Day 38- Home Sweet Home

I think we each had our own "there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home" experience today. We left Jon & Michele's at 9:30 this morning.  Once we got on the road the kids, particularly Duncan, kept asking,"How much longer?" Now, we have driven ten hour days and they never asked us that!  Knowing that we were less than 300 miles from home was such a tease during the entire ride.  We stopped twice, once for coffees and bagels and once for the restrooms.  We arrived home at 2:00.  My aunt had stayed at our house while we were gone.  We arrived home to a very clean house, with milk and food in the fridge! We had a laundry basket full of mail to go through and lots of unpacking to get done.

Douglas will all of our gear on the front lawn!

We unloaded the car and laid everything out on the lawn to take inventory of just what and how much we had packed into our car! We certainly had a car full to unload not to mention the three camping chairs, propane grill, and one sleeping bag that we left in the RV with my parents!  So far tonight I have done three loads of laundry, Len has washed the car, we have done a load of dishes in the dishwasher, and we watered and weeded the flower gardens.  Duncan was happy to be back with his cell phone. (He forgot it at one of the cabins we stayed in and they mailed it home for him.) He already has a friend coming over tomorrow for a sleepover!  Douglas was happy to see all of his artwork hanging around the house and to be able to watch some TV!
This afternoon and tonight we have been visited by Jeff and Kassie, Donny & Rebecca, and Barbara and Michael.  Barbara very graciously showed up with dinner for us! After sleeping on an air mattress and in guest beds and hotel beds, Len and I are very happy to be in our king size bed with the air conditioner on!  Although we have spent all summer together, and I mean together, all four of us are laying down in our bed watching the Olympics together!  Before the trip Len and I joked that we'd either come back as a totally bonded family or we'd be in divorce court!  I am happy to report we came back a very happy, cohesive family!
Here are a few stats from our trip:

• We were in 23 different states.
• We drove approximately 7,800 miles
• We went through grasslands, forests, desert,and prairies
• We camped in a tent 19 nights
• We stayed in a cabin two nights
• We stayed at family and friends 9 nights
• we stayed in hotels 8 nights
• We went through at least 5 boxes of granola bars and as many loaves of bread
• The average price of gas was approximately $3.40 a gallon and we filled up many times
• We had the oil changed twice while we were on the road
•  We went as high as 12,000 feet and as low as swimming in a river in a canyon
• We flew, drove, walked, paddled, and floated 
• We have a ton of pictures and videos and memories that are priceless

Day 37- Visiting with Jon & Michele and Castle Fun Center

Douglas driving his own go-kart!

Dunc putting the pedal to the metal!

Duncan on the bumper cars.

Tyler playing the motorcycle game.

Today was a perfect "last day" of our vacation! Unbelievably, we all slept until 9:00 or after this morning.  Actually, I think Len got up at 7:30 and read his book until we all got up. Everyone hung out in their pajamas until long after 11:00 this morning.  The kids had way too much screen time while the four adults visited.  We all made a breakfast of fruit salad, eggs, bacon, bagels and cream cheese not to mention lots of coffee! We pretty much just hung out and visited all day.  We laughed a ton about really stupid things. But we always follow those funny times with equally serious conversations about life, the kids, our jobs, our concerns, and successes. Before we knew it, it was 4:00 in the afternoon and we had done nothing but visit all day!  We had told the kids we would take them to the local "Fun Center" that morning.  At 4:00 we got a bit worried that the center would be closed.  Silly us.  The "Fun Center" was open until 11:00pm on a Sunday! So off we went at about 4:30.  In the meantime, Jon had to get ready to make the drive to Virginia tonight for meetings this week at his work's headquarters.  So we all drove to the fun center where we said our good-byes to Jon. He headed out and we headed in to have some fun! The Castle Fun Center is full of things for kids of all ages.  Each "activity" has its own price. So you pick out the activities that you want and put a credit on a card. Then each child takes a "credit card" to each activity where they swipe the card.  When your card is empty you either add more money or you are done.  The two older boys completely lucked out on this trip.  Duncan and Jake played 15 minutes of laser tag against some older teenagers.  They also did the go-karts and the bumper cars.  Douglas and Nathan were able to do the "free fall" which is a machine that shoots them into the air and comes down quickly so they feel a bit weightless.  They also did the mini go-karts.  Lastly, Tyler chose "ballocity" (the only thing he is old enough to do!) which is a room full of balls that you can shoot out of cannons.  While the younger kids waited for the older guys they "played" the arcade games pretty much by sitting on them or pretending to shoot things.  It worked for them and cost us nothing so that was just fine.  When we arrived home Michele, Len and I all got dinner while Jake and Duncan made brownies.  They did a great job following directions.  We all just finished up our desserts of warm brownies with ice cream.  Tonight will be a relatively early night for all of us.  Michele will get up and go to work in the morning.  Len, me and the kids will hang out with the boys until their sitter comes. Then we head out for the final five hour drive home!

Day 36- Arriving at The Branch House!

Jon & Len

Jake & Duncan

Douglas & Nathan

Me & Mic

Yahoo!  We have so much to celebrate today! We are in the Eastern Standard Time Zone, we are almost in New England, and we get to spend time with some very special people...Jon, Michele, Jacob, Nathan and Tyler Branch.  We drove about 350 miles today and arrived in Warwick, NY at around 3:15. We had a great afternoon visiting.  The kids did not need any warm up time at all.  We were here less than 5 minutes and all of the kids were off doing their thing.  Jon, Michele, Len and I got to visit for a while and then the four of us made dinner.  We had hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob and a delicious zucchini and arugula salad.  Now we are watching the Olympics and hanging out! We are very happy to be here and I love that the kids are so comfortable here.  I was able to get photos of everyone except Tyler today.  I'll be sure to get him tomorrow!

Day 35- Driving, driving, driving

Dunc on the float trip

Swimming on a 101 degree day!

A happy cowboy eating ribs!

Today wan another 600 mile day.  The damn time change got us again!  We drove 9 hours but we are back in Eastern Standard time so we lost another hour!  We didn't get as far as we had hoped, but we are still closer than we were this morning!  Tonight we are in Harrisonburg, Va.  The GPS says we have another 350 miles tomorrow in order to get to Jon & Michele's.  We were hoping for 300 or less miles but there's nothing we can do now.  We simply forgot to figure in losing an hour.

At the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

 Once again the kids were excellent travelers.  At one point Duncan even suggested we just drive the entire way so we could get to NY! The kids were up late last night.  They had a difficult time settling down knowing it was our last night at Brooke's.  I think the last time I went in to quiet them was 11:30.  Although it was frustrating last night, it paid off today because Douglas slept for about two hours in the car while Duncan quietly watched a movie. Leaving Brooke was tough this morning.  She has been a part of our family for years.  I don't really remember my childhood without her! Len and I have been scheming with Brooke to get them to New Hampshire for Thanksgiving.  We're enticing Brett with the hunting card!  Duncan has "offered" to go archery hunting with him if he comes up! I hope it happens. Although the ride has been long we did get a big break today.  The heat wave broke!  I think the highest we saw the thermometer go was 88 degrees.  That is a far cry from the 100+ days we've had.  We even drove through a couple of big thunderstorms.  The rain was creating tons of steam on the roads.  It wasn't easy driving but it was a cool sight.We pulled into our hotel at 7:20 pm. We were just in time to watch the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. Tomorrow it is up and at'em to get to Warwick, NY!  We didn't take any pictures today but I've included some fun ones from previous days....

Day 34- The Parthenon in Nashville

Dunc, Kolby & Douglas in front of the Parthenon

All of us together! Except Brett who was at work.

Another scorcher of a day!  It was 95 degrees by 10:00 this morning! Today we drove into Nashville to the Parthenon.  It is a life size replica that was built in 1897 for an international expo.  Nashville is known as the "Athens of the south."  Originally, it was built only for the expo and was not cared for afterward.  In 1920 a group decided that it was worth renovating. It is open to the public and acts as a museum to artwork and replicas of some of the Greek gods and goddesses. The kids were particularly interested because this is where the movie Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief was filmed. They were disappointed that there wasn't more on the movie there but they were really into the enormous statue of Athena that was in the upstairs hall of artifacts.  She had Medusa on her shield so she can turn people to stone and in her hand she held Nike, the  winged Goddess of Victory.  They were excited that they knew so much about Greek Mythology.  At one point Duncan leaned over and whispered,"Mom, what is up with these Greek people being naked all the time?  Did they really fight naked?" I wasn't really sure how to answer that so I sent him to Len!

The kids in front of the huge statue of Athena.

Brett helps Douglas shoot the bow & arrow

After the Parthenon we came back to Spring Hill and went swimming at a nearby pool.  Brooke's mom lent us passes to the facility and we stayed there for about three hours!  The pool was gorgeous.  It was not crowded and it was over sized with the deepest part being 5 ft. The kids played together all afternoon. Late this afternoon, while Brooke took Kolby to band and Sierra to piano lessons, Len and I did laundry and got the car organized for our last stretch for home.

Duncan showing off his skills!

Brett likes to do woodworking projects and he made himself a beautiful  bow.  After dinner he took the boys outside for a little target shooting with the bow and arrows.  Duncan has a real affinity for archery so he was pretty into it!  We'll have to set up a little shooting area for him when we get home. Tonight is our last night at Brooke's.  Tomorrow morning we leave and head for Warwick, NY.  It is a 15+ hour drive so we'll shoot for 9-10 hours.  We plan to arrive at our friend's, The Branches, house on Saturday.  We have been friends with them for years.  They have three boys.  When you add in our two it is a titch chaotic but really fun and funny!

Day 33- Eating Southern Style!

Having a family dinner at the Loveless Cafe

By 11:00 this morning it was 98 degrees out.  We pretty much stayed inside in the AC all day.  It didn't seem like we did much today until I started thinking about what to write.  Brooke and I picked Kolby up from a sleepover, the kids got plenty of screen time, Len and Brooke made homemade soup, I played with Sierra's hair and put it in pretty French braids, the kids went across the street to help Sierra feed the birds (she is animal sitting), I answered some school emails, we brought Kolby to band rehearsal and we got time to visit and lounge!

Sierra was so excited to share fried green tomatoes with us!

The Southern neon Loveless Cafe sign

 Tonight we went out for a "real" Southern dinner.  We went to The Loveless Cafe just outside of Nashville.  It is a well known cafe that has been featured on several different food shows.  We know of it being on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  There was a 45 minute wait before we were seated.  When the table was ready we were summoned by "Party of seven y'all's tables is ready." We all (adults and kids) get along so well that it wasn't difficult to decide on ordering the "family supper."  This meal came with  (endless plates of) 2 meats, 4 sides, biscuits, and a drink for each person.  We all decided on pulled pork BBQ, fried chicken, creamed corn, mashed potatoes w/gravy, fried green tomatoes, mac n cheese, and green beans.  The biscuits were awesome!  Actually, everything was awesome.  Sierra was so excited for us to try the fried green tomatoes.  I will admit I was a bit skeptical but they were very good!  We also were unsure of the creamed corn but I can assure you it is the best creamed corn we have ever had! As we were waiting to be called, we looked at all of the pictures of the famous people that had visited.  We saw photos of Lady Antebellum, Captain Kangaroo, Willard Scott, Kenny Chesney, and tons more.  The walls were covered with 8x10s of signed photos. We all ate way too much and packed into the cars to head home.  On the way home we took the Nachez Trace Parkway which is a scenic route that runs from Nashville,Tennessee to  Nachez, Mississippi.  It took us a bit longer to get home but the drive was worth it. Along the way we saw plenty of wildlife.  There were five bucks, several doe, and lots of wild turkeys.  Right now, Len, Duncan and Sierra are playing "The Game of Life," Douglas is fighting his drooping eyelids, Brooke is picking up Kolby from band, Brett is changing out of his work clothes and I am blogging again!  It is a house full of ordinary, happy sounds.  So very happy to be here with Brooke and her family!  Tomorrow more heat and humidity is predicted.  We are planning to go into Nashville and to go swimming at a local pool. So glad for central air down here!

Day 32- Arriving in Spring Hill, TN at Brooke's

Duncan & Len play football in the pool

Douglas doing tricks in the pool

Me and Brooke- very happy to see one another

Today has been a great day!  We had a very relaxing morning.  After having a late breakfast, we enjoyed the pool at the hotel for a bit.  Tennessee is having a heat wave so it was HOT when we woke up.  I think by 11:00 am this morning it was 89 degrees. We hung at the pool and played around until after 11:30.  I accidentally dropped Duncan's ipod and the glass screen broke.  So after we checked out of the hotel, Len and Dunc went to Best Buy to see what we could do to salvage things.  Douglas and I went to a nearby store to pick up a few groceries for lunch.  Then we hit the road!  We arrived at Brooke's house by 4:30.  We've done nothing but talk, make dinner and enjoy each other's company.  Sierra (12) serenaded us with her piano playing.  She is really good! The kids have played chess, watched TV, and played on the computer.  Not sure what is on the docket for tomorrow but I could care less!  I am just happy to be here with Brooke, Brett, Kolby and Sierra.  If we do nothing but sit and visit I will be a very happy camper!

Day 31- Driving from Oklahoma City to Memphis, TN

We all were woken up by a knocking on our door this morning.  It was "housekeeping" coming to clean our room!  We were all sound asleep at 8:30! After a nice breakfast, we packed the car and headed out to get the oil changed in the car.  People have reminded us of how slow people in "the south" are but we didn't really listen. The guy at the oil change place was SLOW. He moved at a snails pace which drove us crazy because we knew we had another 450 miles to drive.  When all was said and done we got in the road by 10:30.  We stocked the cooler with ice and had things for lunch "ready to go" on the top for easy access.  From there on we only stopped to grab food, get gas, or use the restrooms. We made it to Memphis for 6 pm.  The guys all got their suits on and went for a swim.  We had called Len's cousin Sandy and she met us at the hotel.  We visitied by the pool for a bit and then got in her car to go to dinner. We had such a nice visit with her.  She was diagnosed with MS several years ago.  She looks fabulous!  When I told her as much she said,"Well, thank you. I work very hard to be "this healthy."  Currently she teaches dance lessons, does Tai Chi and is getting certified to teach it soon, is a spokeswoman for a new medication she is taking for the MS, and counsels people who have been newly diagnosed with the disease.  She is the perfect "poster child" for someone who has dealt with an MS diagnosis. We visited for over three hours.  You would never know that we hadn't seen one another in almost 12 years!
Back at the hotel it was easy to get the kids to bed.  Although we aren't doing much when we are driving, the last couple of days have been exhausting.  It was nice to remain in one time zone today! Tomorrow morning we plan to sleep in and hang out by the pool for a bit.  After we check out of the hotel we'll stop by a couple of stores to accomplish some errands and then we head northeast to Nashville. Although the road to home hasn't held the excitement and wonder of National Parks and places new to us, it has been so nice to see people.  We are really looking forward to seeing Brooke and her family tomorrow afternoon!

Day 30- Driving from Santa Fe to Oklahoma City

Can you say 600 miles?  That is how far we drove today!  It was difficult leaving Bonnie and Mirtha this morning.  Everyone slept in, we had a late breakfast, and finally got on the road at about 11:45.  We knew we had about an 8 hour plus drive.  What we didn't take into consideration is crossing into yet another time zone!  So today we drove the rest of the way through New Mexico, across the top of Texas through Amarillo and into Oklahoma City, OK.  It is now 11:30 pm and we are all just getting to bed.  Once again priceline.com has come to our rescue.  There is nothing like sinking into a nice, newly made bed with fresh sheets after a day of driving. Originally we were going to camp in Elk City, OK.  But once the temp was at 100 degrees and we discovered that we had lost another hour we decided to priceline something.  We actually got this room (at a Sheraton) for the same price as a campsite!  Tomorrow we have a similar day.  Our goal is to get to Memphis, TN by tomorrow evening to have dinner with another of Len's cousins.  That will mean driving the rest of the way through Oklahoma, across the entire state of Arkansas and then into Tennessee.
The scenery was pretty much the same all the way across I-40 eastbound.  We saw fields and fields and more fields filled with corn, cows, horses, and wheat.  We also passed many, many trains that ran along the highway.  We did pass one exciting thing near Amarillo, Texas.  We passed "Cadillac Ranch" which is a field that has about 7 or 8 Cadillacs half buried sticking out of the ground. As the story goes, this particular farmer purchased a Cadillac that he was very unhappy with.  As a way to "get back" at General Motors he purchased one Cadillac a year and buried it sticking out of the ground right next to the highway.  Bonnie had told us about it but we were almost beyond the entire thing before we realized what it was.  So, although we got to see it, we did not get any photos of it.
We did not take any photos today. BUT, I did manage to upload the video of flying over the Grand Canyon so hopefully that will be entertaining!

Day 29- Bandelier National Monument

Looking down on part of a structure.  The purpose of the structure is unknown.

Another day full of unexpected joy!  Last night we stayed up until after midnight talking with Bonnie & Mirtha.  It was a very relaxed evening and so nice to catch up. The kids woke up rather early.  We were not surprised since the room they were sleeping in had a TV.  After talking with the kids and Len at 7:30, I fell back asleep and didn't get up until 9:30!  I never do that but I have been real tired lately.  I think it is probably the combination of the high elevations, the temps in the 90s, and not sleeping in my own familiar bed.  We had a nice relaxed morning sipping coffee and eating omelets.
At about 11:00 we left for Bandelier national Monument which is about an hours drive from Santa Fe.  The Monument is the remains of cliff dwellings that dated back to the 1300s before the days of Columbus and Coronado.  The boys had a great time climbing the ladders into the caves.  They both were very disappointed to find graffiti markings inside the caves instead of petroglyphs.  Duncan made the astute observation that if he ever went back to Bandelier later in his life the caves would probably be closed because people weren't treating them right.  He is definitely correct. 

Resting along a hike at Bandelier.

The architecture of the dwellings was really interesting.  The People built structures off of the cliffs.  The way we were able to tell if certain holes in the cliffs were once dwellings was to look at the rock above.  If there were several holes in a row above the cave it was probably a dwelling.  The holes were the inserts for the roof beams.  The walls and roof were made of mud and trees.  They also made ladders to get up to the structures.  If they were in danger they could just pull the ladder up so no enemies could get to their homes.  They also entered their ground structures through the roof.  We were lucky enough to have some time with a ranger who happened to be walking on the same path as us. He explained that this was a material culture because of the materials left behind.  There were no drawings, no writing or anything left behind that would indicate religious beliefs or ceremonies.  There are only the structures (or materials) to go by.  It was very interesting and a completely different experience for all of us.  Len's cousin, Bonnie did great today.  She had a complete knee replacement 8 weeks ago and she walked almost a mile in the piping hot sun with us today.

Dunc & Doug in one of the cliff dwellings

We arrived back at their house about 5 hours later.  We all grabbed snacks and some drinks and sat down with books.  Before we knew what hit us Bonnie, Len and me had all fallen asleep! The boys very happily occupied  themselves with Mirtha's xbox.  Mirtha has been taking high altitude cooking classes and tonight she made us homemade pizza.  They were to die for!  One was pesto, spinach and feta and the other was marinated chicken, pesto, and artichoke hearts. Now we are all sitting in their living room watching a big storm approach.  The lightning show is phenomenal!
Tomorrow we leave Santa Fe and continue heading east.  We plan to take I-40 towards Amarillo, Texas and Oklahoma City, OK.  We have no overnight reservations.  It has been suggested that we check on the weather before we decide to camp.  This is monsoon season here. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Day 28- Traveling to Santa Fe, New Mexico

After six nights on an air mattress in a tent we woke up so refreshed from sleeping in a bed!  We all went to breakfast and then Duncan and Douglas went for a swim in the pool while Len and I got packed up to go.  We left Holbrook, AZ at about 9:30 am.  We drove approx. 300 miles today.  We arrived in Santa Fe, NM at 3:30.  The time zone change got us again.  Now that we are heading east we "lost" an hour.  We thought we were arriving at 2:30 only to find out we had crossed the time line and it was really 3:30.
The drive today was pretty uneventful.  At one point we had stopped at a local truck stop to gas up.  As we drove in Duncan noticed a big bus decked out with John Cena and The Rock on the side of it.  Immediately both boys HAD to go to the bathroom.  Really they just wanted to go into the truckstop to see if either pro wrestler was "in the house."  Unfortunately, neither was spotted but Douglas did take a nice photo of the bus!  I'll attach it for your viewing pleasure!

The WWE bus we saw in Gallup. NM

We saw lots of wild horses along the ride.  We left Navajo Nation and entered New Mexico.  There are 19 "pueblos" or tribes in NM.  The Anasazi are one.  However, the story is that the word Anasazi translates to "the enemy" which people weren't happy about.  So now they are called "The Ancient People."
Tonight we took Len's cousins Bonnie and Mirtha out for dinner. There were lots of "ethnic" foods to choose from.  I didn't realize that there is a big difference between authentic Mexican food and authentic New Mexican food. Bonnie did a lot of translating for us.  We all got "New Mexican" dinners except for Douglas who stuck with good 'ol chicken tenders.

Tomorrow we are scheduled to go to another national Monument that have cliff dwellings from the Ancient People along with petroglyphs and an active archeological dig.  The guys should enjoy it and may even be able to get another Jr. Ranger badge out of it!  I'm working on including a video we took from the helicopter ride so stay tuned....only one picture today.

Day 27- Flying over the Grand Canyon

Flying over the eastern part of the canyon

Douglas in front next to the pilot!

Today was our last day with my parents.  It really was a perfect ending to a fabulous week.  This morning Len and I did two loads of laundry (one of which was in the 35 lb. machine!) and packed up our tent first thing. By the time we arrived at the RV, everyone had had breakfast and the kid's cots were put away.  My mom and dad went on the bus shuttle to go see the western rim.  The four of us stayed back at the RV.  We gathered all of the boys belongings- they had practically moved in with Mom and Dad!  We also looked at an atlas and planned where we were going to drive to this afternoon.  I still love priceline.com!  We were able to get a hotel with a microwave, frig, (to heat up dinner and keep our foods cool) free wi-fi and a pool for the kids for next to nothing!  We also get breakfast in the morning! Then we decided to head to the Grand Canyon Visitor's Center.  The boys weren't able to attend a Ranger Program which is one of the requirements to earn a Jr. Ranger badge. So we went to the center to see what we could do.  Luckily, both boys had done more pages than required, they had hiked over 3 miles of the trails, and they were scheduled for a flight over the canyon later that day. So, the Ranger interviewing them, made them each write a few sentences about what they had learned in the Park and they were able to take the oath and get their badge! When we got back to the RV, my parents had their car hooked up to the back of the RV and were ready to go.  We followed them to Tusayan, Arizona just outside of the park.  The town is the home of "The Grand Canyon Airport."

Dad & Len before take off!

I don't really know how to describe the hustle and bustle of the airport and the excitement from each of us. We parked in the lot and watched the helicopters come and go as we ate lunch.  Finally it was our time to go in and register.  We all had to watch a 7 minute safety video and strap on a PFD (personal flotation device) because we were flying over water.  At one point I said to my dad,"What the hell is that yellow thing everyone has to strap on, a parachute?" I have never been in a helicopter and I do experience motion sickness so I was sufficiently nervous. Finally they called our party and we were led out to our "copter" and loaded on.  So that things are balanced and leveled, each of us is assigned our seat.  Douglas and Mom were up front with the pilot and Dad, Len, Duncan and me were in the four back seats.  We were given headphones and met our pilot, Dale.  From the time we walked to the helicopter to the time we took off was approximately 10 minutes.  As we flew from the airport to the rim of the canyon, Dale gave us the run down of our route and how the flight would go.  Suddenly, she asked us if we were ready to see the Grand Canyon.  We all gave her the thumbs up and the music to "2001 Space odyssey" started playing.  Right when the music went "Dun, dun" we flew right off the rim over the canyon.  It was so breathtaking and surreal.  Because the helicopter was so loud and we had headphones on that were playing music and a narrated talk of what we were seeing, we each were in our own little moment.  It was clear that the music that was piped into our headphones was carefully chosen. The entire experience was very dramatic.  Occasionally, Dale would interrupt the sound and talk about what we were seeing and where we were (North Rim, eastern,western side etc...).  She would also describe our views during other seasons and what each season brings.  Most of the North Rim is closed during the winter due to so much snow.

Looking down on the Colorado.  It is brown due to the run off of sediment from the recent rains.

After flying for about 45 minutes, Dale announced that we were headed back to the airport.  I didn't want it to end. It will always be one of my favorite life experiences.
Back on the ground we unloaded all of our belongings from the RV and filled up our cooler with drinks and snacks.  We all gave each other hugs and kisses and we headed away from the Grand Canyon and a wonderful week of being together.  My parents headed towards Las Vegas and we began our trek east towards home.  Once we got on the road I found myself tearing up.  They were good tears, though.  It was a great week with my parents.  I know they pushed themselves more since we were together.  After all, we got my mom to climb up a rock structure at Arches National Park! I was also emotional because the end of our big adventures is nearing.  The Grand Canyon was our last big destination. At one point this evening Douglas said to us, "When I was in that helicopter I felt like the king of the world."  Now we have different things to look forward to.   We have several "home stays" scheduled on our way east.  Tomorrow we will drive to Santa Fe, New Mexico to go stay with Len's cousins for a couple of days. Douglas would like me to let you all know he lost a tooth tonight.  Here's hoping the tooth fairy can find us in Holbrook, Arizona! :-)

Day 26- Hiking Grand Canyon

See the Colorado River.  It is the red clay color due to recent rains.

So this morning my parents kindly said,"Why don't you kids go ahead and do your thing today.  We don't want to hold you up."  What that translates to is: For God's sake you all exhaust us.  We need some down time! It ended up being a good idea because so of the trails were very close to "the edge" and there were also several rough terrain places.  The shuttle service here is included with the park fee so you can get anywhere without taking a vehicle.  The four of us took the bus to the western most point which was Pima point and we hiked to Hermit's rest.  That was a nice, paved, well cared for trail. At Hermit's Rest we were able to use the restrooms and get a snack.  Then we boarded the shuttle service and  rode to Mohave Point.  From there we hiked over to Powell point which is one of the only three stops that the shuttle does on the return route.  This trail was much more challenging!  Not because it was strenuous but because it was a dirt trail that followed the rim of the canyon sometimes with only 6 ft or less between us and a straight drop down!  I have included a picture of the three guys walking the trail to show you how close to the edge we were!  Duncan was pretty nervous and even more nervous for Douglas.  He kept saying, "Mom, I'm not sure Douglas should be doing this."  I assured him we were all fine and we kept going.  It was very nice to watch him be protective of Dougie.  Most of the time we just see him torment Douglas!

At Pima Point

Check out how close to the edge the trail is!

We left the RV at 9:00 this morning and returned back at 2:30 in the afternoon.  We had brought plenty of water and some granola bars with us, but we were starved by the time we got back!  After a quick bite to eat, Douglas and I laid down for a bit.  I fell right asleep and Douglas escaped at some point!  I woke up and hour and a half later!  In the meantime, my parents arrived back at the RV refreshed and happy to see us!  Tonight we went out for dinner at another Steakhouse (actually there's not much else to choose from unless you go to Pizza Hut or McDonald's!).  Douglas and I shared a dinner of BBQ chicken and 1/2 rack of ribs.  I ate the chicken and Douglas ate an entire rack of ribs on his own!  AFter that we went to a couple of shops in Tusayan and headed home.  On the way to dinner we saw several elk one of which was less than five feet from the car. 

Bull elk right next to our car

We desperately need to do laundry.  That is on the agenda for tomorrow.  We also have a helicopter flight over the canyon scheduled.  It will be our last activity with my parents and then we each head our own way.  We will start to head east and Mom & Dad will continue on to Las Vegas!

Day 25- Grand Canyon Village, South Rim

All of us at Mather's Point, South Rim, Grand Canyon!

Holy Grand Canyon!  Clearly we have been working our way to the grandest of them all!  After a quick grocery shop and some rearranging of belongings we headed out of Page toward the South Rim.  We drove through "Navajo Nation" which was sparse with buildings but abundant with scenery.  Some of their houses were at the base of huge mountains of what appeared to be very loose rocks.  As we drove through, I told Len I would never dream of having my house in that location!  We passed many wild horses and several little shanties on the side of the road.  These stands looked like they might hold produce but they were actually Navajo Indians selling their jewelry and pottery. We stopped at one place just to check it out.  There was nothing we had to have so we continued on.
We followed my parents and the kids who were all riding in the RV over some very steep, very narrow twists and turns. Finally we pulled into Mather Campground and "Trailer Village" at about 2:30 in the afternoon.  Our tent site is pretty nice. It sits back among some ponderosa pines and cotton woods and is very shady. Once we had set up camp both Len and I went to use the restrooms (the kids were at the RV). I came out first to the amazing site of two bull elk within twenty feet of me!  I called to Len and the best hushed, loud voice I could and just watched.  We were so close to them that I didn't want to move to go get the camera.  Luckily I had my cell phone and was able to take a picture. How would have predicted being greeted by not one but two bull elk within 30 minutes of being here!

Mather's Point, South Rim

Sunset at the Grand Canyon

Back at the RV we fooled around trying to get internet service and making a plan of action.  We took a drive to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and picked up the Junior Ranger workbooks for the boys.  From there we found a cafe where we had a quick bite to eat.  We each have been pretty good about letting the others know what we really wanted to do this week.  One thing my mom wanted to do was see the sunset on the Grand Canyon. So, after dinner we went to Mather's Point to watch the sun go down.  We were not the only ones with this intention.  Each of the viewing sites were pretty  crowded but we managed to get several good viewing sites.  Everywhere we looked was a completely different picture.  The sun was reflecting off the different colored rocks creating very dramatic photos.  Out of the 35 photos we took tonight it was difficult to choose only a few. Tomorrow we will take advantage of the shuttle system and venture out to some of the sites that are only accessible by bus.  We'll do some easy hikes in the morning and the afternoon.

Day 24- Glen Canyon Dam and float down the Colorado River

Mom & Dad at Glen Canyon Dam

Today was another full day! We took a ride over to the Glen Canyon Dam.  We timed things just right (without knowing, again!) and arrived at the visitor center in time to not only take a tour but get the boys ANOTHER Jr. Ranger Badge!  Although the dam is not as large at the Hoover Dam, its size was still very impressive.  On the tour we went down in an elevator for 750 feet.  That was down to the generator/turbine room but to actually get to the bottom of the dam we would have had to go down another 150 feet! We were able to see an old turbine that was 50% cast iron and then we saw the new ones that were 100% stainless steel.  The guide was trying to give us an idea of how much concrete was in the dam.  The comparison was if the concrete was laid out we would have a four lane highway from Chicago to Phoenix!  The dam was built to control the flow of water of the Colorado and to produce hydroelectricty.  The result of the dam was that Lake Powell was formed.  Originally,  Glen Canyon existed where the lake sits now.  Evidently there is tons of interesting history in the walls of that canyon that are now covered by water.  Our guide said there were petroglyphs, dinosaurs prints, fossils, and much more.

Looking down the Canyon from the Dam

After the tour the kids got their seventh badge and we headed out because we successfully arranged for a scenic float of the Colorado River!  Dad and Len went back to the RV with the boys and Mom and me went to the grocery store.  We grabbed lunch items, snacks, and things for dinner.  We flew back to the RV, got our suits on, packed a backpack, grabbed the camera and went to the Colorado River Discovery meeting place.  There we boarded a greyhound bus for the 4 mile trip down to the docks. Two of those miles were spent in a tunnel that went down into the Canyon.  The tunnel was passable by one vehicle at a time.  There was no lighting except what came from the bus.  At the bottom of the canyon we all had to don hard hats to walk down to the docks.  There we loaded 20 people to a raft with pontoons on the sides. Our guide was Katie.  She was very personable and quite knowledgeable about the area.  We floated for an hour looking at the canyon walls and learning about the different stories that go with each bend in the river.  One thing that we have learned a lot about both here and in the Arches was the "desert varnish" that is all along the canyon walls.  This is a black coloring that almost looks like oil.  It is actually manganese that has oxidized on the canyon walls.  It takes over 1,000 years before the varnish shows.  It is the thickness of three pieces of paper on the rocks.  Half way through the trip we stopped along one of the beaches for a bathroom break, to go swimming and to see a section of petroglyphs.  Down in the canyon is usually about 15-20 degrees warmer than up on the mesa.  Although we were very hot by the time we stopped, we were lucky with the weather today.  There was a 40% chance of thunderstorms so there was some cloud cover for us.  The petroglyphs were pretty cool but I will admit we adults did question their authenticity.  Several of them looked original but several looked fairly new.  Either way, they got us thinking and wondering.
Once back on the raft, our guide told us that she had recieved a text saying that rain and hail were on the way!  So the second half of our trip was a bit quicker than it may have been, but it was with everyone's blessing.  Besides, to have the boat go a little faster gave us a welcomed breeze. As you can imagine, the canyons and their stories, the river and it's stories, and the land and it's legends were very captivating. At one point the canyon walls stretched up over 1200 feet. One thing that is difficult to really grasp is the scale of things.  There was a rock that appeared to be balancing at the top of one of the canyons.  It has been dubbed "poison rock" because one drop will kill you! The guide said that the rock was so huge that were it to fall, it would stretch the entire width of the river and about 25 feet onto the beach.  Trust me, it did not look that big from our vantage point which was sitting right under it in the river!
When we got back to the campground, Len and I took the kids swimming at the pool while mom & Dad had a chance to chill back at the RV. After dinner and relaxing a bit we all went out for ice cream at the local stand.

Day 23- Driving from Moab to Page, Arizona

The three guys hanging on for dear life!

 First thing this morning we all went to the Ranger station at the visitor center so Duncan and Douglas could hand in their assignments and get another badge.  They now each have six Jr. Ranger badges. We sat down with some maps this morning and did some calculating about getting to the Grand Canyon for tomorrow.  Originally, we had planned to go to Bryce and/or Zion but it seemed like a ton of driving for not much time there.  Instead we decided to continue on route 191 down to Lake Powell in Page, Arizona.  The drive was  about 5 hours and roughly 280 miles.  Once again the scenery was just gorgeous.  I believe we were on the outskirts of Canyonlands.  We went up and down through the terrain just in awe of all of the land formations.  About half way through the day we drove into a huge thunderstorm.  We could see it coming from miles away.  The lightning, thunder and wind were very strong.  While we were in torrential downpours we could look off in the distance and see beautiful canyons all lit up by the suns rays.
The kids rode in the RV with my parents and Len and I followed in our blazer.  I think we got the best deal! We stopped for lunch on the side of the road and all sang "Happy Birthday" to my mom who turned 72 today.  Douglas had picked out a very nice stone necklace from Yellowstone for her. We don't really know when we arrived in Page because we weren't aware that we had passed into the Pacific time zone!  Our clocks all said 6:15 so we headed out for dinner.  At the restaurant I noticed that the clock was off by an hour (still no clue about the time zone change) but we all decided the restaurant's clock was wrong.  It wasn't until we were all sitting in the RV and my mom's phone rang that we looked at the time on the cell phone! So here we all are at 8:40 at night ready for bed!

We made an interesting discovery by accident today.  We have all planned to take a scenic float down the Colorado River when we are at the Grand Canyon.  That trip is about 12 hours.  A four hour bus ride to the "put in," a four hour scenic float, and a four hour drive back to the South Rim. When we registered at our campground in Page, we picked up a few brochures about river trips.  To our surprise all of the scenic floats originate right outside of Page!  So now we have made a quick change of plans and will go on the float tomorrow!  This will not only save us from over 8 hours on a bus, it saves hundreds of dollars!  It is amazing how much these companies were getting for just the bus ride to and from the river. Once we get our tickets for the boat tomorrow we'll call and change our campground reservations at the South Rim.
I have included a few more photos from our time at Arches.  We all agreed that we didn't plan for enough time there and it would be worth returning!

Day 22- Arches National Park

Windows Arch

This park is just awe inspiring!  We took over 50 pictures today and NONE of them do the real thing justice. Everywhere we looked the view was amazing.  We started the day by stopping at the visitor center and getting the assignments for the junior ranger badges.  There we were able to see an introductory movie about Arches park called, Among the Red Rocks.  The entire park actually sits on a salt bed which used to be under water.  It was referred to as an ancient saltwater ocean in the movie.  Once the waters receded, the mineral deposits, the salt, and the limestone mixed to create weakened areas of rock.  Through the process of weatherization the rock at the bottom of these cliffs gave way creating all kinds of arches in the park.  There are over 2000 natural arches in the park. This deterioration process also created "fins" which are huge walls of rock that are relatively "skinny"like the fin of a fish.  The other common site in this park were all of the balancing rocks.  These rocks appear to be barely balancing on top of these massive cliffs. But, they have been there thousands of years withstanding all kinds of weather.

Double Arch

We did a fair amount of hiking today.  We went to the upper level view of the "delicate arch" which is the oldest known arch in the park.  It is longer than a football field and approximately 6 feet thick.  It hasn't always been this "thin" which is what makes it so delicate. Len and I also hiked up to see "The Windows" which are two arches next to one another. The entire landscape is awesome.

Delicate Arch.  Notice how small all of the people seem!  This arch is huge!

Dunc & Doug on a high rock!

I can't believe Dunc is so close to the edge!  I love the photo but it is a bit nerve wracking!

We came back to the campground during the peak "heat" and all rested.  I think we all took naps except for Douglas!  This afternoon we went out exploring again.  This time we did a lot of climbing.  Duncan and Douglas are both complete dare devils when it comes to climbing.  I spent a lot of time today saying," That's far enough.  Come back here. You're too close to the edge."  At one point all six of us climbed up to a spot called the Garden of Eden which is filled with spires of rocks, arches, fins and steep cliffs.  The kids were thrilled that both Grammie & Bampie made the climb.  I was too! We got so caught up with climbing and exploring that time got away from us. Before we knew it, it was 6:10 pm! We had to rush back to the campground and grab warm jackets because we had 7:15 reservations for a dinner and lightshow cruise down the Colorado River scheduled. We got there right on time and had a great, home cooked meal of BBQ beef, pork, chicken with "cowpoke" potatoes, beans, rolls and salad.  Just as the sun was setting we all boarded the boat which floated a short distance but stayed within the canyon walls for over an hour.  There were lights that matched the music. The narrator of the program shared different stories and legends of how the Arches park came to be.  They talked of the Ut Indian tribe from which Utah got it's name. We arrived back "home" at around 10:45 and here I sit blogging and uploading photos at midnight!  Not sure if I'll get it all done tonight.  Each day is so filled with exciting experiences and little details that I feel compelled to get it all down on paper before it slips my mind and I am on to another adventure!
Tomorrow morning we'll get the kids sworn in for another Jr. ranger  badge and let them climb the huge sand dune again.  Then we leave the campground and head towards the Grand Canyon.  We are thinking Lake Powell might be a good destination but we'll see!