading over to Leadville to ride the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad train. (https://www.leadvillerailroad.com/). Call ahead and book your reservation – they have a one half day ride in the morning and one in the afternoon.

After a long day, we go back to our room and rest and get up the next day and trek off to Canon City. There. We do the Royal Gorge Bridge. It is an all day adventure! The next day, we’ll spend the day with the kids at the Cañon City Skatepark. We’ll take a picnic lunch with us and just enjoy the day here.

Last but not least, when we leave Canon City, we stop off in Colorado Springs for a couple of nights. There is a lot of things to do that we haven’t done but this year we’re going to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings (https://www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/) in Manitou Springs. It usually takes us about 4 hours to go through the ruins and the gift shops but it is well worth the time.

There are so many things to do in Colorado Springs that I don’t even know where to begin. Usually, we’ll play it by ear and just do one or two things while we’re here. My two favorites are Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings and Garden of the Gods (https://gardenofgods.com/). By the time we do these two, we’re ready to head to our motel room, and rest up for the 1000 + mile drive home and back to our normal life!

But before we actually get home – just out of Colorado a little way, we’ll stop in Raton, NM. and visit the Capulin Volcano National Monument (https://www.nps.gov/cavo/index.htm). Yes, we’ve been there many times but since we’ve come so far, we wouldn’t miss it for the world and neither should you. As soon as we’re done with that, we’re heading back home – we’ll probably make it as far as far as Amarillo, Texas if we drive without stopping every thirty minutes! But that’s okay – we’re certainly in no rush to get back home to our normal… I’d rather spend hours on the road with my family enjoying them every moment rather than coming home, getting back into our normal routine. It’s more fun being on vacation!

I know our trip seems awfully long but it’s worth every minute we put into it. Come join us if you dare!

By Marcella S. Meeks

I guess you could say my Christmas holiday was nice but un-eventful. I wanted to go somewhere but just didn’t. My Trailblazer needs some love and conditioning (about $2000 worth of conditioning!) and an oil change before I hit the road again, as well as new tres all around. The grand kids and I had planned to go to Galveston Texas for Christmas but that was postponed until the Spring due to a number of things.

We had a blast freeze to hit our area here in the south sending temperatures down in the low teens with a chill factor of – 6 below 0. That alone was reason enough for me to stay home. I sure didn’t want to be cooped up in a room with teen aged grandsons. So we stayed home, and basically stayed in Christmas. We had dinner and opened presents but nothing out of the ordinary. The boys stayed hom e with their parents except when we exchanged gifts!

I can’t say that I didn’t dream of being somewhere besides here because I did. But it was nice seeing everyone and enjoying the time together with family and friends.

Spending Christmas at home isn’t that bad as long as you know that soon you’ll be going someplace! At least we will anyway..

I wanted to go to Arizona, Las Vegas, NV, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado on our summer trip in 2022 but ended up going to Arkansas instead when gas prices jumped up to over $5 a gallon. It’s about $2.66 a gallon right now and if it continues to stay below $3.50, we might can do a trip of that size this coming July 2023.

Needless to say, I spent Christmas afternoon watching TV and dreaming about our upcoming ’23 trip, mentally making plans and mapping out a route that I know the boys will enjoy as much as I will. See, I never travel solo – I take along my teen-aged grandsons and at least one of their friends, space permitting. I am a family oriented person and enjoy having family as company.

My trip in 2023 includes Colorado once again and I’ve already started making plans in hopes of making them a reality by July. Now that I spent the holidays making these plans, I need to spend some time making them a reality.

How did you spend your Christmas holidays? Send us reply below – we’d love to hear from you.

I Need a Vacation…By Marcella S. Meeks

I started traveling with my family in tow back in 1991 – before then, the only trips we took was visiting relatives or camping and to me, that wasn’t really traveling. Not in the sense I refer to as a real vacation.

After my divorce from my ex husband in 1991, I decided my kids and I would take a trip every year. And we did. They’re all grown now and rarely go with me anymore but now there are grand kids. And they travel with ma-maw everywhere. Some of the older ones grew up too, and now the younger grands go with me. We always have fun – it doesn’t matter if we go for two days, a week or two weeks – or longer. We always have a wonderful time. There is really no perfect trip but each one just gets better and better!

In October, the grandkids have a fall break coming up so we are planning on a little mini trip to Galveston – we’re taking our fishing gear so there will be plenty to keep us busy. There is a tropical storm brewing up out in the Atlantic right now but I don’t really think it will impact our trip too much.

I remember when I was a kid – we lived in Houston but every weekend we’d go to Galveston and fish the entire weekend. Mama loved to fish. My sisters and I spent our time chasing waves. Oh, what wonderful memories.

There have been several tropical depressions in the Atlantic basin the last few weeks but they moved on off and wasn’t a threat to the US coast. We’ll just have to wait and see how the weather is the week of our mini trip to the Gulf Coast.

We’ll go someplace else if the weather is too bad in October. I’ll keep you posted when and if we get to Galveston in a few weeks.

See you there…

By Marcella S. Meeks

In a few short weeks, hopefully if I can get enough money to buy the gas for vacation, we’ll be heading West. The way it’s looking now, it’s going to cost me a whopping $1250 round trip just for gasoline in my old trail blazer. I’m not even sure if that is a doable thing at this point. I’m deliberating on canceling everything in New Mexico and Colorado and just going someplace closer like Hot Springs, Arkansas. It will only cost me $300 round trip to go there – give or take a few dollars.

I never worried about gas before but I never spent over $600 round trip even going 3500 miles or so. Now the thought of $1200 just for gas really makes me stop and think. Spending that much on gas cuts out extra activities and eating out, that’s for sure. What’s the point in going on vacation if all your money is spent on gas and there’s little left for anything fun?

I’m taking my grandsons. Needless to say, they’re going to have to eat. Feeding teen agers isn’t cheap either. With gas prices soaring and my bank account already over-budgeted and slim as it is, rethinking our vacation plans this year is in the makings as we speak. I’d rather go someplace like Arkansas than no place at all.

Everybody is saying that Biden did this to us… Wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they’re right. Regardless who did it, cutting our vacation in half this year is a ‘have-to’ instead of a ‘want-to’. Until gas prices get back to normal if it ever does, vacationing closer to home and spending less on gas is something I will have to consider from here on out.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who is cutting out long hauls this year. I know people who are cutting vacation time out altogether and sticking close to home. But I must go somewhere. My sanity is at stake here – I have to get away and just enjoy being somewhere other than here. So – Arkansas was the grandsons first choice at a ‘closer to home’ destination. Any ideas? Feel free to share here. Thanks…