We left New Mexico and headed straight into Arizona – hot! Our first stop was Willcox for another chance to spend time with family. Ayrril’s sister Kerry lives there on a farm full of horses, dogs, boys, and other animals. It was a blast! The boys caught snakes, rode horses, slept outside, and hunted mice. We even got Al to take us on a tour of the Border Patrol station where he works.
While we were there, we found out that our friends Adam and Jennifer (the ones we met for breakfast way back in Gentry, Arkansas!) were driving through Arizona from the west coast on their own epic RV road trip. Our paths intersected in Phoenix where we met for breakfast again, this time for amazing Mexican food at Dick’s Hideaway. Awesome restaurant, awesome friends.
Next stop – Kingman, a great place to relax by the pool. The boys got to hang out with their cousins, we got all the sun we could handle, and we all enjoyed a little bit of time off the road with family. Kingman has a surprisingly cool downtown area with a great wine bar, coffee shop, and a soon-to-be-opened microbrewery. We even got some much needed Rock Band time with Ammie. Billie Joe and the Sister Wives still rocks the house!
As an added treat, when we finally got our act together enough to go hit the Grand Canyon (something we skipped on the front end), Codi, Morgan, and Sarah got to join us on the adventure! We drove over on Route 66 and actually stayed in the National Park Service lodging near the south rim. There were elk and mule deer wandering through the trees, the sunset and sunrise were amazing, and the views were stunning. We got up early, caught the 5:30 bus to the South Kaibab trailhead, and hiked down to the appropriately named Ooh Aah Point. Looking over a mile down into the canyon was incredible but the best part was watching daylight spread over the cliffs. Seriously, Mother Nature, now you’re just showing off! On the way back up we saw the US Forest Service mule train heading down to Phantom Ranch on the valley floor. Next time we’re going all the way to the bottom. 🙂
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- Bridger with a couple of his cousins. That’s Spencer the Snake Whisperer holding a Red Racer on the left. He never met a snake he couldn’t catch! These lucky snakes were relocated to the barn to help catch mice.
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- Most of the snakes they find on the farm are harmless or even helpful, but when they find a rattlesnake, it’s gotta go! Carson and Spencer killed and skinned this one.
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- There it is! One of our first views of the canyon. It’s unbelievable.
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- Pack mule! 🙂 That’s Carson giving Sara a lift. What a good guy.
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- Mule deer on the South Rim.
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- Waiting for the 5:30 (a.m.!) bus to the South Kaibab Trail.
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- On the South Kaibab Trail headed down, down, down…
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- Cousins! 🙂 Bridger and Morgan on the trail.
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- Early morning…we got to watch the sun rise in the canyon. So beautiful.
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- Turns out Ooh Ahh Point is the perfect name!
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- Another shot from the Point.
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- It’s really impossible to capture the expanse and the grandeur.
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- A pair of mule deer fawns we spotted near the Bright Angel trailhead.
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- Our future plans for the canyon include an end-to-end raft trip and a rim-to-rim hike! Can’t wait!
All Over The Map 