We loaded up Monday morning at 6:30 into the great unknown…how would the kids do on a serious road trip 8+ hours in the wagon bathroom breaks, lunch stops, and on the unforeseen pop-ups, but the thing of it was is that there were no pop-ups. Everything went smoothly with the occasional “I’m board” coming from the back seat. We made the trip out to Williams in 7:30 minutes…an hour ahead of schedule, and that was fine with me.
Tuesday we loaded up on the Grand Canyon Railway coach car. I had heard stories about uncomfortable seating and a boring ride…the seating was ik, and the ride was pretty spectacular. We arrived after a 2.5 hour overland trip by train. When we arrived, I think the kids were a little scared by the size of the canyon. They had seen it in pictures, and were underestimating the overall bigness of the whole thing. Goldie was a little scared to approach the rim even with a guard rail. She wanted nothing to do with getting up close and looking down, the boy on the other hand had to be leashed to keep from running off the edge.
That afternoon, we took a short quarter mile hike down into the canyon. Easy enough going down, but at 7,000 feet in altitude, the trek back out was a little exhausting. On our short hike we saw a few mountain goats, and a California condor. It flew maybe 20 feet over our heads. I huge and graceful bird, I think it was a juvenile due to the fact that its feathers had not turned white on the underside.
Wednesday morning I was up early…about 4:30 I couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got out for a hike at the canyon rim. I went about a mile-and-a-half before sunset. When I got to a rocky outcrop, I walked to the edge and waited for the sun to rise. It was amazing, you can see some pics here. As the sun came up over the north east rim, the canyon below started to light up. I didn’t have much of a westerly view, so I probably didn’t get the best show, but what I saw was breathtaking.
Sobering Experience: It was then that I started to think about my place in the world, and how insignificant people can be. I’ve seen great wonders out in space on clear nights. And I’ve seen the birth of three children…all humbling events. But standing on the edge of a 3,000 foot drop and looking across the horizon 18 miles made me feel pretty small at that moment. It was quiet. Shuttle buses were running, but between stops, there was very little sound other than the breeze coming through the trees. I took some time to pray and watch…pray some more and watch as God’s creation turned on the lights. As the sun came up, so did the activity. The birds that were silent in the dark of the morning had taken to song and flight. I had a close encounter with a t Mule Deer and any number of squirrels. My time alone in nature lasted about 90 minutes. Although I could not sleep, there was probably a good reason. I needed to get out and be humbled a little. I needed to find out that there is more to this life than just my own wants and desires.
It had been 20 years since I had been to the canyon, and that was about 20 years too ling.
Wednesday evening we took the train back to Williams. On the way I was robbed by cowboys, but they moved on when I showed them the lint in my pocket. The real robbery took place when I bought the family photo takoie on our trip to the canyon…that’s 25 bones that I’ll never see again, but the pic is a nice souvenir.
Thursday morning we headed for home. We got out about 30 minutes late, but made good time but made there trip in 8 hours with stops…it’s nice to be home…again sleeping in my bed, and not having to eat out for every meal…Thank God for natural wonders and home cooking
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May 28, 2009 at 9:47 pm
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