Madsen Reunion

Hi everyone. I know it seems that I've been talking about this forever and not taking any action, but I am finally on the ball. Yes, I am working at setting up a Madsen Family Reunion in our native land of Arizona. (Although, Flagstaff looks nothing like Roll.) I am shooting for July 1-6. Hopefully everyone will be able to find some days in there that they could make it here. Jared and Etta will have their new one by then and Dani will just have to put off giving birth until after the reunion. Cameron will get to celebrate the big 19 here, too. People could come earlier and stay later if they wanted. (I work until the 30th of June, but I only work mornings.) There is a lot to do and I will try to post photos and links to what is around. There is also the opportunity of visiting exciting Roll and seeing..."the bubble." I will also try to find out what Lori's schedule is so that all the "easterners" can get a chance to see Matt's sister, too.
Please respond to me with whether or not and when you can come, as well as what you are interested in doing while here. We may be able to have some four-wheelers by then and possibly horses, too. I was thinking about taking Saturday and Sunday to drive down to Roll and go to church Sunday morning. Maybe we could borrow somebody's haystack to sit on to watch fireworks.

Fun things nearby

Walnut Canyon is about a 7-minute drive from our house. It is beautiful and a nice hike. There are Native American cliffside dwellings that are really cool. It is a national park so it costs to get in. It is $5 per person, or $25 per car load. I think you can get an $80 car pass that gets you into all the national parks for a year.
http://www.nps.gov/waca/

On the way south

On the way to Sedona, there is a great natural waterslide called Slide Rock. It is about 30 minutes from here and is tons of fun to slide down. I advise wearing shorts. The canyon is made of gorgeous red rock. This one is free.
http://www.go-arizona.com/Slide-Rock-State-Park-Attractions

Sedona

Sedona is a great place to visit. There are fun shops with a lot of unique gifts and lots of great hiking on the red rocks. It's got some decent Mexican food, too. Bring a hat and sunscreen. www.visitsedona.com

Big Hole in the Ground

Of course, we cannot skip the Grand Canyon. It is jaw-dropping. There is an easy walk along the top rim, or you can go for something a little more exciting and take some trails down in. I don't suggest trying to get to the bottom and back in one day unless you have hiked it before and are a seasoned hiker. It is a 1-1/2 hour drive from our house. This one costs $25 per car or $80 for a one-year pass to all the national parks.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/

Visit to Roll

One of the highlights of the reunion is being able to go to famous Roll, Arizona, home of the Mohawk Braves, and see the old stomping grounds. The truth will come out about all the stories of the "glory days". Maybe we'll even find the clackers Mom threw out in the field. We can see the ditch where the older siblings wanted to test Jen's swimming skills as a baby by letting her fall off the boards across the ditch and float down. Maybe there will be some slimy lettuce we can throw at each other for old time's sake. Sue could try driving a motorcycle again, but this time avoiding running into trees.

"The Bubble"

Let's not forget "the bubble." (It seemed a lot bigger when we were little and dying of heat.) We should include a stop to this sacred stop. According to Mapquest, it is about a 4 1/2 hour drive (300 miles) from our house to Roll. I suggest driving a car with really good air conditioning. I don't think the trip includes the exciting, gut-tingling adventure of going through Dome Valley, but we could always make a detour. It's not the same, though, if it's not at 4:30am and Dad's not already opening the "lunch" sandwiches and Shasta that Mom packed.