Some Santa Fe pictures

Mikaela...up the ladder in Bandelier

Rich and Mikaela, hanging out - literally

Proof that I made it

Cave condos!

This looks like one angry mountain, no?

Ray, with Marla, hanging out at her FAVORITE (and only) saloon!

“Let’s open up a restaurant in Santa Fe, oh sunny Santa Fe would be nice….”

Sorry we didn’t write last night, folks – this time it wasn’t exhaustion.  There was a huge summer storm in Santa Fe, and our internet connection disappeared.  Will catch you up tonight.

The song above is from the show “Rent”.  I have been waiting to use this song since we left!  When last we left each other, we were heading to Bandelier National Monument.  Bandelier gets very little press back east, and it’s a fantastic find!  There are cliff dwellings and cave houses that have been preserved by the national park service.  Upon arriving, you can follow any number of trails, and climb ladders into and out of the dwellings.  You can also choose to NOT do that!  There are ruins, glyphs, ancient markings, excavated pottery pieces – just so interesting.

So we arrived and decided to take the main “loop” to see the first set of cliff dwellings.  We climbed up many steps, and down many steps.  Many!!  But it was okay.  Then, after the steps, there are wooden “period-piece” ladders to climb to enter several cliff dwellings.  I completed this activity twice.  Twice is good.  Rich was proud.  Mikaela and Rich and I all loved this park.  One thing that was sort of different at Bandelier was the weather.  We spent some time protecting ourselves from the rain!  There were several rainbursts during our time there, and we used the cliffs creatively, sheltering ourselves from the weather.  Of course we had raincoats and umbrellas….that we left in the car!  Brilliant move.  But the rain actually felt pretty good, and the clouds kept the temperature down, as well as keeping the sun from burning us.  It was a nice change.

There is a feature at Bandelier called the “Alcove House”.  It is set apart from the main loop, a half mile down the path.  We walked to the Alcove house, and saw the sign “140 foot ascent straight up”.  Yeah – not for me!  So the troopers, Rich and Mikaela, went up and experienced the Alcove House.  They said it was….high.  Not much more.  We walked back to the main entrance – making the total hike about 3 miles.  Not bad.  And we treated ourselves to ice cream on the way home – it was the only way I would consent to walk the whole trail!

After dinner, we went into the center of Santa Fe, to the town plaza.  It was so alive!  There were tons of people walking around, there were people selling things, there was a band playing – and all around the plaza, were the shops and restaurants and hotels of Santa Fe.  It was magnificent.  The architecture is both southwestern, and old-fashioned, in the mode of the “adobe” buildings of long ago.  Except, those adobe buildings here in Santa Fe are classy and beautiful.  We didn’t stay very long – I could come back to that spot night after night.   We loved it!

It was then on to the Tin Star Saloon.  Two years ago, after my 30 year high school reunion, several brilliant classmates of mine formed a website for our Clifton Class of ’77.  It is on that website that old classmates have reconnected, and some new friendships have been formed.  It was in this way that I met Ray.  Although Ray and I went to school together, we NEVER knew each other.  In a graduating class of 863 people, this is not difficult to understand (and, I was a nerd).  Ray connected to the website, and when I first mentioned our trip, he invited us to come to…his Tin Star Saloon.   He also offered to cook us dinner, which was beyond generous – it just didn’t work out.

We arrived at the Tin Star at about 9 p.m. and there were a couple of bar flies, but the place was quiet.  The Tin Star is a very interesting saloon.  Ray and his business partner basically built the place.  It was formerly a laundramat.  What a talented guy Ray is.  The bar and shelves behind it were hand made of dark woods.  They hold one of the best selections of fine alcohol that Santa Fe has to offer.  The ceiling is dark, with intricate woodwork (which Ray had help on from the landlord).  The bar is a hot spot for local musicians to come and jam, with the occasional bigshot dropping in to play, as well (Ray used to work in the music industry).  Ray also likes to play his guitar at the Tin Star – I said he was talented! We sat and shared some stories and Ray was nice enough to buy Rich a drink.  It was after ten when we finally left.  The place was just starting to hop.  Ray invited us to stop by his house on our way out of town – what a nice guy!
We drove the 20 minutes or so back to the RV park, being entertained by nature’s lightning show!  That’s the SAME show that blew out our internet connection.  Early Thursday morning, we went back into the center of Santa Fe.  In my Spanish curriculum at school, I teach an entire unit on the city, and the plaza.   Rich took tons of pictures and video for me to use in class in the coming year – see, teachers are ALWAYS thinking about their work.  Rich also purchased a blanket to use in his classroom.  And, we found a beautiful piece of artwork for our house.  We may have to move Mikaela to the backyard to fit it in, but it is really pretty!

We ran BACK to the RV park, and Rich hitched up and got us out of there in record time!  Check out time is usually at 11 a.m., and we were very close!  So we left, and headed to Ray’s house.  Oh My G-d!!!!   Ray lives at the end of a dirt road – in the middle of just about nothing – in what I can only describe as a desert oasis.  The house is spectacular – and opens to a view of desert serenity, mountain splendor, and incredibly open space.  The kitchen is the kitchen of my dreams! – a place where Rich can cook all kinds of gourmet dishes for me to eat.  He made me type that!   It has high ceilings, a center island, copper pots and pans hanging from above, the largest stainless steel fridge I have EVER seen, and a beautiful stainless steel stove.  Of course, there was a bar as well – another beautiful, handmade Ray creation.  The first thing Rich noticed was the kegerator!  Ray informed me that you MUST have a kegerator.  But I don’t think he meant ME!  The living room, with fireplace, opens to a huge patio, with a “Tim the Toolman” type barbeque.  There are two firepits – and I could go on and on.  Did we mention how we would love to wake up to the beautiful view of the mountains?  Did we also mention that there’s a vacant home on the same “dirt road”???   Yeah – but we aren’t buying.  Not for a couple of years.  Like 15 or so.  It was incredible.  We will HAVE to return again to Santa Fe.  It has become ANOTHER of our favorite places to be.

We thanked Ray, and said goodbye, and a mere 5 hours and another time zone change later, we were parked at the Oasis RV Resort in Amarillo, Texas.  Our trivia question for today:  What does amarillo mean in Spanish?  (Hey, I know it’s a lame question – it’s almost 1 a.m.!)   Answer to the last question:  New Mexico’s motto is “Land of Enchantment”.  And it certainly is.

This RV park was offering a “stimulus” package when we booked it:  $15.00 a night.  That includes water, electric, sewer, wi-fi and cable.  It ALSO includes FREE laundry – a FIRST for us, a beautiful, clean site, a pool, an ornate jacuzzi, movie nite,  Texas barbeque if you wanted, and other activities.  Campers:  Come to this park before its too late!  Fantastic.  So basically, if you deduct the money we saved on laundry, our night in Amarillo cost about $7.00.  Did I mention that Rich was also able to wash the RV at the site?  This was another first.  We also met a lovely couple that told us their life story on RVing.  Okay, so maybe we wanted to finish our dinner – but they didn’t seem to care.  It’s been breezy and comfortable here – absolutely a gorgeous night.  And Mikaela had extensive cable tv – a camper’s best babysitter.  We haven’t had cable in a few days – she was having withdrawal symptoms.

One last thought:  for those knowledgeable in religious issues, the past 25 or so hours has been a Jewish fast day, the observance of Tisha B’Av.  I didn’t know how I was going to handle this day.  But, the fast began at 8:11 last night.  So, when we went to visit Ray, I had to turn down his drink offer.  And again, today, I did the same.  I wanted to observe this day so it was meaningful for me, while not “stopping time”, so to speak.  And I fasted…until the migraine started to set in.  So that worked for me.  Interestingly enough, on our way home last night, Rich and I spotted a synagogue about an 8 minute  drive from the Santa Fe plaza.  That certainly made our thoughts about the future more interesting!  Next time, Ray, there’s no doubt about it –I’m having a diet Coke!   Make it a double!!  Rich just called me a loser.  Jerk.

Tomorrow morning, it’s off to our favorite place – Super Walmart! – and then to Oklahoma City.  Why?  Because it’s there!  Hope to catch you tomorrow, before sundown.  You know – before we turn into werewolves. Growl.

Marla and Rich

More pics from day 2

so close, so far

look at that photography

nature, so exquisite

just beautiful

one of Marla’s favorite pictures

Day 2 at the grand Canyon Pictures

Just in case you didn't know where we were

not a bad sunset

"So Happy Together" - or so it seems

another nice sunset shot

on the edge - fantastic formations

“Point me..in the direction of..Albuquerque, I want to go home, and help me get home…”

Sorry we didn’t blog last night – totally too exhausted.  Trivia answer:  Smokey Bear warned about forest fires, not Smokey the Bear.  Good job, Phil and Nate!

Now, here is how I REALLY wanted to start today’s blog:

Cost of 2 new tires, and a patch on a trailer tire? … $502.15.

Cost of breakfast in a quaint Arizona town, while waiting for the tires?….$33.08.

Cost of gas in a tourist town?….$3.09 per gallon

Cost of driving safely cross country?……priceless.

So that describes our Tuesday morning.  We got started a little late, but safely.  Rich knew the tire on the trailer needed repair, and he knew one of the car’s front tires was…crying – he didn’t know that the other tire was crying as well.  But what’s a couple of hundred dollares amongst friends?

We left Williams, Arizona, after breakfast and taking a few pictures.  My favorite establishment:  “Pancho Maguilicuddy’s Mexican Cantina”!  Today, we drove…and drove….and drove.  Through Arizona…and into New Mexico.  We did lose an hour when entering into the Mountain Time Zone.  Not a big deal, but when you’re in the car for 7 hours, it does tend to make the trip seem longer.  Trip was pretty uneventful.  I have to admit that after two days at the Canyon, it was hard keeping my eyes open.  Mikaela had the same problem, Rich, thankfully, did not.  But his back and shoulders are so sore from these long drives.  I owe him a professional massage, as soon as we get home.

Trivia question:  What is New Mexico’s state motto?  Easy one – answer tomorrow.

The scenery in New Mexico is gorgeous.  There are many enormous rock formations and mountains along the sides of the roadway – similar to those we have seen all over the west – but with deeper reds and oranges.  We were wowed by the sights along the way.  We even stopped, turned around, and stopped again, to see an old Spanish “Pueblo”, with houses and a church dating back to the 1700’s.  Very cool.  Not exactly what one sees along the New Jersey turnpike, right?

We stop every 2 to 3 hours, to walk and go to the bathroom.  I must add one thing, here – that’s been on my mind for a month, but I just didn’t put it in.  Ladies, the bathrooms we have seen – and I mean EVERY BATHROOM west of Pennsylvania (with the exception of the one in Hollywood) – have been SPOTLESS!  The ancient rest area on the border of California and Arizona, at 110 degrees – spotless!  The trucker stop in Gallup, New Mexico — spotless!  Every one!  These roadway stops are 10 times cleaner than almost any stop along the east coast.  Ladies in the east — get with the program!!!  There – I am off my soapbox now.

When we got into Albuquerque, we saw beautiful Native American art along the highway – paintings, metal and glass sculptures, and unique streetlights.  And the colors!!!  The  overpasses in this great city were not your usual grey/black/ yuck colors.  They were terracotta and turquoise blue!!!  Imagine how much that would add to city beauty!  This brings me to the inspiration for today’s song.  I knew we were going through Albuquerque, and the song, with the title by the same name, is by….come on…I know you know it…yes – THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY!!!

We got to within 10 minutes from our RV park when the GPS and the directions from the campground diverged.  We decided to follow the campground directions, since we saw a sign for the RV park which agreed with the paper directions.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  We took an off ramp and realized that the directions didn’t dictate which way to turn, so we went right –WRONG!  We turned around and went back in the other direction (they don’t have jughandles here – anyone ever try and make a k-turn with a trailer?).  Then we hit another intersection, and again didn’t now which way to turn, so we went left — WRONG!!  This time, we decided to turn the GPS back on and blindly follow our satellite companion.  She told us to make a right and then another right.  This took us up a steep dirt road — no problem – we have four wheel drive.  So, I engaged the 4×4 and up we went – then to the right (just like the GPS said).  Ahead there was a puddle, which upon entry became a gorge!!!  CRASH – SPLASH – BANG -CREEK!!!  We made it through, but the front of the trailer and most of the car took on a totally new color – Arizona  mudpie!!!  Then it was back down the steep hill, which made Marla very nervous.  Of course, Mikaela was laughing so hard, she almost wet her pants.  We got back on the main road and followed GPS directions.  Ten minutes later, we were right back where we started this little detour.  Lesson learned?  Probably not – one set of directions is usually right and the other wrong.  It has been a crapshoot to decide which to follow.

We arrived at our RV park and got settled pretty quickly, but it was late and getting dark.  Exhaustion had set in and we just sat and vegged until each of us on our own schedule passed out.  First Mikaela (not necessarily by her own choice), then Marla, and finally, after an hour of loading pictures onto the computer and burning discs so we could clear the camera — Rich.

Today we are going to Bandelier National Monument where, again, some of us will climb and others will watch.  I think Marla is bringing her needle point!!!  Then it’s on to the Tin Star Saloon, a bar owned by a high school classmate of Marla’s.  After certain events this morning and all the driving, I will certainly be a good customer.  You’ll have to wait to speak to Marla personally to find out what I’m talking about.  But rest assured, everyone and everything is fine.

Talk to you later,

Marla and Rich

“I’ve seen it rainin’ fire in the sky, the shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullabye…”

We are so glad that so many people loved the canyon pictures.  Well, this is part 2, day 2.

The above song is from “Rocky Mountain High”, by….again, John Denver.  Look, I know many of you don’t like my 70’s references, but for a bunch of people, that’s all they can remember!  And the above song is TECHNICALLY about Colorado, but don’t tell anyone.

Yesterday’s trivia answer:  The Spanish were searching for the Lost City of Gold, and when they didn’t find it, combined with the difficulty of the Canyon trip, they decided never to go back.  Que lastima!!!!

So, after a very late night blogging and posting pictures (really, people, the things we do for you!), we dragged ourselves out of bed early, to begin another Canyon day.  The hour drive seemed to go quickly – and today, we had somewhat of a plan.  This is the benefit of staying at a park/resort/national monument for 2 days instead of 1.  Day 2 seems much clearer than day 1.

Plan, part 1.  We (Rich) decided to hike the “Canyon Rim Trail”.  It’s a total of 12 miles, but you can get on and get off anywhere, because it encompasses the Western Rim of the canyon, and doesn’t dive into the center.  The description of the Rim Trail, in the Grand Canyon newspaper,is as follows:  “The Rim trail offers easy walking and quiet views, as it winds along the rim.  It is mostly paved.  Mostly flat, many sections suitable for wheelchairs”.   MOSTLY FLAT MY ASS!!!!  Almost IMMEDIATELY after we started, there was a detour that lead us up a steep, unpaved, rocky slope.  My knees started yelling at me at that moment!  The only part of the horrible newspaper PROPOGANDA  that WAS true, was that it offers quiet views.  Except, of course, for the sound of my hyperventilating!  But, friends and family, I made a decision this morning.  I decided to hike….until I passed out.  You see, at that point, it’s not my problem anymore – Rich would be left to figure it out!  He was the one who was so disappointed with my failing performance hiking down to hell yesterday,  in 190 degree heat.  So, I figured, just walk till you fall down!    The path did flatten out a bit, as we proceeded.  And thank G-d for Mikaela, as she held me up at certain points, when I couldn’t tell whether a bus was whizzing by, or it was the sound of my body gasping for air.  (I believe I have a slight breathing issue when I walk up inclines.  It seems to get worse at 7000 feet above sea level – give or take a few hundred feet).  But, you all can be very proud.  After 1 hour and 15 minutes, when Rich said that we should call it quits, I was still ALIVE!!  So I completed the hike.  Of course, I am sure that I don’t have to tell you, Rich could have continued hiking all day, and, I am sure, well into the night.  In fact, he is considering leaving the car and trailer with me, and hiking to New Mexico.  What?  Me?  Sarcastic???  –  YES!!

Rich here!  I had to put my two cents in at this point.  Marla is completely correct when she says that the trail was terrible from the start.  It was steep, rocky, and the footing wasn’t great.  However, it did level off.  It also provided some of the best views that we got anywhere in the canyon.  As for the length of the hike, that was to be determined.  I knew that we weren’t going to walk 5 miles –  about the distance  it would have been to get to the last stop.  I wanted to play it by ear.  I could see clearly that Marla was having difficulty and Mikaela was very nervous about the proximity to the borderless edge of the cliff, so I decided after about 1.4 miles that we should take the bus to the end.  This was a decision for the good of the group.  Yes, I could have gone on much longer – not  the full 5 miles, but longer than the 1.4 that we completed.   And as for my walking to New Mexico, if it meant not having to answer anymore of Mikaela’s thousands of questions, I’d consider it!  Today’s top question:  “Daddy, how many months is it before a baby is a year old?”  Are you FREAKIN’ kidding me?  She quickly withdrew the question.

At the canyon, the terrific and free shuttle bus system takes visitors from place to place in clean, air conditioned vehicles.  They are usually as crowded as a bus going from College Ave to Busch during rush hour at Rutgers University (holy old reference!) – but they are waaayyyy better than walking.  So we shuttled around, and saw several sights on the Western Rim.  I eventually got my breathing, and my walking, under control, and we were in business.  Just for the record – both knees are hurting.

Quick Canyon lesson:  When you enter the Canyon from Route 64 – in North/Central Arizona, you are on the Southern Rim.  The Canyon Village, lodges, restaurants, trails, etc are in this part.  If you head to your right, to the Eastern Rim, there are beautiful sights to see as well, but more spread out, and farther away.  Our “exciting” bus driver yesterday took us East.  If you head to your left, to the Western Rim, it is the same – beautiful sights to see, but more spread out.  It is VERY quiet, in my opinion, in the west – with some of the most amazing lookouts and vistas.   Now, if you wanted to see the Northern Rim, it is a completely different story.  They told us it was 250 miles from the south entrance to the north entrance.  We weren’t driving it!!  The Northern Rim has its own personality.  It is there, also, that the new “skywalk” is located.  I don’t think I would have attempted it, even if it had been in front of me.  In addition, we were told that there’s a $25.00 fee to ENTER the skywalk.  Rich just informed me of this NOW – he heard it yesterday during the tour.  That must have been during one of my monotone driven naps.  So, we saw parts of the Western, Southern, and Eastern Rim.  Not bad for 2 days.

Let’s get back to schedule.  Plan part 2.  Lunch.  We found shade, and ate our lunch – it was a wonderful, motion-free half hour.

Plan part 3.  Shop.  In as much as the Grand Canyon is about a canyon, it’s also about shopping.  Oh – do any of you need to marry off your children to wealthy people?  Look up the name “Xanterra”  in the phone book – and RUN to the nearest relative!  Xanterra, it seems, runs every tour, souvenir shop, and restaurant in every national park – EVERYWHERE!!  Rich was a bit ticked off that in AND out of the park, every shop had the same things – at the same prices.  Plus, they bring most of their workers in , it seems, from outside the U.S.  They employ them, put them up in a “dorm” like setting, take them on trips, and pay them…something.  No wonder our unemployment rate is so high – it’s all Xanterra’s fault!  We eventually  finished our souvenir shopping for the whole trip.  (Until the next city!)

Rich again!  I want to make it clear at this point that I am aware of the pain in both of my wife’s knees and that she has been a trooper just for attempting to take hikes and make climbs.  However, I feel that it is necessary to point out one important fact.  For the hour or more that we were walking from store to store shopping for gifts, souvenirs, and sundry other things, my poor debilitated wife was at least ten paces ahead of me.  I tried to keep up, but there was just no way to match her stride between shopping opportunities.  (Marla’s explanation:  There are no cliffs,  no direct sunlight, and MANY stops during shopping.  I am sure my friend Rina will concur.  Topic closed.)

Plan part 4.  Now, here’s where the controvery arises.  Rich had planned to return to some points of the Western Rim, to visit the overlooks and check out the different gorgeous views.  Mikaela planned on becoming obsessive-compulsive about our 6 p.m. tour – and  wanted to sit in the lobby of the lodge starting at 3:30 – so we wouldn’t be late.  I was feeling the effects of strong sun, high heat, and continuous walking – the stores are not one right next to the other.  For those of you that know I am a walker, and might be confused by my kvetching – well, the Grand Canyon and its landscape and altitude – AND HEAT – are slightly different than Raritan Avenue in Highland Park, New Jersey.  And not to keep mentioning the knees again, but…..oy, the knees!  I wear a velcro brace on my left knee when I walk long distances, to give support.  That’s the knee due for surgery.  The repaired knee made sure to let me know that it was “there” – and not too happy.  So my plan for part 4 — maybe sit and stare.   So what DID we do?  We went to look for a book for grandson Amitai – on the Eastern Rim, in an air conditioned shuttle where we could SIT DOWN.  There was not a lot of conversation.  Let’s leave it at that.  But we did get the book.  It is called “I Howl, I Growl” – about animals in the Canyon.  It is a hard board book – so Amitai can devour it in any way he sees fit.    During this time we did get a fantastic look at the California Condors – the huge black birds that now make their home at the Grand Canyon.  They can have a wing span of over 9 feet – and soar above the clouds, with such grace and ease.  They are beautiful to watch.  But, as Rich found out again and again, not easy to capture on camera.  Although he tried and tried – and cursed and cursed – I am not sure what we ended up with on “film”.

At 6 promptly, we boarded a bus for the Sunset Tour of the Canyon.  Plan part 5.  Our driver was…..was….well, Rich pegged him perfectly.  His name was Joe Rojas, and he was a PERFECT combination of Erik Estrada (from CHiPS), and George Lopez!  He was personable, AND VERY FULL OF HIMSELF –  but the trip was good.  We captured a beautiful sunset, while seeing it rain and lightning in the distance.  This was a very unusual sight for us Jerseyans.  Nice time, nice scenery.  And, to boot, the tour followed the Western Rim, and took  JUST the route that Rich wanted to go back and explore.  Now everyone’s happy.  Or sort of.

Plan part 6.  Dinner.  We didn’t have time before the tour, so we went back to yesterday’s restaurant.  Mikaela ate everything again – licking the  plate this time – SERIOUSLY! – and Rich and I split a tuna sandwich.   Not too much of an appetite – it’s been a loooong day.

And finally – plan part LAST.  There was an evening program, the topic of which we didn’t know.  But, evening park programs in pitch blackness have proven to be VERY COOL this summer.  Tonight’s program was on Fire in the Forest, and how it can be used for good and for growth.  Okay – not my favorite topic, but still an interesting presentation.  Mikaela was freaked out – so I just told her to keep looking for the International Space Station in the sky!  That kept her busy for the rest of the program. Oh-  today’s trivia question comes from the fire presentation.  What was the EXACT name of the cartoon character developed in the 1940’s to help alert the public that “Only YOU can prevent Forest Fires!”  Be careful!  Answer posted tomorrow.   We left the park at 9:15 – which was about 12 hours after we entered.  We made the hour drive home….and here we are.

Grand Canyon is not to be believed.  It is multi-leveled, multi-colored, multi-faceted, multi-cultural, and just plain old breathtaking.  I would say 6 or 7 days would cover it well – 3 from the south rim, 3 from the north, and a day of driving in the middle.  I am VERY satisfied with our time there – it is an experience that Rich and I – and hopefully Mikaela – will remember all our lives.  We are just too exhausted to post pictures – it’s 12:30 now, and that could take a full hour – from camera to blog.  Will post more pics tomorrow.

I would like to end with the Haiku that Mikaela wrote yesterday, as part of that Ranger badge.  I think it sums things up pretty well.

“The Colors Today,

Red, Yellow, Green, White and Brown

Love Them Forever.”

by Mikaela Zirin

Catch you tomorrow.

Marla and Rich

More Canyon pics – day 1- check UNDER today’s entry for first pics.

cliffs in front and canyon in back.

The structure called “Duck’s Beak”

Magnificent depth and colors

Canyon around sunset - look at those colors

The side of the cliff

Picture taken from an overlook. A-mazing.

” She’s a natural law, and she leaves me in awe – She deserves the applause!”

Today’s song lyric comes from the Robert Palmer hit, “Simply Irresistable”.  That is what the Grand Canyon is – it left us in awe and without adequate words to describe it.  I will be posting more pictures than usual because the words just won’t do justice to the greatest natural wonder that I have had the pleasure of seeing.

We started our day at 6 a.m.  This was a bit rough, but we were all excited about the events of the day.  We drove about an hour north from our RV Park to the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park.  Almost immediately we were stopped by a traffic jam.  One thing you all need to know about national parks – when there is a traffic jam, it usually means wild animals are nearby.  About 10 cars stopped dead in the middle of the road because a male and female elk were munching on trees about 20 yards from the street.  We, of course, pulled over – like everyone should have – to take a couple of pictures.  As all wild animals seem to do on cue, the elk turned their rear ends toward the cameras.  We snapped a few shots and moved on.

We arrived at our first destination at 8:45 a.m. for a 4 hour bus tour of the eastern end of the canyon.  The driver of the bus was an older woman with the personality of a wet mop.  You know that teacher you had in school who put you to sleep everytime they opened their mouth?  This lady was the professor who taught them how to teach.  Marla was almost immediately asleep everytime she opened her mouth.  I found myself wondering what would happen if I kicked her off the bus and led the tour myself?  Nevertheless, she did drive farely well, except for when she ran over the step stool used to help people on and off the bus.  I laughed pretty hard.  We took the tour to get our bearings and to see some of the more distant sites of interest.  It was a good experience overall.  It just made me think of how great it would be if certain people had mute buttons on the backs of their heads.  The big problem for us was that the tour guide we had in Yellowstone was so phenomenal, that this lady was horrible by comparison.

Rich said he couldn’t describe the canyon in words, only pictures.  But  I will try.  The first feeling to hit is of its massiveness – you need panoramic vision to take it all in.  Then, you focus on the heights, and the depths.  For a person with a fear of heights – oy vey!  MANY areas of the canyon are NOT fenced, and the bolder members of our society walk right out on the edge, defying death and snapping great pictures.  Rich is the most fearless of the three of us when it comes to heights, and he took fantastic pictures – and usually from a safe distance.  Third, the colors start to come to life – reds, purples, greens, browns, beige, tans, and all shades in between.  Then, the shape of the formations – the NATURAL formations – well it’s just too much to take.  Tears and chills were the lead feelings of today.  And a silent prayer of thanks that we were able to see this wonder.

After the tour we needed to re-energize our bodies from the draining experience of listening to paint dry, so we found some shade and had a nice lunch.  Then it was time for a hike.  Well, in theory it was time for a hike.  The only person who really was mentally AND physically prepared for a hike was Rich.  We began a decent into the canyon along a trail called, “Bright Angel Trail”.  It is rated as moderately challenging, but one of the most popular.  It looped around and around progressively sinking lower and lower into the canyon.  The first check point was at 1.25 miles.  The plan was to get to that point and then turn back.  We began to walk amidst the lovely bouquet of donkey dung (they used the same trail to bring people with a lot of extra money down to the bottom of the canyon on mule back).  First of all, Mikaela was too busy thinking about getting her Jr. Ranger badge to walk a straight line – kind of a necessity when you are walking down a winding 3 foot wide path with no guardrails.  Second, about 15 minutes into the walk, Marla informed me that she wasn’t going any further.  I think it was a combination of her knees and her breathing.  She says that she began to notice all the warnings about hiking hazards, heat stroke, DEATH…maybe that had something to do with it.  Marla says it was longer than 15 minutes, but we will agree to disagree.  Plus you all know that I am right anyway….  She just hit me!!!!!  So, after about a 1/3 mile decent, we turned back to the top.  When we got topside, Mikaela insisted on sitting down to finish her Jr. Ranger book so she could get the holy grail of the Grand Canyon – the plastic Jr. Ranger Badge!!!!!  Oh, and the sew on patch, which we had to buy for $1.50.

After the hiking fiasco, we went to a Ranger program for kids called, “Way Cool Stuff For Kids”.  Mikaela enjoyed the program and we enjoyed having someone else engage Mikaela for an hour.  We asked the Ranger if he would babysit afterwards and he didn’t even have the courtesy to answer.  People in Arizona are so rude!  Mikaela earned her freakin’ plastic badge and pledged to conserve the environment and not to litter.  She then proceeded to leave her half empty water bottle on the table for the squirrels to play with.  We really got our $1.50 worth.

So, now it was time to eat again.  We found a nice place to sit down and have a meal.  The food was reasonably priced, the portions were ample, and surprisingly it tasted pretty good.  Mikaela ate everything she ordered, which is odd.  Best of all, the restaurant was air conditioned.  The Grand Canyon was about 80 degrees today, and very sunny.   We then set out for our final engagement of the day.

We decided that we would drive to some overlooks that the tour bus just slowed down at, but didn’t stop.  It was now approaching sunset and the colors of the walls of the canyon changed like a chameleon.  It was like looking at it for the first time, again.  We drove to three different locations, took some pictures and observed some of the dumbest people in America walking aimlessly out onto rock ledges that were not only unsafe, but also unstable.  As far as we know, no one died today, but who can be sure?  Based on the look on Marla’s face, I could tell it was time to go home – plus, Mikaela’s attention span had gone down to about 85 seconds at each attraction.  We got in the car and headed out of the park.  We had to stop and look at Native American jewelry on the way and Marla found a beautiful item.  Mikaela loves to buy things, especially jewelry.  The problem is that she rarely, if ever, bothers to wear it.  I put my foot down and said, “NO!!!” She has already purchased a necklase, bracelet, and earrings.  She pouted for a while, but got over it.

On the ride home, she asked so many questions that I just stopped listening.  Then this gem came from her mouth – “Dad, where do clouds come from?”  My initial response, “Unused marshmallows!!!”  When she didn’t buy that, I tried to come up with some scientific theory about gasses and evaporation, but when that didn’t work, I just asked her if she wanted a puppy!  End of conversation!!!  (Oh, and we are not getting a puppy.  Case closed).

Oh yeah!  The answer to yesterday’s trivia question – The thing that disappears as altitude climbs is cactus.  This is only partially correct, as we learned today.  The tall cactus that are characteristic of the desert disappear, but the low to the ground variety do still grow, although sparsely.

Today’s trivia question – Why did the Spanish decide that the Grand Canyon was worthless land that they should never return to again?  Answer tomorrow!  And we should say that we were VERY SURPRISED at all the Brady Bunch references we read on FB.  Good job, baby boomers!

More Canyon to come tomorrow,

Rich and Marla

Grand Canyon pics day 1

breathtaking! beautiful yet so dangerous

still smiling

one mile straight down

the family tree

Arizona traveling pictures

Mikaela sizing up the cactus in Peoria, AZ

Not a great place to sit, Rich!

Old Town Scotsdale, when it cooled down to 100 degrees

The view from the road!

Montezuma Castle - awesome.

Mikaela and Mom - just a couple of cowgirls!