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.

Arches National Park - out of this world!

I've never been to Rome or Greece to see ancient ruins, yet these massive rock formations at Arches National park that were created by natural forces made me think these are some of the world's most ancient ruins . Giant rocks look as though they rising from the earth, when they've actually been exposed from the top down by millions of years of weather and erosion. They look very much like massive Native American faces, totem poles, mammoth animals and tributes to gods rising from the earth to the sky. It made us pause and wonder if there aren't some other forces at work to create this unique space in the universe - maybe aliens!

The Balance Rock looks stategically placed and yet it seems like it is tetering on the edge ready to fall at any moment. Monica is a managing to keep it in just the right spot; hope her cellphone doesn't vibrate!






Arches National Park is one of the finest examples of the delicate balance of nature with over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. It was very different than anything we've ever seen anywhere else, especially in New England! Moab, Utah was just supposed to be a sleepover stop on our way from South Dakota to the Grand Canyon, yet it turned out to be a fantastic surprise for all of us.