Amazing Race Part 11

As we got closer to the Grand Canyon...Adam got more and more nervous...you may not know this about us (a little sarcasm there) but I am claustrophobic and Adam is scared of heights....and yet we did both of those and MORE on this trip. Adam was a hot sweaty mess as we held tight to our kids hands and constantly reminded them to not jump on rails. We also showed our dismay towards several teenagers (and grown adults) who chose to jump the rails to get a better picture.

We saw way to many people on those little outcrops taking selfies!

BREATHTAKING

As we walked up to the Canyon it was unreal....you just never know what to imagine....because as we learned there is nothing that compares to actually being there...or anywhere we visited for that matter. Pictures do not capture the vastness, beauty and colors we were able to see. Adam immediately begin to point out all of the layers and rocks and the discrepancy between the bible and what every sign said as we hiked. He kept reminding us of the biblical narrative of the Flood and how that would explain the whole canyon much more reasonably than the tiny Colorado River slowing carving it out over several million years!


As we began our hikes around the canyon we were reminded of what a good purchase our 3 Camelbaks were. We emptied them on almost every hike we went on. We also found out that we are a CHAPSTICK LOVING family....we used all of my homemade chapstick and then bought a prickly pear tube that we smushed all over our lips constantly!

On the end of one of our hikes (it was a little over 1.5 miles) the kids were getting really hot and starting to complain about the length and wanting to go see other things. We kept reminding them that to see great things you normally have to go through a trial or you have to persevere through something hard. We reminded them how we went on a pretty hot and tedious hike in Roatan, Honduras last  year and we were rewarded with a great little place to snorkel and get to know the locals on the beach. Sure enough at the very end of our hike we came up on a momma elk and her baby eating. They were not scared of us at all and we got pretty stinking close. The kids were thrilled.

Hiking along

Momma and Baby!

We soon found the Hopi House and after exporing it we realized that we were STARVING and that our 2 hour time difference was throwing us off....we ate a big ole snack while sitting on the porch of the Tovar Hotel looking out over the canyon. At the Hopi House Ribbit found a dream catcher that she just had to have. They all had done the work to earn their Jr. Ranger badge and we needed to watch the introduction video back at the visitor center to complete it. So we jumped on one of their shuttle and headed back. The film itself was done very well but once again Adam and I were whispering to them "thats not true"..."thats not what the bible says".

We headed over to the Ranger Center to get their badges and the funniest thing happened. Our ranger was from England and when she asked Little Man to repeat the pledge after her he did JUST THAT...in a british accent and everything. It was quite comical and Goober and I had to walk away so that we wouldn't fall on the floor. I was worried that she would be offended but she just smiled the whole time and at the end complimented him as being a little linguist.

Hopi House

A picture with rails behind us ..hehe

When we got back to the van our next clue was on the windshield...WE WERE GOING TO CAMP AT THE GRAND CANYON...in Mather campground! We headed to the General Store there to grab dinner...everyone got something from the deli and sat outside to eat and talk about our day. We saw lots of great license plates for our game at the store...EVEN ALASKA!!! When we got to the campsite Ribbit had to direct us exactly how to set up camp in order to earn her camping badge for AHG. She did a great job and the boys obeyed while Adam and I raced to get everything else done so we would race back to Hopi House to catch sunset over the canyon.

We loved watching the sunset, we took a great time lapse of it and talked to several other people who were there enjoying it too. The kids played in the trees and it was cool enough to enjoy all the outdoors had to offer.....until Ribbit got a splinter in her fingernail and screamed bloody mary!!!!

Oh my little man is quite expressive :)

We got back to the campsite in the dark and Read Goldilocks and the 3 Dinosaurs. Everyone was OUT...after our neighbors turned off their SPOTLIGHT :)...but in the middle of the night Ribbit started screaming and crying again as her whole face and mouth was filled with blood. That was the first of many nosebleeds for her on our trip...Fortunately I had my homemade sunscreen that has helicrysum in it and I rubbed that on her nose to stop the bleeding. We cleaned her up, calmed her down and fell back asleep.....but only until the Coyotes started holwing and hackling...it was a LOONNNGGG NIGHT and the Ravens (or cravens as my kids called them......we may eat too many craisins in this family :)) started CAWHING early!!