Time for the Grand Canyon

I got up really excited to head for the Grand Canyon! I have been there before, once as a child and just this past Christmas. I barely remember the experience as a youngster and when I made the visit during last holiday season, snow and clouds blocked all the views just minutes after I arrived. Also, both previous visits had been to the South Rim of the park. I had recently found out that the North Rim was a bit higher in elevation and was covered in green unlike the desert to the South. I made it to a campground just outside of the North Rim before it got dark and was able to pick out a good spot to pitch my tent, make dinner and get another fire going :) It was much cooler than earlier in the day when I was riding through the Arizona desert. Oh! I almost forgot to mention that the drive to the Grand Canyon from CO has almost as amazing scenery as the Grand Canyon itself. Almost.

I really don't have much to say other than everyone should make a trip to this place. The word, stunning, comes to mind but somehow words just don't do it...
Here are a few pics.




I spent about half of the following day exploring the North Rim of the park and then headed off towards New Mexico to visit my Dad and Stepmother in Albuquerque. It was Freakin' Hawt riding through the Arizona desert and my goal was to stop at a campground that my Mom told me about just South of Flagstaff. I came across this really neat Navajo Reservation Center where I took some more photos and tried to cool off but as you can tell, it wasn't in the cards ;)





I made it to Flagstaff and thought that when I got off my bike I would be walking at an angle. Why? you ask... Well I had to fight pounding winds all day long that required me to ride my bike leaned over in order to go straight-NOT FUN. Anyway, I rode into Flagstaff and looked for an ice cream joint! After eating a yummy blizzard with chocolaty peanut butter cups in it I rode towards Sedona to find the campground. (It never occurred to me that it was Friday, July 2nd, and that everyone was headed out to their favorite vacation spots). I was disappointed to find that all of the campgrounds were full. I just kept riding South and the temperature kept rising. I figured that I would adjust my direction to one that would get me going towards Albuquerque and that I would eventually find a campground along the way. Well, after passing through Sedona and then changing course, luck was not mine. I kept going but I was overheating badly. All I could think about was a swimming pool. I soon decided that a hotel room with AC was a must, so I pulled over for the night.