Gather ‘round and listen
Vacation trips such as the one we are taking make for good stories. The planning provided opportunities to tell people about our journey, the people we meet engage in story exchanges and I’m sure we’ll tell stories about the trip for years to come. So, I shouldn’t be surprised that stories make their appearance along the way.
On Tuesday we left Albuquerque and headed north for Four Corners, USA, the spot where the states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah come together in a neat point. As we waited in line for the photographic moment, one gentleman was telling his story. It seems that he had visited Four Corners 30 years ago and (surprisingly?) a lot had changed. In his recollection, none of the vendor booths (that appeared to be 50 years old) had been there. It was interesting to watch his face as he scanned the surroundings, working to connect with the memories from long ago.
It was an interesting diversion, though a bit anticlimactic. Of course, the biggest benefit may have been that this stop enabled us to add Colorado to our long list of states visited this vacation . . . oh, and the stories we’ll tell.
From Four Corners we trekked to Canyon de Chelly, outside of Chinle, AZ.
We had never heard of this Canyon either, until a great salesman at REI informed us that this is where the diehard canyon visitors go, especially to see the ruins of dwellings built high on the cave walls thousands of years ago. It was well worth adding to our itinerary.
The views were terrific and we hiked down to the base where the ruins could be observed up close.
Made me wonder the stories of the peoples who had lived here (and some who continue to), eeking out a living as best as they can. Our camp spot was in a rustic area near Spider Rock. Our tent was set back close to the edge of everything and it was quiet (and dark). A terrific place to fall asleep listening to the breeze moving through the brush and awaken to a Native American flute in the distance.
Thursday, [Is that right? Have we covered this much distance in 5 days?] we set out for the Grand Canyon. What can I say? If you’ve been there, you know the story. If you haven’t, there’s really nothing I can say other than you must go. We’ve dubbed this trip the “highlights tour” because we’re seeing so many things briefly, with the benefit of digging deep in any one place.
The Grand Canyon falls into that category. Due to the brevity of our stop, we saw but a fraction of the grandeur, but we were blessed with the opportunity to hear the Canyon’s story. Not the part about the Colorado River carving through the rock over a period of thousands of years. That’s a good story, but if you’re fortunate, the Canyon tells its own story. Our campsite was located with a view of the North Rim, within 50 yards of the edge. From this location, we were able to listen to the canyon winds howling and the trees creaking throughout the night. With morning, we were greeted by the sound of birds awakening, anxious children chattering and RVs revving up for the new day. What a story. Go see it and hear it.
The remainder of the day was spent cruising through Zion National Park to our destination in Las Vegas. Zion is a story unto itself and deserves more time than we could give it. Like the two previous canyons we’d visited, Zion has its own script.
After spending the better part of the week in the wilderness, we pulled into Vegas for a quick 2-night stay. I’m sitting outside at a nearby Laundromat, waiting for the laundry to dry, while Darcy and the kids are asleep at Circus-Circus.
Nothing exciting to do in this city, so I’m sure we’ll just hangout, sleep . . . and do laundry.
That’s my story . . . and I’m sticking to it.
Vacation trips such as the one we are taking make for good stories. The planning provided opportunities to tell people about our journey, the people we meet engage in story exchanges and I’m sure we’ll tell stories about the trip for years to come. So, I shouldn’t be surprised that stories make their appearance along the way.
On Tuesday we left Albuquerque and headed north for Four Corners, USA, the spot where the states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah come together in a neat point. As we waited in line for the photographic moment, one gentleman was telling his story. It seems that he had visited Four Corners 30 years ago and (surprisingly?) a lot had changed. In his recollection, none of the vendor booths (that appeared to be 50 years old) had been there. It was interesting to watch his face as he scanned the surroundings, working to connect with the memories from long ago.
It was an interesting diversion, though a bit anticlimactic. Of course, the biggest benefit may have been that this stop enabled us to add Colorado to our long list of states visited this vacation . . . oh, and the stories we’ll tell.
From Four Corners we trekked to Canyon de Chelly, outside of Chinle, AZ.
We had never heard of this Canyon either, until a great salesman at REI informed us that this is where the diehard canyon visitors go, especially to see the ruins of dwellings built high on the cave walls thousands of years ago. It was well worth adding to our itinerary.
The views were terrific and we hiked down to the base where the ruins could be observed up close.
Made me wonder the stories of the peoples who had lived here (and some who continue to), eeking out a living as best as they can. Our camp spot was in a rustic area near Spider Rock. Our tent was set back close to the edge of everything and it was quiet (and dark). A terrific place to fall asleep listening to the breeze moving through the brush and awaken to a Native American flute in the distance.
Thursday, [Is that right? Have we covered this much distance in 5 days?] we set out for the Grand Canyon. What can I say? If you’ve been there, you know the story. If you haven’t, there’s really nothing I can say other than you must go. We’ve dubbed this trip the “highlights tour” because we’re seeing so many things briefly, with the benefit of digging deep in any one place.
The Grand Canyon falls into that category. Due to the brevity of our stop, we saw but a fraction of the grandeur, but we were blessed with the opportunity to hear the Canyon’s story. Not the part about the Colorado River carving through the rock over a period of thousands of years. That’s a good story, but if you’re fortunate, the Canyon tells its own story. Our campsite was located with a view of the North Rim, within 50 yards of the edge. From this location, we were able to listen to the canyon winds howling and the trees creaking throughout the night. With morning, we were greeted by the sound of birds awakening, anxious children chattering and RVs revving up for the new day. What a story. Go see it and hear it.The remainder of the day was spent cruising through Zion National Park to our destination in Las Vegas. Zion is a story unto itself and deserves more time than we could give it. Like the two previous canyons we’d visited, Zion has its own script.
After spending the better part of the week in the wilderness, we pulled into Vegas for a quick 2-night stay. I’m sitting outside at a nearby Laundromat, waiting for the laundry to dry, while Darcy and the kids are asleep at Circus-Circus.
Nothing exciting to do in this city, so I’m sure we’ll just hangout, sleep . . . and do laundry.
That’s my story . . . and I’m sticking to it.
[Spent the morning at Hoover Dam (wow!) and the afternoon at Circus Circus Midway. Dinner at House of Blues and to bed early. Really. Not a dime spent ganbling. Really. Okay, maybe a quarter. That's all. Well, it was a few quarter, but that's all. Really . . .]
My family drove across the country when I was a kid and we hit Zion, Grand Canyon, Circus Circus. I still have the photos with the late 70's feathered hair and terrycloth shorts, socks pulled up to the knees. Your kids are going to love these memories and tell their kids about everything. I do!!!
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