You will never look back on life and think, “I spent too much time with my kids”

We decide to take a small road trip to test out the waters for our 3 week cross country adventure this summer. I thought it would be a great way to figure out all of the small stuff that we might need and forget when planning a bigger trip…so we set off to Arizona….

Our first leg of the trip was over night….I used to work nights so staying up for a 24 hour period didn’t bother me…and I knew the kids could sleep on the way. We left my moms house in Gilroy around 6:00 PM the day before Easter….

We arrived in Williams Arizona at 6:00 am. Unfortunately, our KOA Cabin reservation wasn’t available until 3:00 PM that day…so, we had the opportunity to explore the area (although I think I needed some toothpicks to keep my eyes open)

Our first priority was FOOD!! We were all starving after the long night of travel, so off to Flagstaff we went….Why? Well, many friends and family swear by a restaurant called Cracker Barrel

OH! And not pictured was a Star Siting….Janelle and Cody from TLC’s Sister Wives were enjoying breakfast there too!

We just had to go and see what all the hype was about!! It was also Easter Sunday, so it was a great way to spend our morning…My kids loved the food! The French Toast was a hit…and their creamy sugar filled coffee hit the spot for me!

Our next adventure was to Bearizona!

If you have never heard of Bearizona before…you definitely need to put it on your “To Do” List! It is a fun “Drive Thru” Safari park where you can see a ton of wildlife! Everything from Bears, to wolves, Elk and more! We highly recommend it!

When you are done with the drive, you can park and go into the zoo area. We spent most of our day here…feeding otters, watching bears climb trees, petting goats, and watching Fox stare back at us…

Cabins and beds…..

Finally after a long day of adventuring with wild animals….we headed to our KOA Campground…where our little cabin awaited us!

I haven’t stayed in a KOA since I was 4 year old…and we usually camp in a tent, so this was a nice change from what we are used to….this kids had a blast on the air pillow and driving go carts. They also offered put-put golf and an indoor pool. If you are looking for an affordable and fun place to stay near the Grand Canyon, I highly recommend this place!

Stay tuned for day 2!