Road Trippin'

Road Trippin'

Road Trippin' (Part 1)

Months ago Don and I decided to go big or go home; we scheduled a trip out west. We worked on our itinerary and chose to visit The Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and House On Fire Ruin and Winslow Arizona. It was a trip of a lifetime!

We flew from Cincinnati Ohio to Phoenix with a layover in Salt Lake City. I sat on the plane and watched our country sail below me. I could see cities and farms, rivers and lakes and flat land and mountains. I noticed white puffy clouds and could see their shadows on the land below. I imagined what the folks below us were doing as they gazed into the sky. I often do that, I’ll see a plane and think about the souls aboard and wonder where they are going. When we got close to Salt Lake City we could see the snowy caps of the Rocky Mountains. After a short layover, we were on our way to Phoenix. Suddenly outside the window I realized that we were flying over the Grand Canyon and I was so excited when I realized that I would be gazing over the rim the very next day!

When we landed in Phoenix, the first thing I noticed was the heat. Everyone says their heat is different than our heat, but to me it felt the same, hot! As we started our drive north toward the Canyon I couldn’t stop myself from marveling at the natural beauty and comparing it to back home. The hills had no grass, just sandy rocks and large saguaro cacti, some of them were as tall as trees back home. The hillsides were covered with them and you could often notice a small hole in them where birds nest. Soon we noticed that the cacti were more sparse and the thermometer on the car was dropping. When we reached Flagstaff 3 hours away the temperature had dropped from 95 to 55. Imagine that much of a drop from here to Louisville. The elevation climbs from 1,100 feet in Phoenix to almost 7,000 feet in Flagstaff. We now were seeing huge forests of pines and the snow capped peak of the San Francisco Mountains. We had to get out of our car just to feel for ourselves and we right away felt cold as we were clothed in shorts and t-shirts.

The Grand Canyon is about 80 miles from Flagstaff, but we decided to start our journey by staying in one of the last Route 66 towns, Williams, Arizona. Williams is about 50 miles from the Canyon and is a small town that is proud of its connection with Route 66. The main street is full of stores catering to tourists who want to remember a time in their lives when diners and soda fountains were the very best places to hang out. We strolled along the main street in Williams on our first night of our adventure and window shopped in the old stores that had Route 66 items for sale. The diner was hopping also, covered in red neon and playing Chubby Checker and Elvis for everyone to hear who wandered by. Williams is also home to the Grand Canyon Railway, a great way to travel to the Canyon by rail. It has been in operation since 1901 and it leaves Williams each day at 9:30 and returns in the afternoon. Also you can ride the train and stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. After a great meal and some relaxing time back in the past, it was time to turn in for the night.

Early the next morning we loaded up our gear and headed north to The Grand Canyon. Our hearts were light as we drove up 64 North. The road was the straightest road I have ever been on. It was amazing to see wind turbines lined up like soldiers on the hillsides as well as warning signs alerting to free roaming cows and horses. And while people are people everywhere, we did begin to notice things that were a little different than things back home. We started to notice lone trailers with car tires on the roof. “That’s odd”, we asked each other in amazement. We later found out that the tires add weight to the tin roof and prevents the rumbling of the wind through the metal. We noticed also the small round buildings set close to each house. We learned that traditional Navajo families used to live in Hogans. Now most Navajo families live in traditional homes or trailers, but almost all families still build hogans. These hogans now are primarily used for ceremonial events or a time of reflection and balance. I think I need a hogan! In just a very few minutes we will be reaching the gate, The Grand Canyon awaits!