Our last day of vacation was interesting.  We were up extremely early in San Francisco to catch our 4:50am shuttle to the airport.  Early morning shuttle rides through the streets of San Francisco is an editing proposition.  Up and down, starts and stops, all in a van that may need new shocks.  Once at the terminal, checking in and making it through security was a breeze.  By 7, we were on our plane heading down the coast to LAX.

At this point, our family had to split up.  I was heading towards to Chicago for a work activity while the rest of the family headed straight from LAX to RDU.  So as not to alert the TSA or cause any type of incident, I went to the Delta Help Desk to turn in my boarding pass.  My hope was that they could give the seat to someone else and I might spread some joy.  I gave the girls and big hug and wished them safe travels while I left one terminal to head to another to check in for my Southwest flight to Chicago Midway.  My flight was fine but I had a general malaise about me and didn’t feel all that great.  I had a rough flight.  I think the guy beside me must have as well.  Sorry, dude.  After 3 hours that felt like an eternity, I made it to Chicago.  I was familiar with this, so it felt comfortable.  I hopped on the Orange Line for the train and got off at the State/Lake Street Station.

I knew there was a Chipotle and grocery store on the way so I stopped in and picked up a few provisions.  I got to the Hyatt on Wacker Dr and was treated to a huge room with great bedding and a wonderful shower.  After eating and calling home to speak with the boss, I called it a day.  One very long day.

I won’t bore you with the details of the meeting.  What I will tell you about is how excited I was to see one of my favorite musicians while I was in town for one night.  I saw several months ago that Michael Franti and Spearhead would be playing so I bought a ticket.  I didn’t care if anyone went with me or not.  The show was at Thalia Hall in the old Czech part of town.  Doors were at 7 and at 6:40 I was in a cab.

I got to the show and grabbed some merch, as you do, and made my way to my vantage point.  I’m glad it was a late-arriving crowd because I was able to snag a spot right on the front row.  The opening act came on promptly at 8 and they were ok, but then Michael came on.  If you have never been to one of his shows, you must go.  There is so much positivity and happiness at his concerts you smile the whole time.

HIs 17 song set was full of hits and new songs.  A few highlights-having a 4 year old with cancer come out as part of his Do It for the Love Foundation and throw huge yellow balloons in the crowd to play with while he sang “The Sound of Sunshine”.  That boy’s face was pure joy and priceless.  Then there was the 13 year old who went on stage to dance and ended up playing guitar with the band in some good ol’ Chicago blues.  Absolutely a show stopper.  As the show was winding down, he unveiled his new song-“Once a Day”.  The message is true-everybody needs to hug somebody at least once a day.  Since I was alone, I hugged myself, of course the bass player saw this and had a good laugh.  But then, as can only happen at a Franti show, hugs started to go all over the room.  After getting a hug from the guitar player it was time to leave.

This venue is one of the best I have seen a show in in a very long time.  If you’re in the Chicago area, I highly recommend catching a show here.  You won’t regret it.  After catching a cab back, I went straight to bed.  At 6, I was up, way too excited to go home to sleep.  I made my way to the airport, checked-in, and got to my gate to wait.  While there, I ran into some friends and we passed the time chatting.  We boarded the plane and soon I was home.  My girls greeted me at baggage claim with a welcome home sign.

I made it home on Father’s Day and was exhausted.  But as I think back over my vacation I can’t help but smile.  I showed my family some of the coolest things this great country has to offer.  We hiked, we ate local, we shopped local, we biked (sort of), and most of all we smiled.  I am thankful that we had the opportunity to share this great adventure together.  Vacations give us a chance to break from the norm and ignore the obligations of our everyday life.  They afford us the chance to be wholly present with the most important people in our lives.   And in the end, life is about the experiences you have with those who matter.  For two weeks in June, I was truly living.

Sometimes, I want to pat myself of the back.  I come up with harebrained ideas and the boss sometimes acquiesces and supports it.  But today was one of those days where everything made sense.  We were tired last night.  Like, really tired.  Since we skipped out on a big dinner and were in bed by 7:30, we thought we were off to a good start.  Until our smoke alarm started to alarm in our room.  Since I do this whole fire thing for a living, I know how this works.  The general alarm wasn’t sounding and I knew that we weren’t doing anything in our room to cause issues but, to be safe, I started to usher my crowd out.  We opened the door and the night manager was standing there.  She  took our alarm off of the ceiling and we shrugged our shoulders and went to sleep.  After all, we were on the first floor and I liked our odds in getting out if need be.  You’d a thought that they’d have knocked a few bucks off of our total for the effort, but no.

My family thought I was insane when I told them we needed to be out of the room by 5 or so.  And we were.  I have to give the girls credit.  They have been efficient and speedy in all of our exits.  They understand that we have to drive to get to these places and today was no different.  My map buddy, Marilyn, told me that our destination was about 4 hours away.  So in search of CA-140 we went.  We hugged the bay for a bit and then turned inland towards Merced.  There was little to look at as we went.  Lots of farmland.  Lots and lots of fields.  Heck we even went through the artichoke capital of the world today.  As soon as we started east we began to climb in elevation.  We climbed ever higher and at 9, we were pulling to the entry gate at Yosemite National Park.  Our America the Beautiful Pass allowed us to skip the line.  It was like having a fast pass for entry.  The only problem is that we didn’t get a park map because we missed the guard shack.  By coming in on CA-140, we followed the Merced River all the way to the valley.  The caveat with this is you miss Tunnel View and then don’t get that wow factor.

However, we did get to Swinging Bridge and got out to look around.  Our first views of Yosemite Falls were amazing.  The falls were set against a brilliant blue sky, green trees and grass, and the still river.  We spent a few minutes skipping rocks and then headed to the Visitor’s Center.  Here we were able to grab our park map.  From there we walked to the Yosemite Falls Trail and enjoyed that easy mile walk.  I had forgotten how Yosemite assaults all of you senses.  I had not forgotten about the sights, but I had forgotten about the sound of the fall, the sounds of the birds, and the smell of the woods.  We lingered a few moments and tried our best to drink it all in.  In a thousand lifetimes, you still couldn’t do it.  Our snapshot was almost comical.  We walked back through the village and grabbed some food for the girls.  We got back to the car and drove around a bit to the El Capitan picnic area.  Lucy grabbed a table and got the one with the best view of the rock.  Eating our lunch in the shadow of this monolith was spectacular and one of those times when I felt like I did something right.

A word about driving the park.  Maps are terrible and the roadsigns are not much better.  Taking the wrong road could be problematic as turning around is near impossible.  By lunch it was getting very crowded.  Driving was difficult due to pedestrians, poor signage, and people who drive way yonder too fast.  We looped the valley and went by Bridal Veil Falls.  This walk was shorter than the first but steeper.  The view was nice but the overlook was crowded.  We drove a little more around the valley and all decided that a vacation at Yosemite wouldn’t be a bad way to spend a few days.  I could come back here in a heartbeat.

Our hotel for the evening wasn’t far away so we headed that way around 2, but not before stopping by the river one more time and taking off our shoes for an ice bath in the river.  CA-120 to Manteca would be interesting.  At one point, the road was so curvy, steep, and challenging I was unnerved.  I don’t usually get concerned on a road, but this one was one for the books.  However, since I am awesome, I got us down the hill safely.  We drove a few miles more and in only a couple of hours, we were in Manteca at the Hampton Inn.  We finally had our In and Out Burger experience.  All were pleased with the food and I was thrilled with the price.  The double-double protein style was awesome, though eating a burger wrapped in lettuce is challenging.  Messy, challenging, and fabulous.  I had promised a dip in the pool upon our return and I stayed true to my word.

Our odyssey is nearing completion.  To this point I have driven over 1600 miles.  I have less than 100  miles left to drive before returning the car to the rental car company.  We have cleaned out the car and begun the repacking for our return east.  Even though things are winding down, we still have so much to see.  So yes, I came up with a crazy idea to make this trip.  Yes, the boss agreed.  In the span of a week to date, we have seen some of the most amazing things in the world.  I wouldn’t trade a second or a mile driven for anything.

I have to be honest.  I’m starting to get a bit tired.  I have driven 1215 miles to this point and not very many have been easy miles.  You know the kind-the driving where you put on the cruise and just mosey on down the road.  Not these miles-no, no.  Not today.  Our drive today was to be a short one but one with unparalleled scenery.  I was awoken this morning by the sound of seals coming up from the bay a block away.  I tried to take a shower but our room was on the small side and the shower was cruise ship small.  After a short fight with the water and keeping the California drought in mind, I gave up and got dressed.  Since I am trying to be the perfect group leader this trip I walked down to the bay so the family could sleep a few more minutes.  It was nice having the entire street to myself along with the great views of the rock.  I also stopped in the Sun and Buns Bakery to get the kids a croissant and some coffee for the boss and me.

We only had about 130ish miles to drive today but I knew that it was going to be slow going.  So up Highway 1 we went.  Before we gained too much elevation we stopped at a vista point near San Simeon that had hundreds of elephant seals hanging out on the beach.  These guys were so unbelievably cool.  There were groups sparring in the water, clumps of them lounging on the beach, some flinging sand on themselves, and others bellowing into the sea air.  I think that with the benefit of hindsight, this may have been a favorite for the day.  Now we started to gain elevation and worked our way up and around the tight road with so very many hairpin turns.  At some point you sort of just get tired of saying “wow”.  Every single turn brought some sight that is indescribable.  From San Simeon in the south to Big Sur and finally to Monterey, we took our sweet time and enjoyed ourselves.  We pulled over at vistas, looked in small shops, and really tried to appreciate where we were.

After about 3 and a half hours we made it to the Monterey Peninsula.  The skies were cloudy and the weather cool and this made for perfect walking from our hotel to Cannery Row.  Tonight we’re staying  at the Best Western on Abrego St.  The room is huge and functional.  It will most definitely work for one night.  We walked the mile and a half from the hotel down and stopped for lunch at Ike’s Love and Sandwich.  This place was great.  My sandwich on gluten free bread was safely prepared and wonderful.  I had a sandwich with turkey, red pepper pesto, and cheese.  They had named it the Robert Louis Stevenson.  Since the boss was able to sample everyone’s food she was able to safely say that mine was the best.  Yay for me.

We ventured from there to the Monterey Bay Aquarium via Cannery Row.  We ducked in a few shops as we walked and honestly, I had forgotten how touristy and cheesy Cannery Row is.  It is neat to see and it helps if you’ve read the book by Steinbeck.  Also, a little research and understanding a small bit of the history will make the Row be a little more vibrant.  Otherwise, you’ll be looking at t-shirt shops, candy stores, and chain restaurants.  The row was never the goal, though.  Several months ago I bought tickets to the aquarium.  If you’re going, this is the way to do it.  Buying the tickets online allowed us to skip the huge line waiting to buy tickets and get right on in.

This is a cool place.  While not nearly as big as the Georgia Aquarium, I felt that it was more friendly to the visitor.  All of the volunteers who worked there were great about approaching us and talking to us about their topic of expertise.  The exhibits were also very well laid out and I really feel that we all learned a good bit about the surrounding waters.  We spent several hours here and although it was expensive, I feel it was a must-do for us on this trip and I still feel that it was the right call.  It’s one of those things that you have to do once but then you can do some other things.  If I come back to the peninsula, maybe I’ll do the kayak tour.

It was getting late and I had driven some challenging miles.  Also, I had walked several miles.  We walked back to the hotel and I went to grab some food for the clan.  I ducked into a decidedly old-school store for a bottle of local wine and then hit up Chipotle.  None of us were really in the mood to head out and eat.  When I got back to the room, everyone was clearly in a relaxed state.  This is probably a good thing.  Tomorrow we drive 3 or so hours to Yosemite so we’ll be getting up early.  Relaxing in the room this evening might prove to be the right call.  It is amazing to think that on a “drive day”, I can be this tired.  There is a certain amount of stress that comes with getting your family from one point to another safely.  I have to thank the boss for helping me to navigate our way around.  It’s hard to believe that we’ve been gone almost a week.  Arizona seems like such a long time ago.  One thing that I believe though-driving this country of ours and trying to at least scratch the surface is awe-inspiring.  From the Grand Canyon to the Pacific Coast, our family has seem some truly amazing things.  While we have by no means seen everything, I hope that I continue to plant that seed of wanderlust in my girls that will carry them through the rest of their lives.  Tomorrow-Yosemite!

Today was nice.  I mean, sit back and see what happens nice.  I was up fairly early after a wonderful night of sleep.  In fact, I think I may have slept a bit too hard as I woke up with a stiff neck.  To me, that is a sign of a great sleep.  I ventured to the lobby and had some juice while I let the girls sleep in.  Around 8 or so, I went back to the room to see if anyone was stirring.  I really think that the entire family needed the chance to sleep in and recharge the batteries a bit.  We slowly got moving and then went down towards the Patisserie from yesterday to grab a few goodies for the road.  Around 10:30, we set off from a cool and overcast Santa Barbara.

We had no real plans but had heard from a friend that the Los Olivos area would be worth our time.  So up into the hills we went and eventually we managed to break free of the clouds and see some sun as we descended into the Santa Ynez Valley.  We had plans to go to Los Olivos but since the girls were with us, we decided a town with tons of wine tastings wasn’t the best idea.  Instead we went to Santa Ynez and walked around there for a few minutes.  We found a wine tasting store and had a fun few minutes with the owner talking wine and sampling a few as well.  The girls were cool while we did this and after purchasing some wines to share with friends, we ventured to the wine guy’s suggestion of visiting Solvang,  Solvang is a town built in a very Dutch style and was kind of cool.  It was very crowded so we didn’t do too much there other than grab a bite to eat and have a little chocolate for dessert.  It would have been easy to spend more time there.

Around 1ish, we started to make our way towards Morro Bay.  The scenery remained spectacular and I watched the temperature drop from near 90 to around 70 as we went.  At times, it felt as if we were the only ones on the road.  After lots of farms we made it to our destination of the Pleasant Inn Motel in Morro Bay.  Our room wasn’t quite ready so we looked around town for a few minutes.  It was necessary for someone to do laundry and I volunteered for the task.  As the family rested in the room, I took my chances with the laundromat here in Morro Bay.  The washing was fairly painless and only an hour later I was back at the room ready to tackle the night.

Since we are facing the ocean, it only seemed appropriate to have some type of fish.  The Galley Restaurant was close by and the food looked great.  The girls decided on fish tacos and the grilled fish sandwich.  The boss went with the sole and I had the rockfish.  All of it was wonderful and our bottle of Pinot Gris was the perfect compliment to our dinner.  In addition to how good the food was, the view was even more spectacular.  The restaurant looked out over the bay and the rock and pretty much made the meal.

After dinner we trekked to the rock.  My initial impression was that the rock was bigger than I expected.  We were kept company by sea otters as we waked to the point.  On one side the water was placid and on the other side, it was rougher.  On both sides, the water was cold.  The girls played in the surf for a bit and had a good time just being kids.  Too soon, it was time to head back to the hotel.

Today was a much needed day.  We saw lots of things-many unexpected.  But it was done at a slow pace.  After letting the family sleep in and by taking it easy, I feel our batteries are recharged for the balance of the trip.  Tomorrow, we get to travel more of the pacific highway and I look forward to that as well.

The holiday road. To this point, right at 1000 miles worth.  But first:  One of the reasons to stay off of the strip was so that I wouldn’t have to deal with people waking me up on their way in from their night out.  So, to the woman who decided to have a conversation in the hall at 4am, thanks.  I wanted to get on up and get going anyway.  We had prepped the girls in advance that today would be lots of riding and true to form for this trip, they were awesome.  But seriously, whoever designed I-15 from Vegas on in had very little to work with.  the scenery outside the car didn’t change for hundreds of miles.  Only once we passed Victorville did the sights begin to go from desert depressing to overcast and foggy.  Wait, overcast?  Foggy?  Isn’t this supposed to be Southern California where the sun shines?  Not today my friends.

That’s ok though.  We absolutely made a silk purse from a sow’s ear on this one.  The boss had done her homework researching some places to drive past once we arrived in Los Angeles.  After weaving our way through most of Los Angeles County we made it to our first stop, Barnsdall Park.  The park would have afforded 360 degree views of the city and the surrounding hills, if we could’ve seen ’em.  The clouds made it difficult but we were able to briefly catch a glimpse of the the Griffith Park Observatory and even just briefly, the Hollywood sign.  Since we were on Hollywood Blvd., we moseyed on down and took in the sights.  We caught glimpses of the Dolby Theater, the Chinese Theater, lots of the stars on the Walk of Fame, and then we pointed towards the ocean.  We cruised down Sunset Blvd. and saw the Chateau Marmont and The Whiskey A Go-Go.  After that it was an easy drive through Beverly Hills taking everything in.  Eventually, we made it to Santa Monica.

Once there, we opted to grab some lunch and ducked into a joint called Pizza Antica.  The pizzas here were amazing.  The girls all shared a Margherita Pizza while I decided to have the pizza with shaved broccoli, caramelized onions, and bacon.  Wow.  The food was wonderful and the service was great as well.  Since we opted to share our meals, the bill was very reasonable.  I wouldn’t hesitate to return to the is restaurant.  It helps that the food was a quick walk to the Santa Monica Pier.  I had high hopes for the pier, but honestly it was just sort of meh.  The beach was wide and we were able to put our feet in the sand, but since it was 65 degrees and cloudy, it didn’t feel like much of a beach day.  Nevertheless, we had our fill, bought a few souvenirs, and pointed the family truckster north towards Santa Barbara.

The disembodied voice on my phone that tells me how to get from place to place (I call her Marilyn) noted that it was about 80 miles to our hotel and that it would take 2 and a half hours to get there.  I thought to myself, surely no.  It can’t be that bad.  It was.  The traffic was abysmal.  Because there is so little space for so many people between the mountains and the coast, traffic was a challenge.  We didn’t let it bother us and Marilyn, the boss, and me successfully guided our hearty crew into Santa Barbara.  I will say that the Pacific Coast Highway is nice on this stretch though Malibu was a bit of a surprise.  I was expecting fancy but what I got was Myrtle Beach on the Pacific.  Oh well, the disappointment would be short-lived.

Santa Barbara.  Oh, Santa Barbara.  How have I never graced your streets before?  This town is a vision.  Spanish architecture, a laid-back vibe, wonderful shopping, and great dining.  That’s just to start.  I didn’t even make it down to the Ocean.  We checked into our wonderfully 1950s but completely updated La Quinta on State Street around 5 this evening.  We were assigned room 114 which is in one of the bungalows out back with its own patio.  After quickly dropping off our stuff we decided to see what State Street had to offer.  The shopping was pleasant and we all had success in our purchases.  From a cool shirt for me to a cool shirt for Lucy, we all had fun.  Sadly, our lunch was long-gone so we were in need of sustenance.

Had I been told when I was planning this trip that I’d be eating at a German Brat Haus (Hoffmann’s) in Santa Barbara, outside, in June, in 65 degree weather, I wouldn’t have believed you.  Yet the food was fantastic and since I could opt out of the bun, it was just the right amount of food.  Also, we had stopped by the Lilac Patisserie earlier and bought a brownie cheesecake that needed our attention soon.  After a few more stops including a hat shop and a grocery store we made it back to our room. Santa Barbara is a great town.  I would come back here in an instant to spend more time prowling her streets, checking our her buildings, and strolling through the shops.  This town does seemingly have everything.  For my money, this has been the best non-natural place we have visited.  It wouldn’t be fair to compare the Grand Canyon with Santa Barbara.  I mean, I like grapefruit and I like apples, but they are different, right?  But if you had me choose between Granny Smith’s and Gala, well, friend, Granny Smith is gonna win every time.  So thanks to you Santa Barbara for being a great high spot for our day.

Now, we bed on down.  We are all looking forward to a relaxed day tomorrow.  We only have a  short drive ahead of us so we can take our time.  We can sleep in, enjoy our patio, and spend some time on the beach.  Now, if I can only get that sun to show himself…

So this morning was an early one.  I was woken up by my friend the bird a little earlier today at 4am instead of 4:30.  It actually was a good thing, because as I lay there and saw the sky getting a bit brighter, I decided to go ahead and wake up the rest of the crew so we could make it to Mather Point in time to see the sunrise.  On our way from the parking lot to the point we ran upon a family of Mule Deer.  They were huge and unimpressed by our existence.  We got to the point and staked out a great location for the sunrise.  Truly amazing.  The play of light against the walls of the canyon were breathtaking.  All too soon, it was done and time to go back to the room to pack it all up.

The girls have been awesome for the whole trip, but they have been especially awesome at the packing of the car and being ready to go.  By 6am we were heading towards Vegas.  A few hours and many, many uneventful miles later.  We arrived at the Hoover Dam.  We decided to opt for the Powerplant Tour which for us, was exactly the right amount of dam activity.  We saw the normal things and the girls were impressed by the scope an size of the project.  All in all, it was a decent stop.  I’m glad we arrived early (9:30) because when we left the crowds were getting unwieldy.  After that we drove the short distance to Henderson, NV and our hotel of the day.  We made a quick stop at Target, had some Chipotle, and rested for a bit.  Then we headed to the Strip.

It should be noted from the start that the Las Vegas Strip is not the kid-friendly destination that the tourist board once haves us to believe.  From the half-naked men/women, the “flyers” on the street, and the guys wearing shirts advertising themselves as the Orgasm Police this is truly no place for me, um I mean the kids.  To say that the girls were overwhelmed by the sights would not clearly emphasize just how unnerved they were.  The best thing we were able to do was to get them off of the street and into the Shops at the Venetian, the Forum Shops, and to take a look at the flower display in the Bellagio.  Other than that Vegas was, well in a word, unnatural.  Also, inappropriate I am being told.

But then, dinner saved the day.  When it was decided that we would be in Vegas on our anniversary I made reservations at Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris Hotel.  I had been looking forward to this meal for a good while and it did not disappoint.  Our server was spot-on having gluten free bread brought to the table from the start.  Ethel decided to go with a kids meal (a good choice as there was a ton of food on the plate), Lucy went with the scallops with a fennel salad with tomatoes and mashed potatoes.  The boss had a half-chicken with the potatoes, and I killed a steak with fries.  The nice bottle of red we had complemented the meal perfectly and out evening in Vegas had been salvaged.  Until dinner, I think it is safe to say that the girls did not find the town to be their thing. In fact, I was worried that the trip may be lost in our few hours here.  Truly, it would not be the first trip to be lost to Vegas.  But then dinner saved the day.

We picked up our car from the valet, drove back to our hotel, and enjoyed the pool for a bit.  Now, we call it a day.  A day that has taken us from the indescribable splendor of a Grand Canyon sunrise to the indescribable phoniness of the Las Vegas Strip.  I have enjoyed sharing each moment however disconcerting with my girls and I look forward to introducing them to California tomorrow.  

So, it was brought.  Wow, I mean wow.  There might not be enough ice in the Grand Canyon to soothe our aching muscles.  First thing off the bat is the fact that we all slept like we were hibernating last night.  I was awoken by the sound of a bird singing outside.  The air in the room was cool, the bed was warm, and it was 4:30.  Yep, 4:30.  I did manage to hold off on getting up until 5:15.  By the time I eased out of bed, everyone else was stirring as well.  We ate breakfast in the room and caught the shuttle to the trailhead for the Bright Angel Trail.

By now, it was 6:35 and we were on our way into the Canyon.  A few small items to mention-I have held on to the shirt I got on June 17, 1993.  The shirt was a gift from a friend noting the fact that I hiked the Canyon.  I thought that today would be a good day to break it out for one last wear.  I also thought it might be neat to have my US National jersey on hand for all photo ops at “‘Merican” sites.  Today was the most apropos to do this as well.  Hopefully, this shirt will become a recurring theme on the trip.  And down we wAnd down, and down , and down.  I’ve mentioned it before, but no image will ever fully capture the beauty of this place.  Each new turn brought new sights that will never be seen again.  The canyon will stay, obviously, but the unique play of light, temperature, and company made this a completely singular event.  The weather was perfect and the girls were rock stars.  We stopped frequently to take in all of the vistas.  By the time we made it to the mile and a half rest stop, we were ready for a small break.  We had some food, drank some water, and fought off aggressive squirrels.  We hiked a few more miles in and after about mile 2 we decided it was time to turn around and head up.  Each step in meant that there would be a step up to match it on the way out.  While there were times we all were winded, we stopped often and made it out without too much difficulty.  I tried really hard to stay positive and to remember that I probably never have the chance to repeat this experience with my kids again.

To celebrate our success, ice cream seemed to be an appropriate reward.  We hit the ice cream shop at exactly the right time and I watched my three girls enjoy ice cream with a backdrop that is unbelievable.  We knocked around a gift shop and by noon were heading back to the marketplace to purchase a few souvenirs.  After showers and a small bit of rest, we walked the short distance to the visitor’s center.  We walked out to Mather Point with the rest of the population of the park and then caught the movie at the center about the canyon’s history.  I liked the movie but I didn’t enjoy the crowds.  There was something to be said about starting our hike early on an uncrowded trail.  Fighting for position for a photo on the rim never rivaled the shots we got in the canyon.  By now, we were starting to get a bit hungry so to kill time until the restaurants opened in the Village, we took the Rim Trail back.  It was an easy 2-ish mile walk on a paved path back.  Again, new views to see and new photos to take.

Dinner at the Arizona Room was a complete bust.  The view was nice, but all of our meats were dry and the sauce tasted bottled.  I guess there isn’t much you can do up here though.  You are captive for food and they can trot our substandard food with little consequence.  For some this might qualify as good.  For us, eh.  I suggest going to the deli and buying a sandwich.  We finished our meal and then spent a few more minutes looking at the fading light against the walls of the canyon.  Lucy made an executive decision and suggested we head back to the room to get ready for our day tomorrow.

Today was a full day.  We walked over 30,000 steps and 13 miles.  We saw some of the most amazing sights on the planet and I really feel the girls appreciated what they were seeing.  There was no arguing, simply lots of laughter and awe at one wonderful place.

It is really is a long way down that holiday road.  Today, we drove around 300 miles from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon.  Granted we could’ve done it in a shorter distance and a quicker time, but why?  I really do feel like I have been channeling my inner Clark W. Griswold and will probably continue to do so.  I have stopped at more roadside scenic overlooks than ever in my life-and for good reason.

Our morning began bright and early in Phoenix.  After a quick, made to order breakfast of french toast for the girls and omelets for the boss and me, we were off by 7:05am.  My research brought to light the option of stopping off at a small attraction just off I-17.  10 minutes after it opened, we pulled in at Montezuma’s Castle National Monument.  There was a 5 dollar per adult entry fee.  Or we could pay the 80 bucks and get the America the Beautiful Pass that provides entry to every National Park for one full year.  Since this trip will essentially make the purchase a wash, I went ahead and did so.  My expectations for this stop were limited, but I can say that I was greatly surprised by how cool the cliff dwelling was.  Seeing little sights like this as we travel bring much of this history to life for the girls.  At the time, it was the highlight of the trip.  That was soon to be replaced.

It was a short drive from Montezuma’s to our next stop in Sedona.  It was a short drive, but I can’t explain how the landscape changed and the rocks turned red, and how, and how….  It truly was breathtaking.  If I had never seen the Grand Canyon before, I would think this to be the best ever.  This was what Lucy did.  I am certain as we drove into town she was figuring out to which Arizona college she should apply.  Each turn brought new vistas with ever changing sun angles.  I could try and explain but there is absolutely no way that I could do justice.  As we drove into town, we decided to stop at the Chapel of the Cross.  This is a neat little diversion and if it is on your way somewhere, I say go.  Otherwise, it is a difficult place to park with a difficult walk uphill with a limited view.  Yes, it is impressive that they built a church into the mountainside, but in hindsight something I could have probably skipped.

From there we stopped at a completely over the top, kitschy store on the way into town.  While initially I was really jacked to stop in such a weird, artsy place-I was soon overwhelmed by the number of items in the store.  Even though they had tons of stuff, they had tons of the same stuff.  It feels like the kind of place that tricks you into thinking that stuff you see on vacation in the enchanted surrounding of Sedona will be awesome back in North Carolina.  Somehow, I don’t think that desert chic will play in our neighborhood.  I bought a sticker.  That’s it.

My shopping highlight of the day was the Katchina House.  It is off of the beaten path, but you should by all means visit.  There are several rooms of Native American art and handicrafts that will boggle the mind.  When you walk in and they ask if you’d like to browse or get a short tour-do the tour.  These ladies give every room meaning and really give context to the art.  We spent longer than expected there and purchased items.  As we ventured into other parts of Sedona and saw similar art-we understood the meaning and significance.  It also is interesting that all of the art is made by local artisans.  Our three pieces will be arriving at our house soon.

By now, we were ready for lunch.  Picazzo’s got great reviews and was nearby.  Also, we were hungry.  Like, really hungry.  It bears to mention that the place had all gluten free pasta and the pizzas were made in a dedicated brick oven.  Since it was lunch I got the pizza of the week with a pesto base, diced tomatoes, spinach, olive oil, and garlic with a side caesar salad.  Yum!  I devoured the thing.  Lucy got spinach and cheese cannelloni, the boss got puttanseca, and Ethel rocked the kid’s pizza.  Since everything was good for me, I sampled some of each.  Everything was wonderful and the boss and I even split a prickly pear margarita.  If you have gluten issues and are in Sedona-go here.  Quickly.

From there we knocked around the uptown Sedona area for a bit.  This is the part with the main “shopping” area.  Be sure you read this to mean “tourist”.  After about 10 minutes I had seen enough t-shirt shops and was ready to head north.  So up we went into the hills.  I was honestly not surprised for the changes in landscapes that we encountered.  At one point, we were climbing so much that I thought we had reached the top of the state.  Shortly, we were in Flagstaff.

When going to the Grand Canyon, most people will enter through the south entrance.  My advice is to take the long way up Highway 89, turn left onto State Road 64 and enter at the East Entrance.  The scenery is fairly drab, but you can make good time and you go through part of the Navajo Reservation.  The America the Beautiful Pass was great because we pulled up to the guard house and within 10 seconds were on our way.  The kids got their first look at the canyon and as with everyone who has ever seen it, were blown away.  Lucy was a bit disturbed by the heights and Ethel was taking it all in.  Pictures won’t work, words won’t work.  Nothing can describe the awesomeness of the canyon.  Like someone once told me years ago-it is like trying to describe the color green to someone.  It is impossible.  Every single American must visit this place.

After stopping at as many scenic overlooks as we could, we eventually made it to the Yavapai Lodge.  Check in was in the same building as the Canyon Cafe.  It was painless and soon we were off to the market to purchase a few things to make the time here pleasant.  We pulled up to our extremely old-school building.  The girls were at first skeptical, but entering into our really clean, modern, but older room was awesome.  We opened all of the windows to get some cross-ventilation as there is no AC.  While doing this we saw a Mule Deer out back doing his thing.  Apparently, the wildlife fun comes included.  They also took down my address-they like to send out a mailer.

All in all this was a full day.  We saws tons of things.   Montezuma’s Castle seems like three days ago.  Now, we are bedding down and preparing for our hike tomorrow morning.  Bring it!