After a bit of stress concerning if we'd have a place to sleep since all the sites I saw the night before--but couldn't book online because it was too late--were apparently gone by the time we called it in the next morning as we were driving to Arizona, we managed to snag an awesome site near the bathrooms and on a very pretty loop of the camground. And, yes, it's still camping if there's a bathroom and even shower services ($2 for 8 min) and a laundry room--I mean, we did have to drive a few minutes to get to those facilities--and inflatable beds in our tent. At least, by my definitions.
Our first surprise was the weather. It was about 25 degrees cooler there than in steamy--but not actually since that requires humidity-- Las Vegas. And there were plenty of trees for shade and puddles on the ground. I haven't seen a puddle since Michigan.
And then we noticed all the wild life. We got to see deer, elk, ravens, condors, and even a shy ringtail. I think the most impressive one was the condor spiraling from the bottom of the canyon right over us and beyond. We took about a million pictures. We should file them next to the millions of pictures we have of the pigeons in San Marco square in Italy. We've got a thing for birds.
We explored the southern rim with the boys, which translates into several scenic bus rides and a smattering of short, easy hikes. We went looking for fossils (the boys got a kick of looking for "animal evidence" and hopping over them), made our way partway into the canyon (we got pretty far considering the kids) and watched the mules march their way back up, and ventured onto tiny ledges as the boys got more and more adventurous. I had several heart attacks. But I snapped the photos anyway.
I think the boys' favorite parts were still the roasted marshmallows and flashlight-saber fighting in the woods. I think mine were watching the sunset from Yavapai point (after all the picture taking was completed and we'd moved the car that was double-parked and were finally able to sit and relax) off the path in a quiet nook surrounded by trees. It was our private place; the boys said it was only for Temples. And I loved watching the stars with Iz after the kids fell asleep. The milky way is so lovely.
I'm so glad we were able to get away for a few days with the boy. This world is full of so many kinds of beautiful.
 |
 |
| Free scrapbook design made with Smilebox |
As for the rest of the vacation week, I took the kids on a Moms Club tour of the Great Harvest Bakery where they got to learn about making bread and even kneed their own rolls. We also all visited Red Rock Canyon together for a fun tour of their exhibits and a fun flower activity for the kids. We drove the scenic drive but I'd forgotten the camera at home so no pics yet. But I can't wait to go back during the winter and see snow again. Yay, snow! And I want to see the waterfalls in the spring. And we also attempted a fishing trip to Floyd Lamb State park. The ponds are supposed to be stocked with catfish during the summer and trout during the winter. Maybe we'll have better luck with the trout. But it was still lovely and refreshing to be near some water with shady trees around. And I love that when I asked Keahi to smile for the camera he informed me that he couldn't because he had to concentrate on the floater to see if it bobbed under. All in all, it was a good week. Now poor Iz has to go back to work. At 6am. And with not a single day off for the next 2 weeks. Yikes.
 |
|
| Another free picture collage by Smilebox |
