It has been a long time since Todd and I have been to the Grand Canyon. We traveled there to celebrate our first anniversary.I remember the weather being really cold and gray the entire trip.
We lucked out on this trip. Although the weather was cold, it was still sunny and clear, which allowed us to enjoy the distant views of the canyon.
We actually stayed in Williams, AZ a small tourist town on old Route 66 about one hour away from the national park. We drove Grandma and Grandpa Humphries trailer to the RV resort we were staying. Our friends Sally Davis and Jenn Quinton and their daughters joined us.
The resort had an indoor pool where the kids swam the first afternoon after we arrived.
The main reason we chose to stay in Williams is because of the train that takes visitors into the Grand Canyon.
The show began with a cowboy shootout that traumatized the kids. The kids believed the guns the cowboys carried were real and did not want to get near them the entire trip.
The train ride was leisurely slow and the warm sun filtering through the windows accompanied by the rhythmic jostling of the tracks made us all drowsy.
Once we reached the park we spotted mule deer grazing on the side of the road. We saw many more the next day while driving through the park. They are called mule deer because their ears move independently from each other, like mule ears'.
We spent the day walking around the rim viewing the Grand Canyon from various viewpoints.
There have been several accidental falls and death at the Grand Canyon over past few weeks. The kids kept looking at the canyon trying to pinpoint the spot where the people had fallen and died. It was morbidly fun.
I was on high alert with the kids, especially the younger two to make sure they were cautious about where they stepped.
Andrew was a trooper and walked along side most of the time and did not have any accidents during the trip.
The kids worked really hard for two days completing the requisites from the Junior Ranger books.
And were rewarded by earning their Jr. Ranger badge from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
