When driving across the Southwestern United States, you can’t just drive past the Grand Canyon. If you are anywhere in the state of Arizona, you visit the Grand Canyon. Detours be damned. The Bearded One and I followed this rule to the letter and were not disappointed. We were only able to spend a few short hours exploring the canyon rim but it was still a breath taking experience. Yes, it was hot and, yes, it was bright but the majesty of this place cannot be denied. I want to go back to explore, hike, camp, and maybe even ride a mule. I want to lose myself in the power of that place.

I took quite a few photos while we were there but even amazing photographs can’t do the Grand Canyon justice. You have to go, stand on the edge and look into crags and valleys before finally casting your eyes on the horizon to really appreciate this place. When I stood on the edge I became aware of my place in the universe. I was and am very small but surrounded by wondrous things.

My only advice: Go. Experience the Grand Canyon. You won’t be disappointed. Also, don’t forget the sun screen.

In the first week of June, The Bearded One and I shoved as much stuff into our car as possible and set out on a cross country drive for Los Angeles. We covered over 2,100 miles in 4 days through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California . It was eye opening to watch the countryside change from forests to plains to scrub and finally to desert. The thought that 150 years ago people managed to cross this land with wagons and oxen not just to survive but to prosper amazes me. The knowledge that people lived off these plains and deserts hundreds and thousands of years ago is completely mind blowing. It’s one thing to learn these facts in school and something completely different when the truth, land, air, and storms swirl together around you.