Spring Break, 1st Half

Last month we had a week-long spring break, part of which we spent on a real, American roadtrip to the Grand Canyon. I had never seen it and Matt was ten when he last went there, so I thought (and Matt went along with me) we ought to take our kids to this famed destination.

We travelled about six hours to Page, AZ, and toured the Glen Canyon Dam. I was impressed by its sheer size and history; also, by my kids who proved a well-behaved part of a tour group. We stayed overnight and then drove the remaining couple hours to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, which was densely forested. Surprise for me...I had imagined a dusty, winding road around the canyon, with maybe a couple official lookout points. Instead, we enjoyed the nicely planned, but still natural park that included many stopping points--vistas, I think--picnic areas, a villiage (museums, lodging, infomation), wildlife, and short trails that were really more like strolling paths on the very edge of the Grand Canyon.




Matt and I were amazed by the vastness of the Grand Canyon. The kids ran around, safely barricaded from falling in. We lamented that no pictures even began to capture the size and depth and magnificence of this place. Honestly, it so surrounded us and so filled up all the horizon, that the effect was dizzying. Over the two days we visited, I never could get enough of the overwhelming proportions or the desert beauty (that's odd, coming from someone who needs trees).


The cloudless sky made our sunset shots less spectacular than we had hoped, but the light was still great. The evening weather was also cold and windy. We're unprepared and shivering...

There was one area that had no barriers; this was a prime photo-op spot and we took advantage of it. It looks like the kids' legs are dangling right into the Canyon.

In reality, there was still another seven or eight feet of rock ledge. I wouldn't put Dallin that close to a natural wonder. To their collective disappointment, this spot was the closest I let them go.

Matt is telling Nate something to the effect of: "No way are you taking one more step, crazy kid."

Jamie Beth pouted about having me for a mom. "It's not fair...those people get to stand on the edge." I'm mean that way.

Otherwise, we all enjoyed the trip. I'm looking forward to trying it again in a decade, when we might be old enough to go down some of the real trails, maybe on mules. And camp, too...Stop right there, Matt says. Camping is not vacationing.

Though we went to church as usual on Easter Sunday (turned out to be a Navajo Branch that we attended), our traditional egg hunt had to be improvised for a hotel room. I kept the children in the hallway while Matt hid the eggs.

They were still very excited to track down the eggs, even though most were obvious.

But not all, apparently. Matthew had us weeping with laughter because he spent at least 3 minutes looking for the last egg, which was just out of his view, but not ours.

Guess who found it?

We had an entire restaurant to ourselves for Easter dinner, but it was just not the same as a family dinner at home. Next year, I think we'll wait until after Sunday to travel, so we can have the calmer, more familiar, more reverent day.

Stay tuned for details from the rest of our week. (That's right, I've covered only the first half.)