Day 7

We woke up early this morning in hopes of getting to the Grand Canyon before it got too hot. I didn’t want to be in Arizona a second time with my family without taking G3 to see it. I was there years ago, back when I was 21. The summer I graduated college, friends and I drove across the country, camping and exploring some of the National Parks out west. We went to the Grand Canyon on our way back east. I had spent much of my childhood wanting to see it. I watched the Brady Bunch show where they visited the Grand Canyon and I was jealous. In my head, I blew it up to this larger than life experience, the place I absolutely had to see or I’d always feel as if I missed something great. And then I got there, and it was a big hole. Sure, it was incredibly beautiful, but not the mythical place I envisioned it would be. A few years later I visited it again with my mom. As I stood at the edge, a man stumbled and nearly knocked me over—into the canyon. Mom screamed, terrified that I was going to fall to my death. I didn’t understand her fear until G3 sat at the edge of a rock overlooking the canyon and dangled his feet.

Foiled by wildfires again! We arrived in the park by 7:30. As soon as we got to the Bright Angel Trailhead we looked out over the canyon and saw…a veil of smoke. The fires seem to follow us. First, out west in Glacier, Tetons, and Yellowstone. Then into the Thousand Islands. And now here at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The smoke wasn’t as thick as it was when we were in the Tetons, but it was enough to prevent us from having a clear vibrant view. Nor did it smell as strongly as the smoke in Canada, but a hint of burning wood was definitely in the air. Despite the smoke, we took pictures—the best one was of G3 doing a sidekick on a rock outcropping.

We hiked for about two hours—which included breaks for pictures and water, lots of water—along the Bright Angel Falls Trail. We turned around because G3’s knee was bothering him and Kati started to melt. Plus a heat advisory was going into effect at ten, warning tourists to avoid physical activity. The hike was steep but relatively easy. It’s one of the most popular in the park which was evident by the number of people we encountered. Definitely, not a hike to attempt if you are looking for peace and silence. There were a few shady spots along the way which we took advantage of when stopping to hydrate.

To get to some of the views, you need to take a shuttle. The road is closed to normal traffic—but the shuttle is free, or rather included in the price of admission. We decided to take it. It stops at multiple viewpoints and we were able to hop on and off to see as much of the canyon as possible. As the afternoon approached, the smoke thinned out a little which improved our view. We could better see the layers of red and the lines etched in the stone by water millions of year ago. After awhile, all the views started to look alike. We ended up skipping a couple of stops. Sitting in the heat, waiting to be picked up each time, made us feel as though we were roasting in an oven. There just isn’t enough shade to keep you comfortable when it’s 101 degrees. At some of the stops, G3 got too close to the edge—sitting down and draping his feet into the abyss. It made me insanely nervous. I’ve become my mother.

Uranium was once mined in the Grand Canyon. The cleanup of the resulting radioactive waste was costly. Parts of the park are closed off due to higher levels of radiation. Regular testing is done to ensure that tourists are kept safe.

We were hungry and very thirsty so we got some snacks and drinks and then drove east along the rim of the canyon, stopping periodically to take even more pictures. I’m sure I’ll end up deleting half of them when I get home. The smoky haze returned and gray clouds rolled in covering the sun. The temperature dropped into the 80s and a pleasant breeze followed which finally cooled things off. Kati stopped melting and could enjoy the views a little better. G3 wanted to go to the Desert Watch Tower and I’m glad he did. It was one of the highlights of our day.

In 1932, Fred Harvey and the Santa Fe Railroad built the Watch Tower. While it wasn’t based on any particular Native American ruin, from what I understand, it was built to pay homage to the history and cultures of the Southwest Native American tribes. We got free tickets to go inside and climb to the top. The views of the canyon were as pretty as they could be considering the smoke and clouds. But it was the Native American artwork on the walls that made the visit worthwhile. The paintings captured my attention in ways artwork at museums never do. It was the simplicity of the designs and the bold colors that intrigued me.

One of the things I like best about the ATA organization is that G3 meets kids from all over the country. Some kids he competes with enough that he looks forward to seeing them at tournaments. The boys are fierce competitors on the mat, but once they step off, they are friends and even cheer for each other. Sometimes, even the parents begin to develop friendships. This afternoon, at the Desert Watch Tower, we ran into a family we have become friendly with this last tournament season. We chatted with them for awhile and even talked about possibly getting together for dinner sometime after a tournament. It would be lovely it we can actually make it work.

As a young adult, I thought the Grand Canyon was anti-climatic. Has my opinion changed? Yes and no. Since I last visited, I’ve traveled the world, seeing amazing sites on six continents and at least 40 states. One might think it would be even less impressive than it was the first time I saw it. But now that I’m older, my perspective has changed. I was not expecting my visit to be awe inspiring and life changing. That has allowed me to better appreciate and enjoy the awesome beauty in front of me. If I took the time to rank the National Parks I have visited, in terms of which were the most scenic, Grand Canyon would definitely not be at the bottom.

For dinner, we detoured over to Flagstaff. We only drove through it—it was late and we want to get up early tomorrow so we didn’t have time to walk around—but from what little we saw, I like it much more than Phoenix. The touristy center is cute and there are trees. The landscape has greenery—more than just palm trees and cacti. Plus, the heat isn’t nearly as oppressive. The evening was actually almost cool. We went to Pizzicletta for dinner. It’s a pizza place with a brick oven and they only serve thin crust pizza. It was really good—and I’m a pizza snob. Growing up in New York with an Italian mother has made me critical of most pizza. I was surprised to find such a good pie so far from either New York or Italy. If you find yourself in Flagstaff and you like pizza, make sure you go to Pizzicletta. You won’t be disappointed in the food.