The Canyon! Part 1

In case you ever wondered...it takes forever to drive to the Grand Canyon

F.O.R.E.V.E.R.

By the time we saw this I had answered "Are we there yet?" & "How much longer?" at least 172 times that day.

But, God is good & we finally made it!

We pulled in, found our camp site, dumped the trailer & hurried out for our first look at the Canyon.

**Let me just preface this with saying: Grand Canyon National Park is NOT the most user friendly park**

We got directions & followed them exactly & were...totally lost. And not one.single.sign.in.the.whole.park. actually says "this way to the canyon" or 'the rim is here'... they just assume you know...

So the sun is sinking fast, I am freaking out ***I WANT MY CANYON*** , the maps make ZERO sense & I'm about to have a baby fit when...

...my family comes to the rescue & they find the way to the rim.

My 16 year old & I get there first. As we walk up to the edge he is ahead of me & feeling pretty smart-alecky & he looks at me & waves a hand behind him towards the canyon & says "There you go. Your giant hole in the ground."

And then  he turns & looks & SEES & jumps back about 3 feet & says "OHMYGOSH!"

(best I told you so ever)

My first look at the Canyon

Now some of you get this & some of you don't but this was so amazing for me. I have wanted to see the Grand Canyon since I was a little girl. I used to stare at photos & just dream of seeing it for myself one day.

I have planned numerous trips that never panned out. Dreamed. Schemed. Wished. Hoped. And prayed.
 And finally... I was there.

I may have teared up a little even.

It's unbelievably gorgeous & enormous & just...awesome. Really.

So we set up camp & had a yummy dinner complete with Dutch Oven cobbler (sigh) & rested up

to head out the next morning...

for more of this...

...some of us were a little freaked out by the edge...

This was my favorite sign at the park

Squirrels carry the plague. In Chinese even.

'Take that all you city people tourists who think we are just soft & furry & harmless! Mu ha ha ha!'said the evil squirrel.

But I digress...

Look! It's me! I'm here!

Sigh. So pretty.


Next installment: Bright Angel Trail.

Blessings.