Oct. 14th: This was a full day of travel with high
desert scenery. With tourist season
officially over, traffic is light and driving is easier and more restful. I stopped for gas at a small town north of
the Grand Canyon and spotted the one and only trailer like mine (pulled by a
truck) my entire trip. There was a
little coffee shop next to the gas station and that was the only place the
driver of the rig could be. I entered
the coffee shop and only a few people were eating lunch. I announced in a very loud voice “Who has the
rig out front with a Koala on it?” A
couple reluctantly looked up admitting their ownership, probably thinking that
I was going to yell at them about some parking violation. When you drive a rig this big, you are always
creating your own parking space. I
introduced myself and asked them to look out the window at their rig and there,
parked next to their rig, was my rig with Molly hanging out the window. I sat down and we all had lunch and compared
notes before going on our way. I can’t
remember where they were from but it was a pleasant conversation and they were
on their way to the north rim of the Grand Canyon before it was closed for the
season. Molly and I continued on our way
to Sedona, Arizona where I planned to see the Grand Canyon (south rim) in a few
days.
Sedona, AZ is red rock beautiful and I soon discovered I stayed
in the nicest park in the area. It was
lower in altitude than most of Sedona and filled with lots of shade trees. For the first time I was on my own to back up
the trailer without a spotter. It was not
going well. Fifteen or twenty minutes
into my struggles two Aussies could not take it anymore and asked if they could help. They had only pulled horse trailers before
but thought they could handle it. I gave him my keys before he could finish his sentence. Apparently it was a tough angle and they did not get it right without a
struggle so I felt less humiliated.
The funny part was that the owner with a personality of a cactus
suddenly appeared and wanted to help saying I was too far from the sewer hookup. I was not too far away plus I had ample extra
hoses. However, no one (including the Aussies) wanted to make a scene so
I let her try her way. She fussed and
grunted and put the trailer exactly in the same spot as the Aussies had parked it and said,
“Now, that’s the right way to do it.” As
soon as she was out of earshot, we all (there was a crowd now) laughed and hooted about the “right way” to
park a trailer well into the night over dinner and wine. I kind of felt sorry for her but I found that arrogance gets you no where.
Oct. 15th: What better way to see the red rocks of
Sedona than in a hot air balloon. The
Light House Balloon Expedition picked me up promptly at 5:00 AM before
sunrise. Our little basket held six
people plus the pilot. I met two women
from Pittsburgh on a working holiday. We
had to stand very close together with my nose in someone’s hair – she used
great shampoo! It’s amazing how many
people I have met over the last few months from Pennsylvania: travelers, waiters, hostesses, pet shop
owners, retirees, balloon operators – the list is quite long.
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| See how small the basket is? |
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| Basket weighed 500 lbs.; cost $30,000 and lasts about 10 years Balloon is much more expensive and only lasts a few years. |
The landing was a bit rough and I fell on top of one of the
ladies from Pittsburgh. She said “Now I
know how the Steelers feel after a touchdown.”
There was no grace involved getting in and out of the basket. We helped each other as much as possible but
that meant literally throwing ourselves and hoping someone would break the
fall!
With much of the day left I decided to do some shopping. This one shopping mall was literally built
into the rock and the most unusual shopping center I have encountered called Tlaquepaque Village Arts and Crafts.
One of my goals was to see the Chapel in the Rocks. It did not disappoint.
The rest of Sedona was just as magical.
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| This is someone's winter residence. Can you image what the dog house looks like? |
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| Don't trees need dirt to grow? |
When I returned to camp in the late afternoon, my neighbors
were back from their activities of the day and we settled in for dinner
together, sharing our experiences. I
cannot explain why I was so drawn to them but I knew they were good people, Jack
and Myrna from a little farm in Ontario, Canada not far from Niagara
Falls. They had just come from a day at
the Grand Canyon and were just as enthusiastic about their experience as I was
of my morning balloon ride. As fate
would have it, I was scheduled to go on the same day trip to the Grand Canyon
tomorrow but was going to cancel because the dog sitter I arranged for was a no show and I did not want to leave Molly in the camper all day without
relief. Jack and Myrna would not hear of
my cancelling the day and said they missed their cat so much, had no plans for
tomorrow other than shopping, and would love to watch over Molly. I agreed and could not believe I left Molly
and the keys to the camper with complete strangers. I just knew it would be okay, and it was. My angels once again.
Grand Canyon National Park
Oct. 16th: The round trip to the Grand Canyon in our
pink jeep tour van took several hours.
The guide was entertaining and played videos about the history and what
we would see and the time passed quickly.
It was a relief not to be driving and settled in for a good trip. The six of us chatted like we had known each
other for years, exchanging bios and making jokes.
I think it would take years of study and exploration to
realize the true magnitude of the canyon and culture that lived off the land
for so many thousands of years. The
appearance of the white man (prospectors, ranchers, photographers and wealthy
travelers) piqued the curiosity of the Indians and subsequently allowed for the
opening of the Grand Canyon to generations of tourists. It would also be the fascination of these
early visitors that would contribute to the demise of the very people and
landscape they had come to admire.
According to the National Park Service there are currently at least five
different Indian groups in the area of the Grand Canyon, each with its own
language, customs and beliefs. There is
also a spill over into the areas of Southern Colorado where I visited earlier
in Mesa Verde National Park and Durango.
All we have today as clues to the past are pieces of pottery, broken
sandstone walls, and images painted in abandoned caves. My heart bleeds for the fate of Indians but
on the other hand a few forward thinking individuals fought valiantly for the
preservation of the land.
Scientists continue to puzzle over the complete story of the
canyon’s creation as well as its biology and human history. You can read books about the canyon, hike to
its depths, or challenge the rapids in a raft, but nothing compares to standing
on the brink of the rim and breathing in mood altering air and appreciate the
spectacle in front of you. A quick visit
can only accomplish a desire to return again and again to explore the unknown
like an astronaut on the brink of discovery of other worlds. The Grand Canyon has to be experienced not
just looked at with a photograph, but a photograph is a close second. Places I have visited were first researched in books but nothing prepared
me for the magnitude of the Grand Canyon’s history and people and totally
unprepared to see God’s work first hand and know that we are mere specks in the
evolution of time and humanity. The
Grand Canyon is a perfect place to complete my odyssey through nine national parks.
What a magnificent day!
Me, too! Here comes Ms.
Jean. Holy cow, I’m not sure I want to
leave Jack and Myrna. They didn’t go
shopping today as planned to be with me.
Jack never took me back to the trailer from my first outing. We walked every hour to the dog park and made
lots of new pals. Jack ran with me for a
little ways and Myrna gave me so many treats I couldn’t possibly eat
dinner. We visited neighbors in the park
including the Aussies we met the first night.
Jack and Myrna had fun telling stories but I bet the Aussies had one
story in particular to share. These are
just great people and are so nice to me.
You know, they had dinner all ready for Ms. Jean since they knew exactly
when she would be back. Now how
neighborly is that? They talked into the
night but I snoozed off reliving the day’s adventure… well, maybe one more
treat before retiring.
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