A Christmas Experience vs. More Stuff

A few years ago we decided that we wanted to give our family an experience together for Christmas instead of giving more traditional Christmas gifts.  We felt like we all had enough stuff already.  Our hope was that an experience together would bring us together more, would build memories, and would expose all of us to things we don't usually get to do.

Maybe an experience together better matches the spirit of what Christmas is about, as opposed to the drama of getting and giving gifts.  We certainly haven't missed fighting the Christmas crowds in search of bargains on stuff that we really don't need.  Sorry, I'm not much of a capitalist.

Over the years we have done the following, as family Christmas experiences:

• Mountain adventures in the snow (McCall, ID)
• A Staycation in the Treasure Valley, including experiences in the arts, Boise adventures, eating out, cultural activities, etc.
• An urban adventure (Portland, OR)

This year, after much debate and research, our family adventure is to Moab, Utah.  It is a part of Utah we have driven through but we have never had time to stop.  This is Moab's down-season, so bargains abound for housing, making a condo possible.  While there are still plenty of tourists here, the crowds are much more manageable.  The winter experience in the desert is quite different.  It is a different kind of beauty.  

More than the location, the best part is just being together.  We have had fun watching movies, playing games, and traipsing around on snowy trails.  We have a good time with books, science, rocks, and geeky banter.  We have had a good time taking and looking at our pictures.

Favorites on this trip:

• Games: Ticket To Ride, Ruckus, Oh Really!
• DVD: They are all watching the "Emma" BBC mini-series right now.
• Audio Book: Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt (The next selection in NPR's "Back Seat Book Club."

We are looking forward to adventures to come.

Cross Country Skiing at La Sal Mountain

We took at day to try cross country skiing at Geyser Pass on La Sal Mountain.  We had to chain up about 4 miles short of the trail-head and the four wheelers coming down warned us that we wouldn't make it up, as the drifts were quite high.  We, instead, skied up the road and made the most of a beautiful day in the snow.  A good workout.

As you can see in the pics, we were still happy to be in the snow, even after our day of skiing.

Arches National Park

Instead of traditional Christmas gifts, we have given an experience.  This year it is a family trip to Moab, Utah.  One of the highlights of the trip was the two days we spent wandering and gawking at the beauty in The Arches National Park.  A winter experience.  Much smaller crowds.  Sometimes chilling cold.  Hikes are often crunching through snow.  The views are amazing.  I'm going to ask the girls to add comments below the various pictures.

A View From Our Condo Rental

We were lucky to find a great place to hang out with the five us here. A great view in several directions. A 3 bedroom condo with a kitchen and a great table for board games.

Hannah and I went for a run across the valley towards the big rocks (Puesta del Sol?). Mix of melting snow and ice crunchies. Beautiful.

• When we were almost done with our 4ish miles, Hannah says, "When...can...we...stop...running...up...hills?"

The Moab Family Adventure

The view from the backseat.

Weather: Snow, Slush, Ice
Location: Approaching Idaho/Utah Border
Activities: Back seat bingo, Vocabulary.com on cell phones, Math games, Logos Quiz on ipad, Talking, Singing.
It took us forever to finish backyard bingo, as we didn't see several things until we got to SLC area. We could have used some squares labeled: Wire Fence, Scrub Brush, Slush, Abandoned Houses, Snow.
A fun family time.

While, the weather was messy and we did see a few cars that had slid off into the weeds, we didn't know how really bad it would get right after we went through.  There was a 17 car pileup about an hour after we went through.  God protected us.

KTVB - 17 Car Pileup Story