Another 'picture this' moment: After all the anticipation of our trip to the Grand Canyon, the weather went from cool, bright and sunny to cold, gray and snowy. And so we entered The Grand Canyon National Park, and couldn't see a thing! Go figure. This was the first visit to the Grand Canyon for both Zach and me. Despite the crummy weather, the lodge area and the Grand Canyon village was congested and all hustle and bustle. Blake commented on how much things had changed and become commercialized since his last visit 10+ years ago. We decided to skip the village attractions at this point and drive the south rim heading east. By the time we maneuvered all the ins and outs of the area, we were up on the rim with no views. So, we pulled off and heated up some soup for lunch! I must admit, it was kind of cozy and peaceful, sitting alongside the road, watching the snow fall and cover the pines. I must also admit that I was disappointed. Here we were at the Grand Canyon after months of anticipation and nothing...couldn't see even 50 ft in front of us! At this point I thought we might just cut our GC trip short and move on to something else. But after lunch, we drove up to a few lookout points and could catch glimpses of the canyon walls here and there. We were hopeful. The precipitation hung low, deep into the canyon but opened up in patchy areas enough to give us a sneak peek. After a few more stops like this, the sky opened up and clearing began. The true beauty and splendor emerged from the fog and mist to display the canyon in all its glory. WOW! That's all we could say. The views were spectacular, but more impressive was the sheer size and depth of the canyon. I honestly didn't think I'd be so moved by the grandeur of the canyon. I really thought that I had a pretty good idea of the size and beauty of it from all the pictures and movies I've seen. I honestly thought it was going to be one of those experiences where you would stand on the rim and look out and say, "Ok. That was pretty. Now let's go." Instead, Zach and I would say, "Wow! That is so beautiful. We want to see more!" And so we did, in and out of every lookout point along the way as we headed to the furthest point east at Desert View and The Watchtower.
After climbing the Watchtower with Zach and taking in the incredible views, we headed back to the village to catch a tour bus to take us to the west end of the south rim. It was late in the day, nearing sunset, and Blake was thankful not to have to drive. We just sat back and enjoyed the ride, stopping at points along the way. Sure, the views continued to be spectacular, especially with the setting sun, but it was at this point in the day that we enjoyed chatting with other folks riding the bus with us. Well, I should clarify. Zach chatted, and Blake and I, for the most part, just listened and chuckled to ourselves as Zach carried on about about everything from his travel adventures to the tooth fairy. Let's just say, God bless the retirees who engaged Zach in conversation all the while genuinely enjoying everything he had to say.
As we left the park at dusk, we saw many elk and mule deer grazing alongside the road. We stayed at a campground in Williams, about an hour south of the park, so we stopped at a restaurant along the way for dinner. As we were heading inside, a young couple parked and emerged from their car that was decorated with a "Just Married" sign. Entering the restaurant at the same time, we congratulated them and they just beamed. After ordering our dinner, Blake excused himself from the table (and anyone who knows Blake well enough knows he was up to something). When he returned, I said, "You just paid for their meal (meaning the newlyweds), didn't you?" He replied, "I don't know what you are talking about." But sure enough, their waiter brought us their bill. Blake paid it and we left without them ever knowing. We returned to the campsite exhausted, but refreshed from the beauty of the outdoors and a day full of wonderful memories.
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