Grand Canyon

[NEJ]

I didn't go camping this weekend---I went to the Grand Canyon. What a big ditch it is.

My neighbor's cousins came from Ireland last week and Gilbert wanted to see the Grand Canyon---which is a long way from Costa Mesa. He reads western novels and likes western movies. My wife volunteered me to take Gilbert to the Grand Canyon. It wasn't a hard sell to convince me to go.

We left Friday at 9 and arrived at Williams at 4:30. I drove the Prius and it worked just splendidly, getting about 45 mpg. We stayed at Motel 6 for $77. Our first stop, however, was lunch in Ludlow. Gilbert had never been in 100 degree weather so I figured we needed a Ludlow experience before really hitting the western highway. Then we jogged north on 95 to cross the Colorado River at Bullhead City and reconnected with the 40 at Kingman. About 108 at Bullhead City.

Williams was raining and 57 degrees. But that is what you get in Arizona in the mountains in July. We had a steak dinner and turned in early. The Grand Canyon is 55 miles from Williams and we wanted to be on the road by 6:30.

When you approach the Grand canyon from Williams, you drop down a bit out of the Ponderosa Pines and cross a high plateau of Utah Juniper and Pinyon, with the occasional lava cinder cone punctuating surrounding vistas. But you have no idea what awaits you. Even after entering the park, a person must drive within a hundred feet of the rim before a glimpse of the canyon presents itself.

It was a perfect experience for Gilbert. I had him out of the car and walking through the juniper and pines before he had that "Holy Cr*p" moment.

We hiked down the Kaibab trail to Cedar Ridge (should be called "Juniper Ridge") and then back to the car. It was 95 degrees at Cedar Ridge. the temperature goes up as you descend into the canyon and a person descends fast on the Kaibab trail.

We were back in Williams by 4:30, had dinner at the 66 Diner and hit the hay early. Today we were on the road by 5:45 and with one stop at Amboy Crater, arrived in Costa Mesa at 12:45.

Great weekend and the Irish now know that the whole country doesn't look like a beach town.

NJ

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