Blog

After checking in at the ranger’s station, I quadruple-point turned the van into the spot deignated for campsite 38.

First order of business: go look at the Grand Canyon.  We put the boy in the stroller and wheeled it about 300 yards south to the edge of the canyon.

The trail from the pavement to the actual canyon was about 50 feet long, so I took Benjamin and popped him on my shoulders, his favorite place to ride.  He alternated between trying to rip my ears off the side of my head and playing drums with my head.  But he was happy.

As we got near the edge, I felt a sensation I have never once experienced.  I was still easily 15 feet from the edge, yet I heard my inner voice saying “that’s close enough, Benjamin.”  Then my inner 15 year old started an argument. “Are you kidding me? you can’t even see the bottom of the canyon from here!  At least take a few steps closer.”

It was probably wise that I stopped there.  The combination of my child on my shoulders and the loose gravel at my feet would have spelled a sour ending to the day. Plus, we have all day tomorrow to explore and get great pictures of the canyon.

We’re all safe and sound, so no worries about us.  There is wifi here, at the camp store, but no mobile phone signal.  If you need us, email us.  But I make no guarantee we’ll get that, either.

Jacqueline wanted me to note also that Benjamin is already asleep, and went down with almost no fight.  We have a great kid.  But don’t tell him… it’ll go to his head.

We pulled off at about 5:30 PM (after missing the exit on the first shot) at the Colorado Welcome Center.  I located and retrieved the camp stove and set about lighting it near a table in the shade we had selected.  Jacqueline, in the meantime, set up LB with a feeding station.  As I waited for the noodle water to boil, I grabbed my laptop.  Our camera’s memory card was getting full, and needed purging onto the hard drive.  I set up the laptop, external hard drive, and camera to play nicely together when across the lawn I see sprinkler heads begin to pop up, soaking nearby tables in a matter of seconds.

Panic is a good word for it.  With my entire electronic life sprawled out before me, I began hurriedly to pack the computer back into the bag and rushed it to the van.  Tragedy averted.  We even took what turned out to be too much precaution (the table we were at never reached the line of fire while we were there) and moved our cooking station over to the grassless area near the buildings.

The water had begun boiling, and noodles added.  In fact, things were all set for straining.  I picked up the handle of the pot, and immediately regretted it.  My thumb has a handle-shaped burn mark that hasn’t yet stopped throbbing.  Once the noodles were stained, the sauce warmed up, and the 7-Up uncorked, it was time to enjoy a budget-friendly meal.

Included in the meal is a memory worth far more than the money we saved.

On to Utah for a couple of days of hotels before we hit the GRAND CANYON!