Four Corners to Grand Canyon

Thanks to Dad's smooth driving and nerves of steel we made it to the Grand Canyon on July 31st. On our way, passing any tractor trailer or RV that was in our way, we swept through the praries, plains, and dessert to make it to another national landmark - Four Corners, U.S.A. Doug had been looking forward to stand in one spot and be in four different states(Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado) since he heard about it in grade school; unfortunately it did not live up to his expectations. Four Corners Monument is managed by Navajo Nation and is currently under renovation so the monument itself was not accessible, however you could walk around the borders of the small park and make it through all 4 states in a matter of 5 minutes, which is just enough time to see the arts and craft stalls set up by the locals.

Four Corners Monument

As we continue on our way to Cameron Trading Post, just outside the Dessert View entrance to the Grand Canyon, we are all getting excited to get out of the car again! Established in 1916, the Cameron Trading Post is an authentic Indian trading post, and a pleasant stop in the middle of nowhere. The general store is flanked by a post office, Native American art gallery, restaurant, hotel and gas station -- everything you need, all in one place.

Sunset at Cameron Trading Post

At the rim

Whoa, that's deep!

Hazy, but beautiful.

The views were spectacular! The colors in the different layers reveal 100's of millions of years of history. It's not easy to capture in one snapshot. It was definately worth the trip, once.

Welcome to the Family

Weddings are an easy way to grow an extended family very quickly. One day, in a matter of minutes, you are hitched, and are now a member of a whole other family(like the one you had already wasn’t enough!). And so, like with a wedding, we are inviting you to become a member of a whole new family. We will meet and come together around the laughing table as stories, opportunities, adventures and day-to-day “stuff” come up.

Our first adventure of the next 15 days actually does start with a wedding. As we began to plan this trip that will ultimately take us over 4000 miles and through at least 9 states, we were excited to take into our plans the wedding of Ty & Heather. Once the date of the wedding was secure, then planning the trip could start. Would we venture to drive all the way across the United States from Massachusetts to California , seeing sights as we went, and then fly home? That was the original plan. Yet after some deliberation, we decided to fly to CA and then planned out a route that would take us from San Francisco to Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Disney Land, and up the California coast. Just as the bride and groom took several months to plan their wedding, so did we. And if our trip turns out to go as beautifully as their wedding, we’re in for a fantastic time. Sure it was hot; what wedding in July wouldn’t be? And there was a torrential downpour with lightening and thunder that threatened to flood the dance floor and drive everyone to scurry for their cars, yet in the scheme of things that didn’t last too long and there was plenty of dancing and fun to be had. And, in just a matter of hours, our family had grown! How many new friends will we make on this trip, and how many will reconnect after being disconnected for too long?

Our first day is a long and busy one. Getting up at 4:30am to depart and get to the airport for a 6 hour flight and then immediately grabbing our rental car for a 6-7 hour drive so we can make it halfway to Yellowstone by tonight. It’s an aggressive way to start a vacation; it’s going to be worth the effort. We can’t wait to see the majesty that awaits us.