The Grand Canyon

We set out from Santa Fe the morning of July 26, 2007. Our destination for the day was the Grand Canyon. This might be a good place to explain how we made our hotel reservations, because by no means did we make them before we left home. None of us wanted to live with such a rigid schedule that we felt that we had to drive a certain number of miles each day; even though we knew our basic route, we wanted to give ourselves breathing space. Usually Betty Jo and Jane would look at the map and figure out each day where we would probably be in the evening. We usually knew by lunch or early afternoon where we would stay each night. I would check the mileage and estimated time of arrival of the destination on the GPS, and Betty Jo would call the hotels that looked interesting in the AAA book. Once we chose a hotel, I would log its street address into the Tom -Tom, and most of the time, we drove right up to the front door.

If I were driving, Jane worked the GPS; if Jane were driving, Kristee helped Betty Jo with the AAA books.

We drove through Albequeque but didn't stop to check out the sights. We bought t-shirts with "Route 66"on them from a Gallup, New Mexico gas station/casino/restaurant/gift shop. We ate lunch in a historic Route 66 diner, which still sold hamburgers and fries, although the rest of the menu was decidedly Mexican in flavor.

Passing through the entry to Grand Canyon National Park was a little disconcerting, because there is really no hint of the grandeur you're about to experience at the entrance. Then all of a sudden, there is the first pull-off for a scenic view. WOW! It nearly took our breath away. I will admit it is just as impressive as the first time I saw it, maybe more so, because I was 13 at the time. I don't think I had the deep appreciation for nature at 13 that I have at 54. It was vast, colorful, mind-boggling. I remembered my mother telling me that when my grandfather first saw it, he cried. I understood.

It was 4:00 p.m. when we arrived at Bright Angel Lodge. We caught a trolley to take a few photos before the threatening clouds descended upon us. Unfortunately, the clouds beat our trolley to the first stop, and the second, and so on. Kristee became ill on the bouncy, bumpy trolley, which was the most miserable bus ride we took in 25 days of travel. Once we returned to Bright Angel Lodge, Kristee took a little rest, and we browsed through the gift shop, waiting for the storm to pass. Once it started moving out, the shadows, clouds, and flickers of sun made for some amazing shots. My favorite is hanging on my den wall; it will always be one of my treasured possessions. We stopped by El Tovar to see where Jane's daughter Iris had worked for two summers during her college years, then we returned to our hotel, the Red Feather Lodge, right outside the entrance to the park. Someday I would like to see more of the Grand Canyon, but we were on a cross-country tour, and each destination received a quick once-over and we were on the road again. This was definitely a WOW experience.