Grand Canyon, Northern AZ - March 2017

Event: 2017 Arizona mini-vacation 

Culprits: Joel, Wendy, Pat, Chelsea, Linda, Wayne, Jaimie, Kendra, Ella (dog)

I was finally able to take some time off this month!  Our plans are to go to the Grand Canyon (I've lived in Arizona for almost 20 years and have never seen it!), Page (near the Utah border), and Sedona.  
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Part 1: The Grand Canyon

Joel: We left Tucson early to go pick up Wendy's mom from the airport in Phoenix.  After picking her up we stayed in Phoenix and we all went to this great brunch place called Fame (pronounced fah-mey... it's french).  I judge breakfast places by their mimosas, and this one had a great one.  Not as good as my favorite, Prep and Pastry, but pretty darn close.  Let's just say it did the job and I didn't get stuck with the driving... at least at first.

​Wendy: Joel got a head start on the rest of us, and left out the shopping trip where we picked up supplies for the vacation at Total Wine. Funny thing is, I wouldn't say any of us are drinkers, but you wouldn't know it by our shopping cart!  My uncle stayed in the car for this little shopping adventure.

Joel:  We only went into the grand canyon park briefly the night we arrived.  Just long enough to see the sunset and eat at a place called the "Bright Angel Lodge".  

On the second day, we were able to see more of the canyon, but it was freezing outside.  At times it snowed and the wind was pretty intense. Still, it was the Grand Canyon, so we forged on.  At the end of the day we had dinner at the El Tavor dining room.  It was super fancy and super expensive, but also super good.  I ate quail for the first time.  Now when I see quail on the road, I'll think of how delicious they taste with a balsamic glaze and a side of baby carrots.  :-)  

​The third day was awesome.  The weather was perfect.  In the morning, Jaimie, Kendra, and I went hiking 2 miles deep into the canyon on a trail called "Cedar Ridge".  It had lots of switchbacks and was very steep.  Walking back up to the trail head is definitely a good leg workout. 

The group also walked the "Trail of Time", which had a lot of information about how the canyon was formed and it's timeline.  After that, Wendy, Pat, and I drove 25 miles to a tower lookout where we could see the canyon from a different perspective, and we could see more of the Colorado river.  

Now, we are in Flagstaff.  Jaimie and Chelsea had to go back to Phoenix and Tucson.  We are all meeting back in Page, Arizona tomorrow night.  That's all for now!  

Wendy:  There were many "nope spots" along the rim, where only the people with faulty brain wiring go.  I was not one of those, and I couldn't look at the ones who were without a lot of anxiety.

We bothered one other tourist long enough to get this one-and-only, whole-group shot at the grand canyon.  L to R: Jaimie (cousin), Joel, Kendra (cousin), me!, Chelsea (daughter), Pat (mom), Uncle Wayne, and Aunt Linda (mom's sister).