Yesterday it was my turn to go mountain biking while Robert took the kids to a local playground. I biked from home to the village of Oak Creek, about 13 miles. The first few miles were on road, then I got to the trailhead and it was 95% trail riding after that. As Robert had warned me, the "black diamond" trails were, for me, mostly unrideable (apparently there are people who can mountain bike up and down uneven 1-foot rock steps but it's not me), but the "blue" and "green" were very pleasant with plenty of single track.
The next set of photos is from today. On a whim the whole family got in the car and went to
Out of Africa Wildlife Park. It was a great experience and a perfect day for it. They have mostly big cats as well as giraffe, antelope of various kinds, ostrich and much more. The highlight is an open school bus which goes for a "safari" on the grounds and giraffes and camels come up to be hand fed! We were carefully instructed not to try to touch the ostrich or zebras as they bite! Lenny was absolutely thrilled to hand feed a giraffe, although once its big head came towards us, I had to help him hold his shaking hand out!
After the safari park, Lenny fell asleep in the car and we drove to
Jerome which is a very alive mining ghost town. Robert and I took turns walking around while the kids slept in the car. Then we made it to an indian ruin called
Tuzigoot where Lenny was delighted to "climb a castle" and earn his junior ranger badge!
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| A chapel nestled in the red rocks above Sedona |
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| One of the more challenging biking sections |
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| One of the easier biking sections |
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| Lenny and Robert pose with an iguana (left middle, under the branch) |
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| Lenny prepares to feed leaves to a giraffe |
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| The giraffe ducks in for feeding |
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| Lenny contemplates some funny antelope from the safari bus |
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| Lenny and Hanna watch Lion King at the end of a long day |
love that Lennie is already a junior ranger! well done!
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