It’s hard to believe that summer is drawing to a close. Kids are getting ready to go back to school. Whatever happened to school starting after Labor Day?

We’ve been quiet for a while – spending most of the summer in Nevada this year. That’s right, we’ve been enduring the 108 degree heat! Circumstances have kept us kind of sedentary the last few months, but we have made a few fun trips.

Williams, Arizona and the Grand Canyon

We took a short trip to the Grand Canyon. The RV resort we chose was in the tiny town of Williams, a great little town on Historic Route 66 with shops and restaurants that date back to the early 1900s. Also, its at a higher elevation so we enjoyed the cooler temperatures.

The main attraction in Williams is the Grand Canyon Railway. Since 1901, the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel has hosted visitors and transported them to the south rim of the canyon in restored rail cars. Complete with refreshments, wandering musicians and even a cowboy show, the Grand Canyon Railway provides riders a fun trip to the Grand Canyon.

Following a morning performance by the town cowboys, we boarded the train and watched the scenery unfold – from high desert to prairie, prairie to pine forests. That’s right, a forest of pine trees in Arizona. Didn’t know that.

It’s an hour-long trip, and coupled with a day of hiking around the canyon rim then the return trip, it made for quite an exhausting day. It was nice to be able to sit and relax on the ride home, rather than to battle traffic in our car.

The Grand Canyon truly is one of the seven wonders of the world. We took the complementary park shuttle to various locations and hiked the rim trail. The views were simply breathtaking.

Indio and Palm Springs, CA

There’s a spectacular RV resort in Indio called the Motorcoach Country Club that we really wanted to check out. Wow, country club it is.

With a gorgeous golf course, panoramic views, two miles of waterways, custom RV lots, yacht club and an exclusive restaurant, three swimming pools, and more, the Motorcoach Country Club truly is a 5-star resort.

Zack and Morgan drove over for the weekend and we all had a great time – golfed a little, enjoyed the end of the season party and got to know quite a few of the owners. It’s a pricey place to stay, but definitely worth it.

Sacramento, CA

Celebrated Independence Day with our family in Sacramento. It was a quick trip, but so good to see everyone.

Pahrump, NV

We’ve spent quite a bit of time in the town of Pahrump, an hour west of Las Vegas. We’ve stayed at two RV resorts here – Nevada Treasures RV Resort and Wine Ridge RV Resort – both top notch.

One of the gems we found in town is the Grill Room at the Mountain Falls Golf Club. The food is excellent, prices are reasonable, and the views are spectacular. It’s definitely a place to visit.

Las Vegas & The NBA Summer League

The National Basketball Association holds its Summer League at UNLV. It’s an opportunity for the teams’ rookies to show their merit as they compete for spots on the teams. Zack drove over from L.A. to join us as we rooted on our team (The Sacramento Kings if you didn’t know).

Summer League is a great event. We saw a lot of former NBA players hanging out, and got to meet the parents of some of the new players. Most importantly, we got to watch a lot of basketball!

There’s the summer update in a nutshell. Looking forward to heading out soon as we work our way east for a family wedding, and to spend the winter in Florida.