Cracker Barrel

Yesterday we left the Grand Canyon a bit earlier than planned so that we could add some drive time. The kids agreed to push through past Barstow, so we added 3 hours to the drive in order to make today, our last day on the road, a bit easier. When we hit Kingman, Brian fulfilled a trip-long dream of going to a Cracker Barrel store/restaurant. He had been seeing signs along the way, and something about them interested him. As it turned out, the one in Kingman was the last one on our trip. It was a cute little place, and we had a good time rocking on the porch.

We ended up staying in Tulare, about 5 hours from home--I think. I'm getting a little punchy and I am really ready to be home.

Grand Canyon

We spent 3 relaxing days in Pinetop, AZ where we lounged by the pool, played games, and wandered about. Brian and Katia did take a ride in to vacuum out the van, and Brian picked up some groceries so we could make use of the kitchens in the units where we were staying (we always need 2).

Yesterday afternoon we arrived at the Grand Canyon. We made a brief stop at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff which was a bit of a letdown for the kids--lots of exhibits to read, but not a lot of hands-on things to do.

We walked around quite a bit along the rim trail, and Brian took a lot of pictures. I walked out to the first observation point and made an observation of my own. I am afraid of heights. Now, I know this about myself, it is not a new revelation. For some reason, I had not equated being terrified even of standing on a ladder with having any reservations about looking out over the canyon. I did manage to drag myself to the rail a couple of times. As long as I look out over the expanse, I am fine, but as soon as I look directly down, I am overcome with an irrational fear. I was quite content to stay on the rim trail from that point on, and, I have to confess, there were moments where I could not even look at the kids as they ventured in closer.

This morning, Brian and Ed went to watch the sunrise. I stayed back with the sleeping brood. We are all anxiously awaiting their return so we can head out to breakfast. We are back to the canyon today for a bit more exploring, then we'll head out. We expect to cross over into California this evening and head home tomorrow.