Agua Blanca Hotel

Every year, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and the United States to the huge fir trees of Michoacan and the state of Mexico. The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is a protected area that covers over 200 square miles. There are a few areas that are open to the public. We are fortunate to live within 4 hours of these reserves, so we were able experience this AMAZING natural site!

We left Saturday morning and headed to our hotel in Michoacan. We stayed at Agua Blanca because we had heard that the grounds were beautiful and tranquil. After 3 1/2 hours and two (almost) carsick kids, we made it to the hotel. We went on two hikes to see two separate waterfalls and hung out by the thermo-mineral water pools. We had a great time, the only downfall was that there were a lot of little black bugs that gave James, Ethan, and me tons of bites that were unbearably itchy. Nolan only got a few and Lydia had none!

I just love the mountains around us!

Our first stop on our first hike...a huge tree and
the "branch" that fell from it

James, Ethan, and Ryan crossing the bridge to the waterfall

Pretty flowers by the river

The first waterfall...one of my favorite things!

Nolan standing under the fallen bamboo

The thermal-mineral water pools...Lydia was in them

for so long that she came out looking like she had a bad

fake tan (she turned a little orange from the minerals!)

Poor Nolan has to wear an ear band in the

water now to protect his tubes!

James playing ladder ball with the kids

Mama and baby goat on the property

Charlotte, Ethan, and Lydia in one of the caves

Truth be told, we saw a few bats by the caves.

I almost peed my pants...I HATE bats!! I screamed

without meaning to and my heart was pounding.

My hands are sweating just thinking about it!

Ethan in front of the second waterfall

Me with two of my kiddos

The hotel

James, Ben, and Tony playing pool in the bar before dinner

Ryan, Noemi, Ethan, and Nolan sharing a DS

Foosball!