The Martin's got a lovely rendition of that song today and I'm hoping that none of it made it onto their videotape. We have definitely seen the range today and one can easily imagine Cowboys and Indians duking it out on the Western Plains.
We started with the Grand Canyon this morning, which certainly didn't disappoint. I was very glad that we came via the North Rim as there were fewer tourists and less commercialism. The weather was beautiful and we were able to walk a little to see the vistas, although the altitude did play a role in our hiking decisions. We had lunch there and lounged around on the decks of the Lodge before we finally decided to continue our journey through the West.
Denise wanted to see Lake Powell, and though I was a little hesitant to add this 100 mile detour onto our trip, I'm certainly glad that we did. We were able to see the Colorado, the Vermilion Cliffs and vast expanses of land with a sky as immense as you can imagine. Lake Powell was beautiful, but it was really the surrounding rocks that grabbed our attention... Something from a different world, Mars or the moon, and we had fun finding rocks, picking out shapes in the formations, and scrambling around on soft, smooth stone.
We continued north, going the Staircase National Monument and seeing rock formations that were like ancient cities or temples, grouped in colors and shapes (grouped like Paris and Italy are grouped in Las Vegas, Francois said) that words couldn't even describe.
We stopped for the sunset and reached Zion just at dusk, which was absolutely stunning in the beginning with just a sliver of the moon and purple sky all around, but quickly became not quite as fun as I drove around the switchbacks in the dark with steep drop-offs just a few feet away. We finally found the hotel though, which is another success, and before I fainted of hunger, we made it to dinner.
We went to a sports bar, which was a new experience in itself for the Martin's and I'll have to tell you about my explanation of baseball, complete with the ketchup, mustard, and salt and pepper shakers set up as bases and my pen cap as the batter. I think that they understand the rules of baseball about as well as they do with football, which is to say, not at all.
We've returned to the hotel and I'll stumble to bed soon. Just one last birthday wish to my brother, since I didn't get to call today as I was lost in desert. Happy Birthday, Charles!
We started with the Grand Canyon this morning, which certainly didn't disappoint. I was very glad that we came via the North Rim as there were fewer tourists and less commercialism. The weather was beautiful and we were able to walk a little to see the vistas, although the altitude did play a role in our hiking decisions. We had lunch there and lounged around on the decks of the Lodge before we finally decided to continue our journey through the West.
Denise wanted to see Lake Powell, and though I was a little hesitant to add this 100 mile detour onto our trip, I'm certainly glad that we did. We were able to see the Colorado, the Vermilion Cliffs and vast expanses of land with a sky as immense as you can imagine. Lake Powell was beautiful, but it was really the surrounding rocks that grabbed our attention... Something from a different world, Mars or the moon, and we had fun finding rocks, picking out shapes in the formations, and scrambling around on soft, smooth stone.
We continued north, going the Staircase National Monument and seeing rock formations that were like ancient cities or temples, grouped in colors and shapes (grouped like Paris and Italy are grouped in Las Vegas, Francois said) that words couldn't even describe.
We stopped for the sunset and reached Zion just at dusk, which was absolutely stunning in the beginning with just a sliver of the moon and purple sky all around, but quickly became not quite as fun as I drove around the switchbacks in the dark with steep drop-offs just a few feet away. We finally found the hotel though, which is another success, and before I fainted of hunger, we made it to dinner.
We went to a sports bar, which was a new experience in itself for the Martin's and I'll have to tell you about my explanation of baseball, complete with the ketchup, mustard, and salt and pepper shakers set up as bases and my pen cap as the batter. I think that they understand the rules of baseball about as well as they do with football, which is to say, not at all.
We've returned to the hotel and I'll stumble to bed soon. Just one last birthday wish to my brother, since I didn't get to call today as I was lost in desert. Happy Birthday, Charles!
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