The Tucson Travelers Are Back

Much has happened in the last year and a half of our lives. Most importantly, we welcomed our daughter into the world.

Life has changed in the best possible way since she arrived.

Fast forward nine months and here we are. We have relocated back to Tucson to be closer to family. The Tucson Travelers are back in Tucson.

Our priorities and goals shifted the moment this little beauty entered our lives. Being closer to family felt like the right move for this new chapter.

While we are back in T-Town, we are planning to take many trips down to Mexico, along with a few day trips around southern Arizona that have been on our list for a while. Now that life has settled down a bit, I am hoping to start sharing our outings and adventures here on the blog again.

To start things off, here is a little peek at our daughter’s first trip to Puerto Peñasco. We will actually be heading back again this week, so stay tuned for more adventures soon.

Zion National Park Adventure (While Expecting!)

In mid April, my husband and I decided to take a weekend trip down to St. George and Zion National Park. It was my first time visiting both places, so I was incredibly excited for the adventure.

As you may have read in my last post, we are expecting a baby, which made this my first big adventure while pregnant. I had just entered my second trimester and was learning new things about pregnancy every day. One of the biggest things I discovered on this trip is that you start losing your breath long before you start gaining much weight. The first set of stairs I climbed had me completely out of breath!

Because of that, we decided to stick with shorter and easier hikes while exploring Zion. Luckily, there are plenty of amazing trails that are not too strenuous, and we were still able to spend the entire day exploring and taking in some incredible views.

Canyon Overlook Trail

The most exciting view of the day came from Canyon Overlook Trail. The hike is fairly short, about an hour round trip, and not very difficult. The best part was that I finally got to take a photo I had been imagining for weeks.

We actually used that photo as our baby announcement for friends and family on Facebook.

The view from the overlook was absolutely incredible. At one point Shane got a little nervous because he thought I was getting too close to the edge. I was at least five feet away, but I cannot blame him. The drop from that viewpoint is pretty intense!

Along the trail there was also a fun little bridge that crossed between the rocks, which made the hike even more enjoyable.

.

Weeping Rock

Next we visited Weeping Rock, which was another beautiful stop. Water slowly drips down from the rock face, creating a lush little area along the canyon wall. It was a peaceful place to stop and take in the view for a while.

The trail leading there was full of interesting scenery, including trees stretching right over the path.

Riverside Walk

One of our favorite stops was the Riverside Walk. We really enjoyed wandering along the river and exploring the area at a relaxed pace.

At one point we even made a few small friends along the trail, including some furry caterpillars.

Of course, no adventure with Shane is complete without our usual feet photo tradition.

We also dipped our hands in the water and quickly discovered that it was freezing. Since this trip was in April, we decided we definitely want to come back during a warmer month.

It is also amazing to watch the rock climbers in Zion. It is hard to believe people climb those massive canyon walls every single day.

Zion Shuttle

One of the best things about visiting Zion is the park shuttle system. The buses take visitors to different trailheads and scenic stops throughout the canyon. It is a great way to get around, and the air conditioned ride was a very welcome break from the sun.

Snow Canyon State Park

Before heading home, we made a stop at Snow Canyon State Park near St. George.

We were surprised to find some incredible sand dunes there. The sand was soft and felt almost like a beach, so we kicked off our shoes and took a little walk across the dunes.

It ended up being the perfect way to wrap up an amazing day of exploring.

Until next time.

Two Weddings, One Beautiful Beginning

Planning a wedding was definitely a challenge for me. I have never been much of a party planner, so organizing such a big event felt a little overwhelming at times. Instead of asking everyone to travel to us, Shane and I decided to bring our wedding to the people we love.

We planned to have our main wedding in Florida, followed by a small celebration in Tucson, Arizona just a few days later. Both events were simple, relaxed, and filled with the people who mean the most to us. In the end, we could not have been happier with how everything turned out.

Florida Wedding – December 21

For our Florida ceremony, I had my hair done at a local salon while my friends helped with my makeup. It made the whole morning feel relaxed and fun, and it meant a lot to have them be part of getting ready with me.

One of the most special parts of the day was the location. We were married on the same property where my mom had gotten married just a few years earlier. Like mother, like daughter. The property belongs to one of her friends, and they are even considering turning it into a wedding venue someday.

Their daughter catered our wedding and owns a local business called Sweets’ Bakehouse. The entire family was so wonderful to work with, and everything was absolutely delicious.

Walking down the aisle with my dad was one of those moments I will never forget.

Our ceremony was simple and personal. Shane and I wrote our own vows, which made the moment even more meaningful.

Soon after exchanging rings, we were officially husband and wife.

We spent the afternoon celebrating with family and friends, signing the marriage license with our moms and sharing lunch together. My amazing friend Kim helped pull everything together and made the whole day run smoothly. I honestly do not know what I would have done without her.

Another special detail was that Shane’s best friend Tom traveled from Arizona to perform our ceremony. Having him there to marry us meant so much.

Arizona Wedding

A few days later we held a small wedding celebration in Tucson, Arizona with Shane’s side of the family.

We chose to have it at the same church where his parents had renewed their vows years earlier. It felt like the perfect location to continue the celebration.

My friend Jimmie captured some beautiful photos for us. She is incredibly talented and owns 3 of 3 Photography in Tucson. I will not overload the blog with pictures, but she did an amazing job.

For this celebration, Shane’s sister did my hair and makeup, which made getting ready feel even more personal.

The desert setting was absolutely beautiful and made for some incredible photos.

Shane’s mom truly went above and beyond planning the entire Tucson event. She decorated, catered, and even ordered adorable custom chocolates for everyone to enjoy. Her love and effort made the day incredibly special.

Being surrounded by our Tucson family made the celebration feel complete.

Our Next Chapter

We truly could not have made our traveling wedding adventure happen without the help and support of our friends and family. So many people stepped in to help along the way, and we feel incredibly blessed for all of the love we received.

Now we are on to our next big adventure.

A few weeks ago we closed on a townhome, and we are excited to share that we are expecting a new addition to our family this fall.

That officially brings the blog up to present day, and I cannot wait to see what the next chapter brings.