Buckle up, because this is going to be a fantastically long post full of pictures that I couldn't pare down any more than I did. I tried to control mW
We started the day with a long drive from Scottsdale to the Grand Canyon - three hours. That's too long for one movie, but too short for two, in case you wondered. When we got up to the gate, we tried to talk to the guard about the fact that we'd printed off our 4th Grader national parks pass, but he got all snide with us and told us we needed to have the actual card. When Jana tried to ease things along and just pay for our entrance, he got more uppity and said 'I don't want your money, I just want you to do things the right way.' That set the tone for our entire day.
We got all the kids a jr park ranger booklet, so they all had objectives for their ages. First up, all the ages needed to view a video about how the Grand Canyon was created over thousands of years. It was a neat show. When we got out, the kids all took a few minutes to fill out the first couple of pages.
One of the things we were supposed to look for for the boys was a fossil. These were all over the place, but the boys loved the first one they found. I asked Cole why he loved this one. He said it was the Heart of Tefiti
Showing off some big rocks.
Standing in a photo spot at the Grand Canyon; pretty much their first good look at it. It took my breath away then, and when I edited the photos, I was breathless again. Even looking at the photos as I blog today, it's just stunning to me!
Proof I was at the Grand Canyon, since I'm sure photos from my own point of view aren't enough.
From that same lookout point, without people. How can I see something like this and not nearly cry for the beauty of it?! It's just so huge and stark and terrifying!
Carson, working on his jr badge book.
I loved seeing all the plant life, especially the purple cactus!
Lizzie found a little worm of some sort. It looked so strange.
Loved this moment of Evie contemplating the grandeur before her!
Evie, working on her book.
Lizzie and Cole were so involved in digging, they completely missed the neat discussion on commerce in the Grand Canyon.
A nod to the natives who lived at the formidable canyon.
I was in love with all the amazing colors all over! Seriously, though, walking even on the safe side of the barrier gave me vertigo for a good part of our visit. I kept getting dizzy. I figure, at least it kept me safe to feel sick; I was never in danger of falling over the edge!
This was one of the first hotels at the Grand Canyon. It had a neat history, too.
Playing with Evie and her sunglasses.
The kids were such troopers! They wondered up and down the South Rim with us, filling out their notebooks, leap-frogging over one another to get the best views.
While on one of the shuttles between sections of the Canyon, we spotted some elk.
Inside the Native American house was a store of mostly Native-made items. I loved the blankets and bead bowls!
I can't even keep telling how amazing the Grand Canyon was. Just scroll blissfully through some of the views we ogled over.
In this one, just down of center, you can see a sliver of the Colorado River.
Brothers...
...and sisters.
One of the times on the shuttle. Just about worn out!
Getting a look at the layers that exist in the Grand Canyon.
Favorite feature! They handed out these menus at the restaurant we stopped at. We were puzzled at first, since they didn't hand out crayons. But someone pointed out that it was pressure sensitive...so we could 'color' the pages with our tableware! Look at Cole, coloring with his spoon!
Since it was pressure sensitive, the colors are all the same on each page. But it did keep the kids entertained, trying to see which spots could be turned colorful.
Before lunch, Grandma let each of the kids pick a souvenir to remember this amazing trip. Lizzie chose a bag of beautiful rocks.
Cole also chose rocks, but his were exclusively quartz.
Carson chose a little view-finder that shows a view of the Grand Canyon. He can see it whenever he wants!
Evie chose a thermos cup so she could always see the Grand Canyon and also so she could drink hot chocolate on her way to the bus.
A little video of the color sheet in action.
After lunch, there was more wandering, more finding stunning spots along the South Rim.
I relinquished my camera to let the kids take a few pictures. A couple of those up in the 'scroll through and love' section are from Evie and Lizzie.
Some steep steps to sit on.
One of the last things we did was watch a demonstration on creepy crawlers in the Grand Canyon. Mostly centered on arachnids...so really creepy crawly to me!
Grandma bought us all ice cream before leaving the park.
Sometimes a panoramic photo taken on a phone is pretty awesome on it's own!
I drooled over the gorgeous sunset we watched as we drove the three hours home!
Got a chuckle out of this, since there was a well advertised at this location. I'd be wary of any water from Montezuma's Well!
When all was said and done, it was a fantastic day and we truly wished we'd been able to spend even more time there...next time we'll have to do an overnight trip! The kids were all ready to drop into bed when we got back to the hotel. Such a great day!
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