Day 15The tiny bugs that live next to the Colorado River make me insane through the night. At one point, we thought there were ashes flying through the air, but it was these little annoying gnats that fly all around us. I should not complain because our trip and the lands we have visited have been mostly bug free.
We have a very long day of driving ahead as we head to our last huge landmark: the Grand Canyon. We have saved the best for last, and I know even though the trip will be an arduous one, it will be well worth it when I set my eyes on the vastness of the House of Stone and Light.
As we pull out of our KOA, I am struck by the party boats, jet skis, and “yeehaw” attitude of the people around me as they lower their crafts into the Colorado for a day of fun on the bluish-green river. I would rather be on the river today than where I know we are going…the unforgiving Arizona desert.
We start out with a trip to a Flying J Travel Center for gas and snacks, and it is still humorous to me that I am reading road signs for Phoenix or Los Angeles or San Diego. The traffic is hectic, and we head out on the steaming macadam road.
As we get further and further into the desert, we finally see the things I have been looking for: Sageuro Cactus, you know, the classic cactus you imagine when you imagine the desert. They are everywhere, waving their opposing limbs at us, and sharply getting our attention. I am taken with them, and I snap many pictures. I want to stop on the side of the road and pose the boys in front of one, but it is so wretchedly and hellishly hot outside that Ben does not want to do it. I wish I could say the desert feels beautiful to me today, but I cannot. The only word that comes to mind for the part of the desert we drive through is apoctalyptic, and I look at the gas gauge, even though we just got gas, to make sure we have enough. Friends, the poverty around us is sad and unspeakable. We pass trailers that look abandoned but they are not, and broken down, torn apart cars are piled in the backyards. From time to time, we come across a small grocery store that is closed or a bar and grill that is inhabited by one person. This part of the desert is also home to closed down motels that promise air conditioning and a pool. Small, dark children play in these areas as their mothers sit on partly shaded concrete steps watching. We don’t want to break down here or have another tire blow out; that is for sure. The temperature is 99 degrees and we determine we should withstand it and cool ourselves with the road wind since I don’t want Ben using the air conditioning while towing the behemoth behind us. Hours go by as do hundreds and hundreds of eight foot cactus and tumbleweed and prickly pear. The scenery, while so different from what we are used to, is eerie and desolate. Up ahead, however, we see great, grand mountains, and I wonder if we will go around them or through them or up in them. I decide to call ahead to the Grand Canyon National Park campground to make reservations for the night. I am fortunate to obtain two nights at Trailer Village right in Grand Canyon National Park with full hook ups and cable tv. Awesome. And very lucky. I am surprised to get a site.
My question about the mountains is soon answered as we begin a gradual climb up a very steep mountain range that is going to require us to switchback very often. Ben prepares for the taxing climb, and luckily, in places, a passing lane is available to allow the frustrated drivers behind us to pass by with great speed. As we climb off the desert floor and up out of the 99 degree climate, the temperature immediately begins to drop.
We are headed for Prescott, Arizona, a beautiful Americana, Western town and the ride there is equally magnificent. I watch out my window as I rise above the desert and the world seems to fall beneath me. In moments like this I think how fortunate I am to be having these sensations and experiences. So many people never see the desert descend behind them or rise to the elevation of 10,000 feet above sea level like I did in the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming (just before the cowboy…if you are following along.) In no time at all, both of the boys become car sick as Ben navigates the very windy, curvy roads and predicts the turns with his steering wheel. Ethan looks green and has his eyes closed as he whines about his belly. Bennie tells me that if we don’t stop soon, he will hurl! I tell them to watch the road and it will help, but the bends seem to be neverending. When we reach the top, we are rewarded with very pleasant temperatures of 75 and green fields and lush trees. Cows and horses leisurely graze in their pastures and a sign tells us we are where “the desert breeze meets the mountain air” and nothing could be truer. The rock formations in the little town are gray granite and remind me of the formations in Black Hills in South Dakota when we visited there. When was that? It feels like months ago.
Prescott is a gorgeous place that is hosting a Rodeo and a huge arts and crafts festival. I am glued to the courthouse square as I see people, almost all wearing cowboy hats, eating funnel cake, French fries, buying colorful hula hoops, and listening to western music. The town center has the classic one story buildings with flat fronts and flat roofs. I want to stop at the festival, but I can just imagine Ben’s face as he tries to figure out where to park the “rig” behind us! I laugh to myself and don’t make the request. I know him TOO well. Right now, we are on a Walmart mission. We need some serious supplies before heading to the Grand Canyon which is still at least two hours in front of us.
The GPS tells us in her polite British accent that there is a Walmart ahead, but the Limey is wrong! I have to settle for Target which will do in a pinch. We shop after Ethan wakes up, and Bennie checks out the 4.00 DVD’s. He has taken a liking to Tom Hanks, so he is in search of old Tom Hanks’ movies like Splash. I want to find BIG but it is not there. We get our groceries and head for “the hills” of Arizona.
I am continually amazed with Ben’s knowledge of Geology and Geography. He talks about his last trip to the Canyon in 1995 and discussions how we will be climbing to an enormous plateau and how the environment, wildlife, and plant life will change as we begin to approach the canyon. I am imagining desert and more desert, but I am wrong, and Ben explains that we will be surrounded by pines and wilderness and he is exactly right. We finally reach a point where the horizon seems flat and there are no mountains ahead of us. Ben explains to the kids that we will be on a “subCanadian climate zone plateau” of sorts and that the weather will be pleasant and cool. As we finally approach the Grand Canyon National Park sign, I am very tired but anxious to see the canyon. I know it is enormous and I know it is spectacular, but I really have no idea what I am in for. Ben is super excited about being here again after 15 years and he wants so badly to share it with the kids. Bennie takes a picture of the US Ranger at the welcome station and we are in.
Did you know that there are hotels and lodges on the rim? I didn’t. One of the oldest hotels is the El Tovar and presidents have stayed there. We take our time navigating the different turns to find our campground, Trailer Village, which is inside the national park and I catch a very brief glimpse of the canyon.
OH MY GOD!
The sun is low and Ben wants to see the sunset, but we have to register and park and semi set up to do so. At different points along the rim, I am able to see the canyon as the sun descends and the colors ricochet and split into a spectrum of beauty. We hurry through our chores, and run to the bus station at our campground. Grand Canyon National Park runs natural gas run buses every 15 minutes to all of the scenic overlooks and lodges and shops. They are super convenient and easy to use. We hop on our bus and head to Yavapai Point to try to catch the sunset, but we know that we are already too late. By the time we reach the edge of the rim, the sun is down and the canyon has gone dark gray, but it is wonderful nonetheless. Vast and unfathomable are the two words I think of when I look across the part of the canyon we can see. It is deep and the multi-layers make it difficult to discern where rocks begin and end. As I stand at the scenic point, I am left speechless and I cannot take my eyes away from the canyon. I am really here.
Again, it feels surreal.
At this point, I must tell you that I am utterly exhausted. The journey and fast paced moving across the country is taking its toll on me. All I can think about is lying down on the couch in the RV or even hitting my soft bed. I know everyone is hungry, so Ben says he will grill hotdogs for the boys and himself. I take two bites and I am asleep.
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