As we reflect back on the fantastic National Parks we’ve been fortunate enough to experience over the last month or so, it is impossible to pick a favorite. They all had such unique layouts, ecosystems, wildlife, different habitats for outdoor pottying and activities to do.
We really didn’t give the Grand Canyon as much of a shot as we should have as Ann wasn’t feeling the greatest for the last few days. Plus, it’s also complicated logistics due to this park having a huge hole right in the middle. Because of this GIANT hole, you essentially have to decide if you’re doing the Grand Canyon in two days or over a week because it’s a freaking four hour drive between the north and the south rims. That’s a LONG day of driving, just to get a glimpse of the other side.
We chose the south rim to explore for one reason and one reason only. The south rim has “Mather Point.” Yes, our decision was that simple lol. But if you’re planning to do the rim to rim hike through the canyon, any kind of riding through the canyon, either by mule or rafting, then you’re going to need more than two days.
This canyon system is so large and so wide and so deep, that it really defies your ability to wrap your head around what you’re seeing. To look across the canyon and say, ok, cool, there’s the other side right there, is one thing. To try and comprehend that what appears to be relatively close is actually 10 miles away, that gets a little more difficult. If you’re standing at Mather Point, looking across to the North Rim, it’s approximately 10 miles. And if you look down to the little river way down at the bottom, it’s about a mile down.
Like I said, a bit hard to wrap your head around. I tried to grab a video, zoomed as far in as the old iPhone would go, and then zoomed back out to standard. Its just such a GRAND canyon, as most already know.
Couple that with a constant, heavy, lumbering flow of tourists who crowd their way to the railings along the wide, level concrete sidewalks leading from the bus parking to the gift shop to the visitor center and to the rim, and you get the sense that everybody pulls up, buys their trinket, takes a wizz, wanders to the canyon’s edge, takes a picture, and heads back to the busses. The place is built to facilitate and funnel the flow of people, to and through the park smoothly.
Actually, we (Totally Ben. He completely dorked out over the railings lol) noted that the railings along the edge of the canyon receive CONSTANT wear and tear from thousands and millions of hands gripping tightly or sliding along down steps and of course toddlers and young children climbing them with exasperated and overheated parents nearby just trying to stop them! Each hand sweaty and sticky and oily (you might want to grab some germ-x just from reading this post. We did while writing it).
The railings get so much use, in fact, that a thoughtful engineer designed the railings to have very stout bases, anchored firmly in concrete in order to withstand the force of thousands of tourists leaning against them, but the railings themselves are just 2” steel pipe. Once the steel pipe gets worn out every few years, the pipes can be removed easily from the stanchions that hold them in place, and new pipe can be re-installed pretty quickly. A thoughtful approach to lowering long term maintenance costs while also keeping bumbling tourists from inadvertently wandering off the edge to fall to the canyon floor a mile below. I mean, its not a straight drop, but you certainly would not enjoy the journey down by that method.
Our last day at Grand Canyon National Park was spent rather mundanely. Ben washed the majority of the bugs and road dirt from the Airstream this morning. Once Ann was feeling up to it, we ventured down to the canyon again to ooh and ahh a bit more. Then we read a bit in the shade of the Airstream canopy, while the hot dry wind swirled around us, as we started planning the next leg of the journey.
This was the last National Park on this trip, and we will soon be back in Arkansas to both work on Hannah’s house in Fayetteville, and then we will join Ben’s brother and his family back in Hot Springs Village for the 4th of July at Noni and Poppop’s house.
But we are not yet finished with our explorations…
We are still 1,200 miles west of Fayetteville. So, over the next few days, we are grinding our way across the top of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas on our way to visit our son, Chris, at his internship at Parker Hannifin, the same company from which Ben retired a few years ago. Chris is spending the summer working just west of the DFW area at a fantastic business, where he is learning about the real world applications of mechanical engineering. He graduates next spring, so this is a three month long interview!
On the three day drive to Texas, we’ve scouted out a couple of must see sites on the way. An exciting lineup, including a museum dedicated to poo (dinosaur poo, but still poo), a giant meteor crater, Cadillac ranch, and we are still holding out hope that we can find a worlds largest non-stick frying pan, worlds largest toothbrush or something as equally dumb, yet entertaining.
For our last night here at the Grand Canyon, we decided to go see if we could catch sunset and then stick around to see the stars! We hustled over there, which was a three minute drive, parked in the commercial bus only area close to Mather Point, and headed over to the rim. The place, unsurprisingly, was packed! We made it in and checked out a couple of the views, grabbed a few shots, but it was just a tough place to photograph.
It is just so dang big.
If you see an interesting rock or shadow, or vein of sunset really lighting up a surface, it is tough to isolate amongst EVERYTHING else just as beautiful behind it. In the photo, it’s too much going on with zero depth difference between the subjects in the photo.
You just have to put down the camera and just take it in.
Until you get sick of all the people crowded around you, which is about 30 seconds later.
We headed back to the truck and snapped out the folding chairs and just waited for the late sunset twilight to finish dissolving into the black horizon. Almost everybody that had been parked in the bus parking area for sunset eventually straggled out to the parking lot and left. It was down to about four of five cars there when the stars really started coming out. It was such a clear night. Not a cloud in the sky and literally nothing in all directions to block the view of the sky.
After the parking lot got nice and quiet, we decided to fold up the chairs, lock the truck, and wander over to the canyon itself again.
There was almost nobody there, and it was the darkest of pitch black. We ever so slowly shuffled across the now open plaza toward the stairs that descended to the point. We made it down to the lowest area and made our way to the center. Five minutes later, we were laying flat on our backs on the rocks, looking up at the stars. It was dead silent, and even the few other couples sitting close by were just whispering quietly to each other, if they were speaking at all. It was a very respectful and almost solemn moment amongst strangers in a setting that starts to approach the real meaning of awesome.
After soaking it in for a while, we still hadn’t had enough of the gorgeous stars. We had certainly had enough of the sharp rocks under our backs though, so we packed it up and headed back to the truck and to the campground.
We got back “home” and sat outside for a few more minutes, just enjoying the silence and the starry night. We had been seated for no more than 30 seconds when a big old motor home came careening in, well, maybe not quite careening but definitely with a lot of confidence. It was 10 pm and it was already very dark, so these folks had been motoring for a while. Likely all day.
The rig turned into its assigned space and came to sharp stop. Two men got out, each working independently of each other, just doing their jobs and they seemed to really know what they were doing. It became apparent that it was a family of at least four, we only saw the father and the 17-22 year old son, but we could hear the ladies in high gear inside on whatever their roles were for getting things settled. Whoever was inside wasted no time. Before the vehicle even came to a full stop, the slides were starting to go out on this 35-40’ motor home.
It also became apparent that there was a priority sequence for the setup process. Number one, electric. Number two, getting the potty pipes hooked up and working. Pronto.
The guys were very focused on what looked to be a fairly complicated sewer connection system. We really couldn’t tell you how it worked, as ours is really simple on the Airstream, but it looked like what happens when a fire engine shows up at the scene of a fire. The kid was the fireman carrying “hose” (rolls of brown potty hose, which in RV lingo, the “Stinky Slinky”). The dad was working on the sewer connection like the fireman with the big-ass wrench who sprints to the fire hydrant to get it opened up and ready. The kid was back at the controls for this rig and asking operational questions and the Dad was clearly and concisely directing the kid. They were working together like a pit crew.
Once the kid confirmed from the inside panel that the tank was in fact almost empty now, you could see the tension slide out of Dad’s shoulders. You could tell the dad was still scratching his head trying to figure out how they filled the RV potty tank so quickly while he was truckin’ down the road all day.
Meanwhile, the chatter and shuffling noises coming from inside the camper NEVER STOPPED. It appeared as though the remaining family members, inside the RV, were just waiting with bated breath, for the tank to be empty so they could use the toilet again.
As our new neighbors discussed the day and days ahead, we shamelessly eavesdropped. We gathered from their schedule that they are going to do tomorrow what we did over 8 days. We lovingly refer to that as the “ADHD tour.”
As for us, we’ll be sleeping in a bit tomorrow, then pulling up stakes and heading for exciting roadside attractions! 🚌 🏜️🌵
TaterTotTales 