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This is where we show and tell about other
places we've been that don't fit into the "missions, shrines and holy places"
categories. Although, there is great deal of holiness in many of
these places, many of them having been created by the Creator.
Prelude to the Pacific
Northwest
Getting ready for vacation wears me out. Trying to pack as little as
possible and yet have everything we need sets off some lively discussions at our
house. Nevertheless, my travelling companions and I managed to divvy up
the labor and circumvent any pre-trip explosions. The plan, visit family
and see some sights in Oregon and Washington over 3 weeks in August. The
mode, a 24 mile per gallon Jeep Cherokee and a newly acquired used tent
trailer. The new (to us) tent trailer was checked out, and minor repairs
made. Camping supplies were reorganized and streamlined into two boxes and
a cooler. Sleeping bags, camp chairs and camp stove were packed.
Personal items were packed, unpacked, and repacked into half the space.
This weary pilgrim fell into bed early to grab a few hours sleep before the epic
vacation was to start. At 2:20a.m., grumbling and threatening bodily harm
to a certain travelling companion who begrudged me my last 10 minutes of sleep,
I stumbled to the espresso machine and made myself a large double (would that be
a quadruple?). I dressed myself and my son, gathered my purse and
book, and packed us into the back seat of the jeep, where we proceeded to fall
directly back to sleep. It was still too dark for any sight seeing
anyway.
First stop, Las Vegas, Nevada. Breakfast buffet at Palace
Station. The cheese blintzes were awesome, but the strawberry sauce I put
on top of them was not. Should have stuck with a dusting of powdered
sugar. Coffee and sausage were plentiful, and after some in our party
topped off with ice cream cones, we made our way to Bass Pro Shop for air
mattresses. Unfortunately, we forgot the air pump at home, so had to get
another one. I was in favor of a 12volt that could be left attached, to
inflate the mattresses while we set up the rest of our camp, got the fire going,
cooked dinner, etc. I was overrulled by manly men insisting on a bicycle
style pump. Okay by me, I'm not the one going to be inflating the air
mattresses anyway.
Now with the sun up, the drive through Nevada towards Reno was alot of gray,
hot, dreary desert. It was too hot to stop anywhere to make sandwiches for
lunch (our cooler and other food were in the tent trailer), so we just
snacked. A roadside stand boasted buffalo jerkey, but it was rather
pricey, so we opted for garlic stuffed olives instead - yuck! were they
sour! Then we read the label and found they weren't even local...
We stopped again to stretch our legs in Goldfield, Nevada. While
everyone else went over to inspect an ancient Mercedes diesel, I walked around
the even more ancient Goldfield Hotel. Repairs are apparently being
attempted on the dilapidated building, but they do not appear to be historically
correct, which is a disappointment because it must have been a beautiful
building. I must know: why such a huge hotel exists in such a remote town
and what is the story of Goldfield? I will report at a future date.
The remainder of our first day is spent driving through the unmerciful heat
of the Nevada desert. We finally reach our first camp at midnight, Donner
Pass, but that will have to wait until my next post...
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Grand Canyon Pilgrimage -
August 2011
I just spent the most awesome day at the Grand Canyon with my
daughter and her friends. It was kind of a last minute thing, they were
camping up there for the weekend, would I like to meet them? Hmm...how
much gas is in the car? Yup, I'll be there. I really needed a day
off from my worries and anxieties and I can't think of a better therapy
than a day in one of the National Parks. Of course the fact that I live
only 90 minutes away helps, also.
Our adventure started in Tusayan, with a visit to the Indian PowWow Swap
Meet. While the younguns shopped for beads and baubles I chatted up some
of the Navajo vendors and even found one with whom I shared a mutual
friend. I wished I had some spending money, because the silver, turquoise
and beading was authentic Navajo, exquisite, and inexpensive. Next stop,
the IMAX Theater for a showing of Grand Canyon: The
Movie. I enjoyed the film for its reenactment of the Anasazi occupation
and Major John Wesley Powell's river exploration of the Canyon. Afterward
we took in the Condor Encounter in the courtyard. Hoping to see actual
California Condors up close, we were disappointed to find out that only injured
and non-flying California Condors were allowed and none were currently
available. However, we were entertained and delighted by the "smart" raven
who took a dollar bill from an audience member and dropped it in the donation
box; and the dancing crane.
Finally we proceeded to the park. Prepaid passes are the only way to go
during peak season. Our cars were ushered straight into the prepaid lane
and our entry into the park expedited. The first stop, as usual was Mather
Point and the main Visitor's Center. Boy, have there been alot of changes
in the six months since I was last there! Extra parking, more bathrooms,
and a complete remodel in progress on the visitor center. I walked in and
back out, making a beeline for the bookstore. At least everything is still
familiar there. The boy and I picked up our summer visitors guides and
stamped them with the commemorative stamps (free). We browsed the new
offerings, and played with the raven puppets, then regrouped with our peeps and
went for a 2 mile stroll down the paved, safety-railed Rim Trail.
Several times we noted tourists trying to feed the squirrels. Bigtime
no-no! Those cute little friendly furballs have fleas and ticks which will
jump onto humans just as happily and transmit lovely souveniers such as bubonic
plague, lyme disease and if little furball decides to bite, he could be
transmitting rabies as well. Not to mention that feeding them does them no
favors, as they become reliant upon human handouts and will not survive the
winter on their own. Best to enjoy the wildlife with your eyes, not your
hands! Okay, rest now, my rant's over.
Though I much prefer to visit the Canyon mid-week in the off season, this
particular Saturday was glorious. There were crowds, but they were
friendly and not overwhelming. I think the presence of extra park rangers
on the trails greatly contributed to the relaxed, genial atmosphere. Our
recent rains seem to have given the sky a more sparkling blueness, and made the
air more fresh and sweet. The view from the Rim Trail is dramatic.
Some spots drop straight down over 5,000 feet. Others are deceptively
inviting, yet treacherous and slippery. You can walk the trail a hundred
times and get a different perspective every time.
It was such a refreshing day, and totally occupied my mind, relieving
anxiety, and relaxing tension. Once back in my car at the IMAX, with
a cup of coffee, I was ready to get back to reality, though perfectly willing to
stay at the canyon if that had been an option. I know that God, who made
such a glorious wonder as the Grand Canyon, also cares about me and my seemingly
insignificant troubles. In getting my mind off of them for a day, I found
some solutions and rediscovered gratitude.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grand Canyon
Caverns
One of our favorite day trips is to the Grand Canyon
Caverns in Peach Springs, Arizona. About 17 miles west of Seligman on Route 66,
it is actually about 3 hours from Grand Canyon National Park. The Caverns get
their name from the source of the fresh air that flows through them - the Grand
Canyon, which is actually about 200 miles further up the road on Route 66, then
I-40, then Route 64.
Being 200 feet under the earth is a leap of faith
for me, I don't like to be enclosed and "trapped". But I have never had a
problem with the caverns. Perhaps it is because of the airflow. We got to
descend in an elevator. Original tourists, in the 1920's, got to pay 25 cents to
hang off a rope with a lantern. This trip, the whole trail was open. We got to
walk through all the rooms on the first and second levels, including where the
giant sloth is reconstructed. One room is loaded with C rations dating from
World War II: barrels and boxes of food and water, and one roll of toilet paper.
Hmm... There are several more levels beneath that have not been fully explored
or excavated. The privately owned caverns depend on paying their own way in
developing their potential. What? No government bailouts? You gotta admire that.
These could be earlier visitors - but aren't those battery powered headlamps?
In addition to the giant sloth, a popular attraction on the tour is the
mummified bobcat, right next to the perfectly preserved wedding bouquets.
Several weddings have taken place in the caverns. Guides will explain that the
caverns were once underwater caves, and tease your imagination with visions of
the creatures who might have lived there. They will point out several ancient
(now dry) waterfalls, and as you leave, offer you petrified ham and eggs. Don't
overdress for the tour, the caverns stay 55 degrees F year round. And don't
forget you tennis shoes in the summer - you're not allowed on the tour with
sandals.
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