Captains Log: Friday, 25 July 2014.
2:30 p.m.We havent been on the road from Sedona very long, but weve already reached our next stop.
Montezuma Castle National Monument is a small park and an easy stop just a couple of miles off the Interstate between Sedona and Phoenix. Its also an excuse to get another National Park Passport stamp in our book, which you have realized by now is bordering on a small obsession. The entrance fee is $5 per adult, meaning you can add another $10 to our total park admission costs, making it $103 (vs. the $80 cost of the annual pass). $23 in savings! Kids, get in the car, were going to Taco Bell!
Montezuma Castle is the name given to cliff dwellings discovered in this area. Its easy to see why they chose that name, since its not a castle and Montezuma never set foot here. The dwellings are believed to have been built by the Sinagua culture sometime between 1100 and 1425, and have been preserved to this day. They were reached by a series of ladders from the ground. At one time, the public was allowed to climb up to see them, but damage to the dwellings caused that practice to be discontinued in 1951. Its probably just as well. I cant imagine what my kids would have done to the place.
2:45 p.m.The kids have their Junior Ranger booklets and are trying to get as much information as they can from the small exhibits inside to fill out the pages without actually having to stand there and read the whole display. The park ranger who gives them the books doesnt seem too enthusiastic about doing much with the kids, especially after he hears they are already familiar with the program and have been through the drill elsewhere. Meanwhile, we found Drews spitting image in the museum. Can you see the resemblance?
2:58 p.m.Were ready to get on the trail and see the dwellings. Since were back in the desert and its just about 3:00, the temperatures have reached nuclear detonation levels outside, so this will be a quick trip. Luckily, its a short trail.
We give the structure the requisite long look for a few minutes, and then were back on the trail, headed for air-conditioning. The kids take note of a few landmarks for the books and then were back inside.
3:04 p.m.Weve taken over a small corner of the visitor center and are enjoying sitting and resting in the cooler air. The kids are hard at work on their booklets. At that point, Drew appears to have an attack of Montezumas Revenge. I present to you
The Poop Face.
3:12 p.m.The kids have finished their tasks and bring their books back up to the main desk. There, a volunteer take the time to talk things through with them. Hes probably going into a little too much detail for our kids, but you cant fault a guy who loves his subject for being enthusiastic. Talking about ancient cultures and their farming techniques is a pretty dry subject, so hes doing the best he can.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Mr. Unenthusiastic Park Ranger. When it comes time to swear in the kids as Junior Rangers, the volunteer calls over the ranger to do the honors.
You said they already did the Junior Ranger thing at another park? he asks. Why yes, they have.
So they know the drill. Its the same thing, Slacker Ranger says.
Youre not going to swear them in? the volunteer asks.
Nah. Theyve already been sworn in, Slacker says. Wow. Way to go all out there, fella. At least the kids get their badges out of it.
3:30 p.m.On the road again. It must be dry out there in the desert. Theres a random forest fire on a distant slope:
4:58 p.m.Weve made it to the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. That sounds upscale, doesnt it? Anyway, were headed for a specific destination for our dinner tonight:
Thee Pitts Again BBQ. Wed seen this place on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives a while back. Add in the fact that Im a sucker for barbecue, and it seemed like a natural spot. This place is actually in Glendale, on the northwest side of Phoenix. As you can tell by the décor, it is one of the nicer, finer dining establishments weve visited.
I mean, theyve even commissioned their own works of art inside. Clearly, we will be surrounded with upscale finery and culture.
Inside, we see the proper and necessary displays of their qualifications.
And the rest of the place is decorated in a theme that I can only describe as porcine.
Mmm
bacon
Huh? Where was I? Oh, the food. The waiter takes our orders and then I head to the bathroom for a pit stop. Note the position in the above picture of the babys high chair. My seat is right next to him. When I return from the bathroom, theres a huge spill under the table. It appears baby Drew has managed to get his hands on somebodys drink that wasnt placed far enough out of his grasp.
Sigh.
5:14 p.m.Food! My 2-meat tray has arrived, and its glorious. I got pulled pork (in the back) and beef brisket, with mac-and-cheese and beer-battered steak fries as the sides. Its all fantastic. This time, the beef is actually the star of the show.
Geez, this kid gets his grubby little paws on everything.
Ever have one of those moments where youre not even trying, but just happen to click the camera shutter at just the right time? This is one of those moments. Youre welcome, Sarah.
Dont worry, that picture will only be saved for a few thousand of your closest friends.
5:26 p.m.Weve enjoyed dinner so much, we decide to splurge on dessert. Julie and I order a peach cobbler to share, since it seems like the thing to do when you have bbq. The kids, however, transform this from a mere dessert into a Momentous Occasion©.
They order their very first Deep-Fried Twinkie. I am suddenly overwhelmed with pride. This fatherhood gig is not easy, but I feel now that I must have done something correctly.
I love the fact that a deep-fried Twinkie is served on a lace doily. Because, of course, we only eat in the finest dining establishments.
Verdict: Excellent. In fact, we're going to award Thee Pitts Again one of our Drooling Homer Excellence In Unpretentious Dining Awards.
5:42 p.m.Its about a 20-30 minute drive across North Phoenix to get to our home for the next two nights:
The Pointe Hilton Resort at Tapatio Cliffs. As we drive, the sky is getting darker and darker. We see flashes of lightning in the clouds. The wind is picking up. And yet, barely a drop of rain falls during the entire evening. Weird.
In the midst of this, we can see the report, built into the North Mountains.
I have to report here that we did a pretty lousy job of photographing the resort. Its a pretty cool area, consisting of many buildings all carved into the side of the mountain, connected with bridges, walkways, stairs, etc. Julie and I honeymooned here and stayed here again on our 10th anniversary, so its a special place for us. We just never really got the camera out while we were walking around in order to document the grounds. Anyway, you can see some better pictures on the website.
The buildings used to be a classy white stucco with Spanish tiles on the roof, but since our first visit somebody got the bright idea to paint all of them in bright reds, oranges and yellows, making it look like a series of Mexican restaurants. In any case, its still a very nice resort, with its own water park/pool area that draws a lot of traffic during the summer weekends. And because its summer in Arizona, you can get very good rates on the rooms.
I forgot, however, that those good rates draw a lot of locals on weekends. Due to the pools, it makes a fairly cheap place for a stay-cation. And we happen to be staying arriving on a Friday night. I pull into the resort grounds and am immediately aghast to find that there are no available parking spaces anywhere. We drive all over the resort before I finally find a spot near the New Mexico border.
Dave comes along with me to help me check in, and I ask at the front desk about the parking situation.
Were completely sold out this weekend, the clerk says. Uh oh.
Still, we get checked in, and by some miracle, I find a parking space near the building that houses our room. Granted, its clear on the other side of the building, but its still our building. We pile into the room, and the kids are immediately asking if they can go swimming in the pool. This is my fault, because in talking to them earlier, I had mentioned how fun it was to swim in Arizona late at night under the stars. The problem is, were still seeing flashes of lightning now and then from those dark skies up above. So, we say no to the swimming. The kids persist.
8:47 p.m.Were all in our bathing suits, climbing up the hill to one of the smaller pools scattered around the property. The skies seem to have cleared a bit, and the kids are eager to jump in. We cant stay long, because Sarah has an early-morning appointment. But its still a blast to enjoy the warmth of the desert by swimming late at night. The pool almost feels like bath water.
Enjoy this, kids, I say. Youre swimming at night in the middle of the Arizona desert. Relatively few people get to do this, and you might never get the chance to do this again. Look up at the stars, and just enjoy the moment here. Take it all in, and try to
Watch this! Dave! I can do a cannonball! Scotty shouts. Then he splashes me in the face.
Yup, Scotty just happened. But they really are enjoying the moment. Theyll just do the appreciating later.
Coming Up Next: Sarah and Julie have an adventure, and Julie gets a view she says reminds her of me. Plus, a fat baby in a pool!
)
It's tough I know.
But great fun.
Just kidding. You can't miss an opportunity to watch the stars in the middle of the dessert OR miss Scotty's canon ball. 
Nice of Drew to try to spice things up a bit. 
