The Grand Adventure: Desert View

We started at the visitor center, which in hindsight maybe we should have done first yesterday. We watched a short video on hiking the Grand Canyon, which would have been excellent information if we’d actually been hiking the Grand Canyon. Then, Troy and I went to check out Mather Point, which was an easy five-minute walk, while my wife rested her ailing leg.

The view from Mather Point was definitely worth seeing, but it was extremely crowded due to its location near the visitor center. Troy enjoyed climbing on the rocks and pretending that he was a mountain goat. I afforded him a little latitude, because it was all fenced in, and because I think he was getting bored just sitting in a car; only getting out to take in the view and then getting back in again. It’s sad that most of the trails here are to descend into the canyon, so there’s not really a place for us to let him stretch his legs, like at Yellowstone. There’s the rim trail, I guess, which goes around the top. But because of her leg, my wife can’t walk very far, so I assume she wouldn’t have been going with us either way. The rim trail also follows the road for the most part, so it’s what we were driving anyway.

After the visitor center, we decided to do the Desert View drive which heads east through the park. There weren’t as many stops along this road, but that was okay, because we didn’t feel like getting out and walking much anyway. There were a whole lot less traffic and people this way too, which was nice. We felt like we could take our time. The road winded through the forest, eventually ending at the Desert View Watchtower. It’s a tall round tower that spirals 70-feet into the south Grand Canyon sky. Troy and I decided to ascend the tower, but my wife opted out.

They limit the number of people up in the tower at the same time, so we had to stand in a line for about ten minutes to go up. It moved pretty quickly, but to a child itching to get some energy out, it was an eternity. Inside, I experienced something that I’ve never felt before inside. I’ve been known to get the heebie geebies when I look down from high places, but today it was enhanced by the already aching in my bones from my illness. It felt like someone was pumping electricity through me, not into me, but through me. Like I was a conduit, but I could feel every current passing through my bones. It was horrible. And it wasn’t just when I’d get too near the edge. I felt it when Troy got too close too. I soldiered through, so I didn’t ruin Troy’s experience, but it was tough. I enjoyed the tower immensely, the paintings and construction were beautiful, but I was also ready to leave it quickly.

On the way back, we stopped at Lipan Point to watch the sunset. The sun is in the wrong hemisphere this time of year, so there really aren’t any vivid sunset over the canyon images, but it did set over part of the canyon at this location, so it was still cool to see. The colors might have been more striking if there had been more clouds in the sky, but that is my only complaint. Lots of other people stopped here too, but few stayed for very long. Snap a selfie in front of the canyon, then back in the car and onto the next overlook. The others were here for the sunset like we were. They staked out their spots and then sat quietly to admire the slowly changing and darkening landscape.

It was crazy how windy and cold it started to get after the sun went down. I stood there for a long time after the sun had disappeared behind the canyon walls. The wind was loud and biting, despite my heavy jacket. But there was one moment where the wind stopped, just for a few seconds, and it was eerily quiet. I was afraid to move and disturb the silence. Everyone had gone by that point, except for one other guy, sitting and enjoying the afterglow too. It was a cool moment, but ultimately the cold won out, and we both headed back to our cars.

The Grand Adventure: The Hermit's Road

Well, I’m officially sick. My son has seemed determined to share his cold with me, and despite my best efforts to keep well, I was finally taken down. I felt like I was on death’s door all day, but we had come here to see the Grand Canyon, and I wasn’t going to miss it. So, I did my best to ride along and enjoy it, blowing my nose and coughing every couple of minutes.

We drove west today, because I had read that the Hermit’s Road was open to car traffic during this season. Normally, you can only take a bus along it. We dutifully stopped at every overlook and took in the view. The canyon winds and curves back and forth as it follows the Colorado River, so it’s amazing how much the view changes just by driving a quarter of a mile up the road. And every vantage point offers something new and beautiful to see…different colors on display, different rock structures, and different plays of shadows and lights. From some views, you can even catch glimpses of the river thousands of feet below, as it winds through the twisted landscape.

Maricopa Point had some breathtaking views, but the blowing wind was unreal. It reminded me of the wind on the Cliffs of Mohr, where you have to lean at an angle to keep from being swept away! It wasn’t in gusts, but a constant hard pressure on you the entire time. My wife refused to even go out on the overlook, but Troy and I trundled out there, holding onto each other for support. I guess most everyone else was deterred by the wind too, because there was only one other family out there, and they didn’t stay long.

At Powell Point, there is a monument to Major John Wesley Powell, who completed the first successful passage down the Colorado River through the entire 277-miles of the Grand Canyon. There is also a rock platform that juts off the side out over the canyon. Standing on it makes you feel like you’re floating above the depths below with nothing between you but air and prayer. Many visitors like standing here and getting their pictures taken, because there are no obstructions between you and the majestic backgrounds behind you. When Troy and I rounded Powell’s Monument, we were greeted by a couple, attempting to take a selfie of themselves on this platform. Upon seeing us, they immediately asked if we’d oblige, so I did. They then offered to take our picture in return. I wouldn’t have ever considered walking out on that rock platform, my Spidey-sense was going crazy just thinking about it. But I also sensed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I suppressed my better judgment and accepted their offer.

Mohave Point was my favorite spot. It wasn’t so much the view, which I think it would be hard to find a bad view of the Grand Canyon. But there was an atmosphere of peace and tranquility here that I hadn’t gotten at our other stops. The wind was calm, and it was quiet. If it hadn’t been so cold, and if the rest of my party hadn’t opted to remain in the car, I could have sat here and savored it a whole lot longer.

The journey ended at Hermit’s Rest, which was a little way station on the cliff. A place for long-ago, weary travelers to stop and get a hot meal by the fire before continuing their journey. Now, it’s a gift shop. The place itself, as well as the surrounding area, were really neat. The giant stone hearth, blackened walls, and wooden furniture echo with the stories of the millions of travelers who passed this way. You can imagine them sharing food, hardships, and laughter, as they rested their tired feet and aching legs. Ravens fly all around Hermit’s Rest, cawing their guttural cries and alighting on the stone arches and tumbling stone walls that dot the landscape.

We drove back to Market Plaza for lunch, which was grab-and-go sandwiches and hotdogs. Due to the fact that we had gotten to the park early to beat the gate traffic that we’d been told can build up during peak times, it was only three o’clock when we finished. It’s amazing that you could reasonably drive the entire park in a day, stop and see pretty much everything, and still take in a sunset. It was a very different experience from Yellowstone. Since neither my wife nor myself were feeling well by this point, we opted to just go back to the hotel and rest instead of pushing it. Besides, we needed to save something for tomorrow, right?

The Grand Adventure: Tusayan

Another day of driving, this time we’re finally on our way to our final destination. We wound our way up from Phoenix to Flagstaff, where we stopped at an off the beaten path place for lunch called the Mustang River Grill. It was nice and large, and seemed predominantly frequented by the locals. However, the service was slow and laid back. The hamburgers that Troy and I had were okay, but my wife said her BBQ sandwich was terrible. I guess Arizona isn’t known for their BBQ.

After that, we completed our journey to Tusayan, which is a little town outside the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. We’re staying at a Holiday Inn, and this hotel leaves a lot to be desired. The staff are incredibly friendly, but the hotel is old and literally falling apart. The towel rack is about to fall off the wall, and the toilet rocks when you sit on it. The worst part is that this is the most expensive hotel we’ll be staying in, simply because of the location!

We grabbed dinner at the Foodie Club, which was good, if not crowded. Options for food are limited to four or five places, which isn’t enough to sustain the number of hotels here. The odd thing is that our hotel appears sold out, despite this supposedly being the offseason. I guess the beautiful weather gave everyone else the same idea as us.

The Grand Adventure: Saguaro

We decided not to wait around for Carlsbad Cavern today, since we had eight and half hours on the road as it was. So, we just packed up and headed out. It was a really long day in the car, but the scenery improved at various points when we went around the Guadalupe Mountains and through the Franklin Mountains. Although, I was the only one that saw most of it, since my wife was asleep, and Troy was face-deep in his iPad, playing games. We stopped several times to top off the gas, go to the bathroom, and just stretch, which helped a little.

Since the caverns were a bust, I decided to work in a different nature tour instead, and we stopped outside of Tucson at the Saguaro National Park, which is known for its forest of gigantic Mexican cacti. It was pretty late when we rolled into the park, so we didn’t have long before the sun went down. We confined ourselves to the visitor center and some free walking trails around it. Honestly, I just wanted to see the saguaros up close, so it was enough. We were treated to a breathtaking sunset as well, and we watched the sky erupt in various shades of fire.

After our impromptu stop, we made our way to Phoenix to the Drury Inn for the night. This is supposed to be the nicest hotel on our trip. And while it’s nice, I think the Comfort Inn in Carlsbad was nicer. The place is packed, because the city is hosting a college football bowl game next week. I honestly didn’t even register that when I planned this stay. Oh well. We have a room, and we’re full of Papa John’s Pizza. Life is good.

The Grand Adventure: Roswell

The plan for today was to tour around Roswell for a few hours and then head down to Carlsbad Caverns. We started by loading up on donuts and munchkins at Dunkin Donuts. Then, we went to the International UFO Museum and Research Library. It’s not a particularly huge place, but it was filled with some cool exhibits and lots of facts about close encounters, crop circles, UFO sitings, abductions, ancient depictions, and government coverups. Surprisingly, Troy really loved the place, but not quite as much as my wife. She believes in visitors from another planet, so she was in hog heaven with all of the information and history. Truth be told, I picked Roswell mostly for her benefit. After some alien-themed shopping, we headed to Carlsbad Caverns.

To our surprise, they were sold out of tickets! Apparently, they had several hundred people show up today and start standing in line at 8:00 am for tickets. The ranger said it was crazy. He said for the last several weeks it’s been pretty quiet. Then, out of the blue the swarm descended. We tried to get tickets for tomorrow, but they said we’d have to just come stand in line in the morning. It’s first come, first served. I’m not sure we’re going to want to leave the hotel at 6:45 am just to hope we can get tickets for the caverns. I really can’t believe our luck with this. Oh well, we’ll just have to go with the flow, I guess.

Since we were already there, we did a little shopping in the visitor center and took in the scenic views of the surrounding area. We also met a nice older couple from Chicago who said they love Greek culture and food. So, they got the biggest kick out of my wife, her accent, and her stories about food and life in Greece.

Afterward, we were all starving, so we decided to check into the hotel and then find something to eat. We ate at a BBQ place called the Red Chimney. The food was delicious, almost as good as Texas BBQ, although I’m not sure my wife even tasted it. She inhaled it so quickly, that I not only couldn’t get the stopwatch started, I couldn’t even get the app opened on my phone before she was done!

The Comfort Inn & Suites is a definite upgrade from the Roswell Inn. We have twice as much space, they have an actual hot-served breakfast, and they gave us free homemade cookies and fresh-popped popcorn. The entry and sitting room were decorated beautifully for Christmas, and it all had a homey feel to it. The staff were also incredibly nice. They even called a few minutes after we checked in to make sure that everything in the room was okay. Of course, the only thing that Troy cared about was that we had a couch in this place. That was one of his biggest complaints about the last motel room.

The Grand Adventure: Craig T. Nelson

Today, we left on our Grand Adventure. There wasn’t a ton to report today as we spent the majority of the day in the car driving to Roswell, NM. We did stop in Abilene for lunch at the Biscuit Bar just to try something new. Everything on the menu was stuffed in a biscuit. Most of it was breakfast related, but I got a Monte Cristo, which was a turkey, ham, and cheese on a biscuit dipped in French toast batter. It was…out of this world amazing! My wife and son both tried to steal it from me. The only real downside was that I should have gotten two.

We’re staying at the Roswell Inn tonight, which was a bit of a disappointment from the pictures on the website. It looks like a renovated Motel 6. It’s not so bad inside, except that it still smells like a motel from the 1950s. Oh well, it’s only for one night, and there’s a little alien on the door, so I think we can survive. Although, one of the major selling points was the free breakfast, which we found out is just “grab and go,” which we presume means some fruit and muffins laid on a coffee bar. So, we’ll most likely head somewhere else to eat. It’s not a bad motel, but we probably wouldn’t stay here again.

UPDATE: The beds in the motel are spring beds. We know this for a fact because you can hear them groan and moan very loudly every time you move or flip over. I’m not sure if they’re also from the 1950s, but they definitely need some oil. Every time my wife would flip over, I thought someone was trying to break into the room! We got the room with two queen beds, because both my wife and son like to spread eagle at night, and that means that I usually get kicked off the side. With two beds, I at least have a chance. I nicknamed the beds “Craig” and “Nelson” (the space between them looked like a “T”), and every time the springs would creak, I’d say something like, “Hang in there, Craig. It’s going to be all right.”

We ate at Whataburger for dinner, partly because we were all starving and wanted something quick to eat, but mostly because it was directly across the street from the motel. While there, we ended up meeting a nice local family who talked to us about all kinds of stuff, like what to do in New Mexico. Their family descended from Mexico, although none of them had apparently ever been there. The father was the spitting image of Santa Claus sans the red suit, and he had a story for everything. He’d jump from story to story with no real connection or thread tying them together. It was whatever popped into his head. He reminded me of my own father, except this guy’s stories were all about his family, not random people he met on the internet.

Will the Real Santa Please Stand Up?

Troy: “That’s not the real Santa Claus.”
Me: “How do you know?”
Troy: “Because he’s Black. The real Santa is white.”

………

The Little Black Girl Behind Us: “Mama! We finally found the real Santa Claus!”
Her Mother: “Oh yeah?”
Little Girl: “Yeah, all those white Santas are imposters. Everyone knows Santa is Black.”

………

Me: “I guess it’s all perspective.”

Christmas Party: Kinder Style

Today was the last day (or half day) of school before the long winter break. All of the grades were having class parties to celebrate, so I volunteered to help out at Troy’s. I signed up to help set up and clean up, which was a lot of fun. We had donuts and fruit, followed by a game of wrap one of your classmates up as a Christmas tree. The kids wrapped green crepe paper around other kids, then stuck bows all over them and placed a gold star on their heads. All of the kids had a blast. It was a great day to end the year. And after that, I got to take Troy home with me, so he didn’t have to stay there all morning!

Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides

The Shops at Highland Village near our house has been offering horse-drawn carriage rides around the shopping complex throughout December. So, I convinced my wife to take off early and come with me to get Troy today. We listened to carolers sing Christmas songs and drank hot chocolate while we waited in line. When it was finally our turn, we enjoyed the slow clopping ride, looking at the shops all lit up for the season and talking to the horse’s owner. Her name was Reba…the horse, not the owner. It was all of our first time on a horse-drawn carriage.

The Cydog

Troy: “Hey, dada, that dog is missing a leg.”
Me: “Which one?”
Troy: “The black one dressed up in that construction outfit.”
Me: “I see. It looks like he has a robot leg instead.”
Troy: “Yeah, he’s a cydog!”
Me: “That was awesome, man! A cydog! I love it!”

Amish Santa

Liberty: “We don’t believe in Santa Claus here.”
Troy: “I see. Well, I’m going to draw a picture of Santa Claus on my Christmas bag. And I’m also going to make him Amish, which is why he’s so good at making toys and furniture.”
Liberty: “…”

The Hallmark Moment

Me [taking my shirt off]: “It’s a Hallmark moment.”
My Wife: “Why is that?”
Me: “You know how guys in Hallmark movies always randomly take their shirts off for no reason.”
Troy [looking at me incredulously]: “It’s more like a Walmart moment.”
Me [pooching my gut out and hunching, speaking with a redneck accent]: “I resemble that remark! Although I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m seeeexxxxxyyyy!”
Troy [giggling]: “Look at his belly, mama!”
My Wife: “Uh yeah, definitely not Hallmark.”

Flag Football

Troy had his first flag football practice and scrimmage today. It was supposed to be 30 min of practice, but they spent the first 15 min just trying to hand out uniforms and name tags. So, all they had time to do was to teach the kids how to hike and hand off the ball. I can’t say that the coaches on Troy’s team were all that impressive either.

The coach on the other team; however, was a beast. He went straight to teaching pursuit, angles, and ripping the flags off your opponent. For offense, he focused on evasiveness and keeping the other team from getting your flag. Both of which I felt were better approaches.

When they went to scrimmage, Troy’s team had no idea what they were doing. Troy started off as the running back, but when they handed the ball to him, he just stood there. You see, they had taught them to hand the ball off, but they didn’t teach them to run with it afterwards. Kids are literal. You can’t assume that they know what you know. When it was over, Troy told my wife that he didn’t have fun and that he didn’t want to do it anymore. She told him to give it some time and promised that I’d work on it with him at home. The positive part was that none of the kids knew what they were doing, so he wasn’t “behind.” Oh well, I guess I’m up now!

Kindness Gestures

On a suggestion from another parent, we’ve been encouraging Troy to find something nice to do for someone else every day. This morning, my wife had a very important meeting with the provost of her university. She was very apprehensive about it, so Troy told her that she could take one of his stuffies to work with her to help her feel better. So, she selected Ray the stingray to go with her. It was such a cute and sweet moment.

Christmas Program: Kinder-Style

Tonight, Troy had a Christmas program at his school. Even though the school had sent an email to us about it at some point, both my wife and I completely forgot. So, I was scrambling to find him something Christmasy, but also dressy, to wear. I found him this dark gray pants and vest combination with a dark red shirt and tie. Troy looked very svelte in it. He decided to go without the tie, and he looked like someone off the cover of GQ.

The program was a mixture of the kids telling us about the Bible Christmas story and singing Christmas songs. It was really neat, and the kids all looked adorable in their little outfits. Unfortunately, our son didn’t remember half the words, and he was yawning throughout. I doubt anyone else noticed though. First, it just looked like he was singing. And second, we’re probably the only ones who were looking at him. Everyone else was focused on their own kid. It ended with a little photo op with the teacher in the coffee bar. Pretty cool.

Fan-Ceh!

Troy: “I’m fan-ceh!”
Me: “You do look pretty svelte.”
Troy: “Look at me flexing my muscles.”
Me: “Whoa! Who are you flexing for?”
Troy: “Reagan…and all of the girls in my class…and all the girls in the other classes.”
Me: “Drink it in, ladies! He’s on the prowl!”

Buried

Troy: “I was buried, and nobody ever dug me up.”
Me: “Awww, I’d dig you up. You’re a treasure. The best treasure! A gift from God. Ooh, ooh. Imagine if pirate treasure was called “Troy” rather than gold. Then, everyone would be trying to get a piece of Troy. People would fight to have more Troy. And you’d be richer if you had more Troy. And nobody would ever have enough Troy. They’d want to keep their Troy all for themselves, because it is the most precious thing on earth.”
Troy: “What if I wanted some Troy?”
Me: “Hmmm, I guess you’d be fighting for yourself. Which I guess is a little weird.”
Troy: “Yeah, that’s the weird part.”

Birthday Party for Jesus

Me: “How was school today?”
Troy: “Good.”
Me: “Oh yeah, what made it good?”
Troy: “We had a Christmas party.”
Me: “Really?! How cool!”
Troy: “Yeah, and Jesus came down and ate cake with us.”
Me: “So, it was like a birthday party for Jesus?”
Troy: “Yeah, and we had cake!”
Me: “Wouldn’t that be amazing to sit and eat cake with Jesus?”
Troy: “Yeah.”

Missing Babes

I really miss Troy already. It hit me really hard watching you drive away with him. I started crying realizing that our week together is over. It reminded me of when he went back to daycare after spending months with me at home during the pandemic.

Turkey Week: Legoland

Troy wanted me to take him to Legoland at the Grapevine Mills Mall today, so I reached out to see if Sasha and her mother wanted to join us. Her mom was busy preparing for an office Christmas party at their house, so I offered to come get Sasha. She was more than willing to let me take her, since Sasha had been dying of boredom all weekend. I wasn’t sure how well it would go being solo with two kids, but it actually ended up really well. I mean, both Troy and Sasha are great kids, so that helped.

I let them loose on the play area first, and they spent over an hour running, climbing, and chasing each other around the equipment. Then, we explored the mini diorama of the Dallas landmarks and built experimental cars to race down the giant ramp. Finally, we ended up in the creation lab, where we each made artwork to hang on the wall. Troy and I made variations of lizards, and Sasha made a rainbow.

After Legoland, I took the kids to get gingerbread cookies, which they ate on the way to the Rainforest Cafe. They happily chomped on their cookies as we watched the animatronic crocodile growl at all of the children. Afterward, I let them roam around the Rainforest Cafe gift shop and play with all the toys. Other than Sasha constantly asking me to buy her something, they did pretty well entertaining themselves. We ended our mall trip with a quick tour through the bookstore and then headed off.

On the way back to Sasha’s house, the kids serenaded me with Christmas songs. Troy went the more traditional route, while surprisingly Sasha made up her own custom songs. More surprising than the fact that Sasha loved to sing with just as much enthusiasm and volume as Troy was that her preferred genre was rap. So, I got an earful of Christmas rap, as the two of them took turns rapping the next line of their made up song and giggling at each other’s contributions. It was so cute that I wished I’d gotten it on video.

Sasha’s parents were very surprised and appreciative that I had kept the kids out and entertained for four hours. They had plenty of time to clean their house. They were also shocked to hear that I had braved the mall and holiday crowds with two kids on my own. Honestly, I had a blast with them.