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I decided to start this blog to as an avenue for me to be able to post about some of the fun things that I do from time to time. It could be a Car Show revue, what I did on Vacation, what I like about this or that automobile, my experience with a photo shoot, what I have in my Automobilia collection, or whatever I think of at the moment. I hope you like it! All feedback will be appreciated.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Road Trip to Arizona - Day 4 - Grand Canyon

Eastbound Highway 40
After getting a good nights rest from a long day of fun driving on Route 66, we all got up around 5:00 am. I got ready and headed downstairs for some coffee and a bagel, and waited for my wife and my parents to come down. Once they got downstairs, they had decided they would wait to eat breakfast since it was pretty early. So we headed to the parking garage and got in the car. By this time it was around 6:00 am and I needed to get some miles behind us. So we hit the road.




Eastbound Highway 40/66
The weather was a little sporadic along the way. It was raining, not raining, as well as a little bit of snow. We had expected it though. My wife and I had been checking the weather for the past few days and since it had reported snow for the Grand Canyon Village area, along the way, the scenery was pretty nice. So, after a 3 hour drive, I pulled off the highway on the West end of Williams and grabbed some fuel. It was pretty cold. I hadn't really dressed for the temperature it was at the time. But I managed to deal with it. After getting the fuel, we got back on Highway 40 and went to the next exit so that we could hit the McDonald's for breakfast. When exiting, I had liked the arched sign that crossed over the street. So after pulling into Mickey D's, I walked out into the middle of the road and snapped a few photos. Then I noticed that the Mobil station across the street had a nice old gas pump. So obviously that's where I went for a few more photos. Then I went inside to see if I could find any more Route 66 souvenirs. But I was a little disappointed to say the least. So I left and went back to eat some breakfast. After we finished, we jumped back in the car and I headed in through town. I had to! I wanted to see more of the Mother Road. Of course I wasn't disappointed when I got into town. I just wish I could have stayed here all day to check out the shops and the scenery. But, The Grand Canyon was still at least an hour away, so I kept on driving and headed North. 
WILLIAMS, AZ
On the drive to Grand Canyon Village, there was still a nice amount of snow on the ground from the previous days storm. After driving through, we hit the entrance, paid our way in, and headed for the parking lot. We get there, get out of the car, and of course I had to get my gear ready for some photos and video. Then we all noticed this Asian tourist walking around. Specifically this lady that was yelling at the top of her lungs trying to find someone, or the group she was with. This went on for a good 10 minutes. When she finally went away, it was nice to hear the silence we were surrounded in. But then there was some idiot that didn't know a clue about how or where to park. They parked right smack in the middle of the drive line. Which meant that no one had anywhere to go to get through. I don't know about you, the reader, but I know when they say to park "in between the lines", what it means. This driver took it even farther. Park in the area with no lines, in between the lines. But then a tow truck came and solved that problem.

We then walked into a couple buildings to see what was there, then headed out to catch the bus so we could head West to see the various stops. We pretty much hit every stop that was worth stopping at on the way out. But since my parents are up in age, we, my wife and I kept our patience so that we could all enjoy ourselves. Besides, my father had never been here, and my mother had been here when she was a little girl, so it made for a better time for all of us just to relax and enjoy the time. On one of the stops, when leaving we were able to see a good size heard of Elk that were just relaxing, enjoying there day. I have seen plenty, but it's always cool to see them. One of the drivers also mentioned to us about a couple of tourists that had decided one day during a winters day to do a Thelma and Louise off one of the cliffs. She said it took about 5 months before the wreckage was removed from the canyon. And where they took the ride, they now have had to install some large boulders to prevent it from happening again. Then we reached the end at Hermit Trailhead. We relaxed and grabbed some refreshments, I fed the raven that wouldn't stop bugging me, and my wife bought herself a nice piece of jewelry from the store. Then we headed back and hit a few other stops that we didn't stop at. Eventually we stopped at Bright Angel Trailhead. I went into the one place that I just had to check out. I went into the Kolb Studio. I walked around, kind of slowly, and enjoyed looking at everything in the gallery. Some pretty crazy people! But then again, you have to be crazy to explore these canyons. After that I went up to the souvenir store upstairs and decided to buy a book, "The Kolb Brother of Grand Canyon". Someday I'll actually read it.


Our view from the Restaurant
I finally left the studio and went to look for everyone else. Once I found them, we decided we all had better eat something. I had a headache anyways, so we went into the Lodge and found the Bright Angel Restaurant. The service was really good, the food was delicious. I had the Pepper Jack Chicken Melt, my wife had the Santa Fe Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wrap, and my parents had the Packer Stew in a Bread Bowl. All of really liked what we had. So, when you stop here to eat, hopefully you will not be disappointed. Besides the food, the staff was very friendly. Our waitress, we spoke to her for a while, as well as her helper. He was enjoying his time working here in the park. To top it off, he lives across the road from this place. What an awesome experience! Work and live maybe 100 yards from the canyon. I have to say, I would have loved to done that when I was his age.


We finished our late lunch, and then we decided it was time to get back to the car and head back to Laughlin. So we jumped on the next bus and headed back. It wasn't too long before I was asleep on the bus either. I was pretty worn out at this point. Then we got to the car and headed out. But, before we could keep going, I had to make 1 more stop. We stopped for a quick minute at Flintstones Bedrock City for a few photos, and then back on the road we went. It wasn't too long before I was the only one awake. So I just grabbed my headphones, plugged them into my iPhone, and turned on some music to keep my head from being drowned in the boredom. When we got back to Laughlin, we went to our rooms, and hit the bed.  Our last day of the vacation was going to be an early start for the drive home, so it was obvious that I had better get some sleep.
WILLIAMS, AZ
Highway 40 Eastobound
Driving in the sunset

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