Parenting

Today was a momentous day for Frugal Boy.  We submitted his passport application to the State Department.  In 4-6 weeks he will hopefully have a small booklet that lets him travel to almost every country on planet Earth.

Minors must submit their applications in person with both adults present.

The checklist of required materials for a first time applicant is:

1. A DS-11 Passport Application Form
2. A certified birth certificate (no photocopies or public notary stamps)
3. Money ($105)
4. Parent’s photo identification (driver’s license)
5. Parental consent (we had to swear an oath and we both had to be there)
6. 2″x2″ color photo meeting certain requirements

I found the easiest way to fill out the form was through the online wizard.  It presents simple and easy to understand prompts and then uses the information to fill in the more confusing DS-11 form.

We chose to take the photo ourselves.  The main requirements are:

• White or Off white background
• No other people in the background
• Head sized to be between 1-1 3/8″
• Centered
• Face unobscured
• Both ears visible
• Eyes open
• Crisp without blurring
• Unaltered by photo editing software
• Neutral expression

This proved to be no easy feat with a rambunctious toddler, but after 40 or so shots we had three that showed promise.  I collaged them together and had a single 4×6 printed off at the nearest 1 hour photo for a grand cost of 31¢.  Most places that advertise passport photos are in the $10-$30 range (one guess where the children friendly places fall on that scale).

The passport office was inside the post office.  The man wasn’t confident that the photo we chose would pass muster, but the worst that would happen would be a letter from the state department asking for a new one.  We wouldn’t have to go back and apply in person again (sorry Shae, I know how much you love the bureaucratic process).

I thought Shae and I were really on top of our game by getting a passport for our son at such a young age, but I was quickly put to shame when the Indian couple standing in line behind us showed off their 20 day old infant.  I guess when grandma is a continent away, passports take on an increased priority.

Now the really important question.  Where should we go?

More information about passports, specifically children’s passports, can be found on the state department’s website.

ps. please have all your forms and required materials ready to go when you show up at the office.

pps. you can also make appointments at the office to cut the line.  I wish I knew that beforehand!

After eating a picnic lunch at Walnut Canyon, we packed up and drove up and through Flagstaff to come back down on Lake Mary Road for, you guessed it, Lake Mary.

Lake Mary is a reservoir that captures meltwater from Mt Humphreys.  It serves as the primary supply for Flagstaff and is a popular fishing/recreation area for locals.  Lower Lake Mary, pictured above, was mostly dry.

Without fishing poles, there wasn’t much to do so we moved on.  Back in downtown Flag, we parked next to the library and forded over the mighty Rio de Flag (Flag River).  You can see it in the background of this picture.  Yep, it was also dry and is essentially a ditch.

Ed knew of a park nearby so we walked there along the river trail and waited for Frugal Boy’s cousin and parents to arrive via car from the Midwest.

 

With everyone together, snacked, and settled down, we hit a grocery store on our way out of town to stock up on dinner ingredients for the next few days.

If you are making the drive from Flag to the Grand Canyon or vice versa you can stop at Snowbowl, a winter sports mecca.  The scenic drive up the mountain provides a sweeping vista of the surrounding area.

That night, Shae and I made fish tacos for the crowd.  We’d need the energy for the next day’s hike down into the canyon with two one year olds!

The Grand Canyon isn’t my favorite hiking destination because the easiest part of the hike is first and the hardest part is last.  Most hikes it is reversed and if the going gets too tough you can call it quits and stomp downhill.  With the Grand Canyon though, you have to haul your butt out of whatever elevation drop you put yourself into.  The one benefit of hiking up at the end is that it also cools off the closer to the rim you get.

Frugal Boy and his cousin (also in a backpack carrier) drew many remarks from fellow hikers about them having the best seats in the house.  Later in the trip I used a ‘hiking’ carrier and found it to be much more uncomfortable than the Boba.  The Boba distributes the weight better onto the hips and because it plasters FB across your back, the center of gravity is better than the taller carrier that my brother used to carry my niece.

Our hike below the rim was short by our standards, at a mere 3 miles round trip, but with the elevation change and little ones, it turned out to be just right.

 

After eating a picnic lunch at the top we took the free shuttle out to Hermit’s Rest.  In February when I visited you could drive your own car out there and stop at the various overlooks along the way.  Due to traffic, the road shuts down to all unauthorized vehicles during Spring, Summer, and Fall so you have to walk or ride the shuttle.

The rest of the day was spent lounging around Ed’s apartment.  The south rim of the Grand Canyon houses around 2000 workers for the NPS and concessionaires (Xanterra being the largest).  Most of the village is tucked away and not marked on visitors maps, and the labyrinth of roads, paved trails, and complexes can be quite confusing to navigate.  Due to the lack of internet access, spotty cell coverage, and physical remoteness, the Grand Canyon Village feels like a world of its own.

After leaving the Hoover Dam behind it was on to Kingman for supplies and lunch.  Allegiant, the airline we flew with, charges hefty baggage fees, so we purchased most of our incidentals rather than packing another bag.  One of the amusing sights in Kingman was this bumper sticker.

On the one hand, I think it is funny that the parents are living it up.  They worked for it, they deserve it.  On the other hand, the fact that they are driving around a Ford 350 in Kingman, AZ makes me think that maybe they aren’t set for their own retirement and will be saddling their children with financial woes later on (decidedly not funny).

Either way, it’s not my problem so we’ll move right along.  Kingman presents a fork in the road decision when traveling East.  You can either stay on the interstate or you can take the road less travelled, historic route 66..

As you may have guessed, we opted for route 66.  The detour adds about 30 minutes to the drive and I would like to tell you that it was romantic, scenic, and full of interesting curios, but that would be a lie.  Unless you are like Shae, and despise traffic, stick to the interstate and save yourself 30 minutes.

Eventually we reached Williams, a small town 30-45 minutes due south of GCNP, Grand Canyon National Park.  We stopped in Williams for a pee break and for ice cream.  Frugal Boy had never had a frozen dairy product before (at least to my knowledge) and thought it was a capital idea!

 

The last leg up to the park is mildly annoying as it is a two lane stretch of highway that serves the busiest NP in the nation.  Seeing trains of cars stuck behind a slow moving camper is a common sight and experience.

Upon gaining admission to the park, we motored on towards my brother’s (Ed) apartment (he works there) and promptly ran into yet another traffic snafu.  This time it was tourists blocking the road so they could take pictures of an bull elk that was grazing on the shoulder.  The ‘wild’life in most national parks is far tamer than what it should be due to a lack of hunting and frequent handouts from well meaning, but uneducated visitors.

Enough of my complaining.  We met up with my brother and had enough time before dinner to take a quick walk to the rim.

 

We had brought along the monkey backpack/leash for the airports and canyon.  The only time we used it the entire trip was that first night at the canyon.  My brother was telling us how vacationers lost their filters and would say and do inappropriate things that they normally wouldn’t do in regular life.  So it came as no surprise when a group of tourists started pointing at Frugal Boy and taking pictures of him with his backpack on.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The next day, Frugal Boy needed to burn off some wiggles so I set him loose outside Ed’s apartment.  He discovered pine cones for the first time and thought the brightly colored fire hydrant was playground equipment.

That day we drove down to Flagstaff so we could rendezvous with my other brother, Matt, and his family who were driving all the way from home.

Ed hadn’t been to Walnut Canyon yet so we decided to check that out.  Walnut Canyon is an abandoned Native American cliff dwellers site.  It is kind of like Mesa Verde except on a tiny scale and markedly less interesting.

After completing the short trail loop that takes you down among the dwellings and back up to the visitors center, Ed remembered that he had been here during an ancient family vacation and it was equally less impressive in child’s eyes as it was in adults.

 

We just got back from a two week trip out west to visit family.  It was quite an adventure traveling with a one year old Frugal Boy for so long, but we had a great time and would do it again.

We started our trip by flying out of a nearby smaller airport, Peoria International Airport.  Shae and I both really enjoyed the small airport with its shorter lines and friendly TSA staff.  We chose to fly with Allegiant, a budget airline, and unsurprisingly they had several delays.  With time to kill in Peoria we went to a park to try and burn off some toddler energy.

 

With the sun setting below the horizon it was time to move on and check our baggage at the airport.  I believe all airlines let you check carseats and a stroller for free.  We debated beforehand whether or not we wanted to lug Frugal Boy’s giant carseat with us.  On the one hand, it was free to do so, but on the other hand it might be banged up, soiled, or even lost in transit.  The alternative was to buy a cheap carseat upon arriving or paying twice that to a rent a used one from the car rental place.  In the end, we decided just to lug our own and risk it.  Luckily, our fears were wasted energy and all was well.

Peoria has a nice modern airport.  Due to delays, our flight didn’t leave for Las Vegas until just before 10 pm.  We weren’t quite sure what was in store for us with a three hour flight and lap child.

 

Frugal Boy slept contently in Shae’s arms until we arrived at Las Vegas at 1 am CST, 10pm PST.  After collecting our luggage and finding the hotel shuttle, several passengers, the driver, and us endured Frugal Boy’s screaming for 20 minutes until we arrived at the hotel.  I left the driver an extra large tip, and thankfully the other passengers were forgiving.

The next morning was the start of our real adventure.  First things first, we needed some wheels to escape Las Vegas.

I tried rather unsuccessfully to use a kiosk to retrieve our rental car, but my Illinois driver’s license wouldn’t scan.  A short wait at the counter and we had a 2015 Nissan Altima with 3,000 miles on it.  The 12 day, unlimited mileage rental was $465.  Both Shae and I agreed that we got our money’s worth.  The IRS publishes standard mileage rates every year that figure in the ‘wear and tear’ on a car.  For 2014, the rates were:

• 56 cents per mile for business miles driven
• 23.5 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations

If we take 35¢ per mile (between business and moving) as our wear and tear expense and factor in that we put over 1300 miles on the rental car we end up pretty close to what we paid.

 

It certainly didn’t hurt to have brand new AC in 110°F desert heat.

With the car seat facing forward for the first time and positioned in the middle for optimal viewing, we drove east towards the Grand Canyon.

Our first pit stop was the Hoover Dam, just outside of Las Vegas.

The Hoover Dam blocks the Colorado River, and in the process creates Lake Mead.  Lake Mead is Las Vegas’ primary water supply.  A multitude of states lay claim to the waters of the Colorado River, and the demand has outpaced supply.  Lake Mead water levels have fallen drastically over the years, as evidenced by the discoloration of the canyon walls.

Despite the shortage of water out west, I was a bit surprised that not a single place we visited, besides Walnut Canyon, had implemented low flow anything.  The Vegas hotel we stayed at on the first night, which was not on the strip, had water guzzling showers and faucets.  I was bemused at the pamphlet in the lobby that talked about the water shortage and how the casino CEOs were stepping up and encouraging their employees to reduce water consumption at home.  Then those same executives touted the massive water savings they had achieved (or rather their employees in their personal lives), never mind their commercial properties had made zero changes.

Anyway, getting back on topic.  The spillway/overflow at the Hoover Dam had obviously not seen any use in a long time.

Stay tuned for more exciting adventures including The Road Less Travelled, Selfie Sticks Turned On a Leashed Toddler, and the fording of the mighty Rio de Flag.