The Rim, the Road and the End.

April 10, 2016

  

This has been one long road trip. We have driven over 2700 miles, slept in 7 different beds and been in 2 countries and 3 states in the last 11 days. We wrapped up our Spring Break Road Trip with a trip to the Grand Canyon.

We were all packed up and checked out before heading to the last game on Saturday morning so after Mikey bought us all lunch at the little food truck we were on the road again. It was hilarious to watch Mikey at this little food truck (DT's BBQ Shack). He had his wallet full of his Christmas money and he just kept going back over and over again to order more things for himself and his friends. He couldn't even see over the counter so he would stand up on the wheel of the trailer and hang off the counter with his little head just peeking over enough to order. He was feeling flush with money and he is so generous. I think the older boys (including Isaac) were probably taking advantage of him a little but he was happily keeping them stocked with snacks and drinks. At the end of the game he was waiting by the truck with a group of boys and a handful of money. He had already ordered 5 hamburgers for himself and the boys. All of the boys had to leave with their families but Mikey had already ordered the burgers. So he forked over the $25 when the burgers were ready and ended up buying the family lunch.

It was back on the road again for a 4 hour drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We arrived about 3 hours before sunset so after checking into the hotel we had a few hours to go see the Canyon. When we caught our first glimpse from the road, it was breathtaking! The sun was casting beautiful shadows and light across the expanse of the chasm. I couldn't believe how enormous it was! We walked along the rim and the kids got braver and braver and closer and closer to the edge. Calvin was the worst, just teasing me all the time. I seriously have this physiological response when my kids are near the edge of heights where my legs turn to jell-o. I can barely stand or walk and my stomach is in knots. I was having a little bit of a hard time not freaking out entirely. I had to mostly just look away and let Jeff handle it. He helped the kids out onto a ledge for an amazing picture. I was shaking while I took the picture. I'm actually pretty fine around heights when it's just me. But with the kids? I can't really handle it! I've had too many nightmares of my kids falling off bridges or cliffs!

The Grand Canyon was truly Grand. It was more beautiful and inspiring than I imagined. The Colorado River looked like a tiny stream down at the bottom of the mighty chasm. When I could relax and not worry about the kids falling to their death, I marveled at the majesty of the canyon. I loved the way the light fell across the jagged edges of its cliffs and I wondered at the beauty below in the winding mazes of tributaries and slot canyons. It is a wild place. A place where only a mile from where we stood, you could be completely isolated and lost. At the mercy of mother nature. As we watched the sunset from the rim, I longed to go down into the canyon. Someday we will raft the mighty Colorado. Someday we will go down. But today we had to be happy with just looking. It really was a bucket-list experience!

"Leave it as it is. You cannot improve upon it. The ages have been at work on it, 

and man can only mar it. What you can do is keep it for your children, your children's children and for all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American...should see."

---Theodore Roosevelt, Grand Canyon 1903

Why are they always blurry??!! Ugh. 

Dolla dolla bills y'all!

Mikey at the BBQ Shack. 

We do crazy things for pictures!!! My heart is pounding and my legs are shaky just looking at this picture!

We saw tons of elk throughout the Park.

The Colorado River is just a little ribbon of water from up here.

Kira captured a low-stress moment. 

Where's a selfie-stick when you need it? This would have been cooler if you could see more of the canyon behind/below us and less of the fence. But at least we got a family picture!

Navajo Bridge across the Grand Canyon.

Still trying to tease me! They think it's funny that I get so nervous. Mikey sticking his hand and head through the fence. He's so little I was worried he could slip through!

Cliff Dwellers, AZ on the way home. The route was long but so scenic and beautiful. Much prettier than I-15!

My handsome guy!

I had to capture a "good" moment on the road. No fighting. Everyone reading. Oh if it were always like this! Except Mikey is not buckled...stinker! ;)