Awesome Wonder - Week 5

Week 5

23^rd to 31^st of August

As I am sitting here under the darkest sky imaginable( it IS actually the darkest spot on the ‘light pollution’ map of the US), it is time again to reflect on a whirlwind of a few days.

Yes, it’s taking me right back to where I last left you…. Zion National Park..

Final note on Bryce: our final stop there was at the visitor center. We were so excited to find international stamps and even a facility to post our long overdue cards…we were carrying them along in my hand bag since Iceland!!! Yay!!

We choose a scenic drive through Mormon Country in a drizzly late morning. Our mouths started watering by the idea of some authentic German bakery, which was advertised on the Highway on BIG billboards. Mmm, we pulled off in great anticipation. Both Arno and I went to investigate, but returned back to the Suburban empty handed. Nope, not really what we had in mind. The turkey dry wraps had to perform their duty once again…. A few miles further our hope shot straight back up: Thunderbird Authentic Pie Shop was advertised!!!! Again we pulled off the highway…this time only I went in, a little less enthusiastic than our first attempt. Well, I asked for the menu, in what looked like a sit-down diner…and I could not even find the word: ‘pie’ in there. Needless to say, we gave up!! From Mount Carmel Junction (disappointing pie country)…(for those of you who do not know - this is also the name of our children’s former school in Scotland!!) it was only 30min to the gate of Zion National Park (Utah).

From the point of entering this park, we were speechless about the grandiosity of these monuments of rock. For once the kids were actually looking out the window and commenting on the ‘mine craft’-rock faces and towers!! Now ‘mine craft’ is an I-pad craze where you can create all sorts of buildings or natural features by stacking up blogs on top of one another. Bearing that in mind, you can start to get a little picture in your ‘mine’(!!!) about the ‘craft’(!!) of these rock faces….and give your spiritual mind wings about the Great Creator!!

Next up was a dark tunnel (you really had to put your headlights on to see anything!!), 1.1mile long built in 1926!! It opens up in a total new landscape: hairpin bendy road winding it’s way down to the valley floor with sheer drops to a tiny river down there somewhere…. Looking up, flat vertical rock cathedrals demanding awe and reference.

With only one road into the canyon floor, it can get a bit congested, so the park has adopted an awesome system of free shuttle busses to transport the yearly 2.5 million visitors. No public vehicles are allowed on the side road into the most narrow part of the canyon, but it was so much easier just to sit back on the shuttle, listen to some information about the canyon and enjoying the scenery.

After an initial wet start to our day, it dried up nicely, and we were over the moon to be pitching our tent in hot blazing sunshine. Little did we know…..

We orientated ourselves, got onto the shuttle and departed to conquer our first hiking route in Zion. We decided to do a very short flat(wheelchair accessible) hike at the very back of the canyon. This leads to the most photographed area of Zion, called: ‘the narrows’ (very tight river canyon with marvelous light patterns in reflection…or so the pictures are telling me it looks like!!!) Needless to say, the dark clouds started gathering as we got onto the bus, and Thomas in particular, started freaking out already…. (Golden eagles, rattle snakes and now thunder storms…..that boy’s mind is taking him places…) Anyhow, we got out of the bus, just to be driven back on the bus by the thundery rain. A bit further down the valley we tried again..another flat children friendly walk…started on it, just to be sent back by a noisy thunder clap!! Very successful (not) afternoon in Zion!!!

Back at our tent-we just made it inside- al heavens opened. The older kids were hiding in the suburban and Arno and I were brewing a coffee in the waterproof tent (5pm). Nina was hiding in my lap with her fingers stuck in her ears!! Now, I really need to commend VANGO – this tent can withstand the wildest of thundery persistent rainstorms imaginable!! By 6pm the nature orchestra took a tea break…enough time for the kids to come and join us. Arno and Thomas felt very proud at this stage…earlier the afternoon they lost a few tent pegs in their attempt to secure our abode. They rolled in the help of some cast-away boulders to perform the duty and stood back to admire their work. Come 6pm, we realized that some other lazy campers had lost their tents to the trees and were preparing to overnight in their cars!!!

With a few extra lullabys we manage to settle the children for the night. By this time Nina had her fingers glued into her ears.( I woke up a few times during the night and found her sound asleep, still with those fingers stuck into her ears….I tried to pulled them out, but even in her sleep she was unmovable in her resolution to block out ALL thunder claps!!!)

Next morning we attempt one of the ‘flat’ walks again and was rewarded with a waterfall-shower we had to walk trough to get to the view point! Very welcoming in the soaring temperatures.

Onwards into Arizona..and the suspense in seeing the greatest of them all (!!!) was building up. First a little detour to view Lake Powell. Fantastic to see this lovely blue wonder, straight slap bang in the middle of a dry brown dessert! We visited the Navajo (authentic Indians) culture and art center at Cameron Lodge an aged old outpost. Our eyes nearly popped out when we saw the sizes of our local Navajo Tacos plate. Served on a fried bread, the size of a dinner plate…..we did finish it all!!!

As the late afternoon sun hit the little Colorado Plato, the carved up landscape slowly came into view. What more can I say: awesome wonder!! Not one picture that we took of the Grand Canyon can give you a clear understanding of the immense beauty, vast expanse and unmentionable debt of this valley!!  What is really interesting, is that the plato is covered in 2 to 3 meter high bushy trees…you do not see the canyon until you are literally standing on the rim!!! The first explores in 1864 could not cope with the illusive perspective of the debt of it, they turned around and went to search for something a bit more spectacular!!!

We spend two nights in the Mather campground, went for a walk and picnic on the rim and then took the shuttle bus to the most western look-out, since no public traffic is allowed on that stretch of road.

We befriended the most humble man: Mr Geroge Moreno. He served in the US airforce and was stationed in Ghana, Germany and Korea. Once retired from the forces, he took up a job as a park ranger, with retirement coming up in November. He has travelled the world, raised four children with his wife (who travelled with him) and we met him cleaning the toilets of the ablutions nearest to our tent! We are looking forward in welcoming him on this next trip to South Africa.

I had my 3hours out (remember Arno had his when he went mtb’ing!!) on our last morning at ‘Grandest’ of Canyons, by walking down the Bright Angle trail to the 3mile rest house. I was on the trail for 6am and had the most peaceful and beautiful morning as I watched the sun rises from within the canyon. Meanwhile, George dove over to our tent and Arno was blessed with a beautiful morning coffee, especially made for him by our new friend!!! Hey, the favor of God is upon us!!!

With one last view of the deepest canyon in the world, a few souvenirs (Navajo sand art and earnings) later, we were on our way to the city-that’s-always-buzzing…Las Vegas, Nevada. We had so much to do…the 4hour journey dragged on a bit…unfortunately for Arno, it was after sunset when we eventually arrived at the Hoover dam. Although there were other’s like us, all of us had to make up the scene of the second largest dam in the world in our minds!! We thought it would be tourist friendly and lit up…nope….

Back to the journey from Grand Canyon Village to Las Vegas….We had a lunch stop in the little surprise of a Route 66 town, Williams. Next up was Selligman…a very cute little Interstate by-pass, also on the historically Route 66. Now, those of you who had younger children 6 years ago, will be familiar with the blockbuster Cars. (Thomas must have seen that move over a hundred times…) Now, the little town of Selligman, apparently, was the inspiration for Radiator Springs, the little town in Cars. The villiagers caught onto this opportunity to recreate the tourist business in this formerly Route 66 hub….and we had the best root beer-float and pineapple shake (Philippa’s choice!!) at the ‘silly’shop’.

Next stop, Kingman. We trusted our ‘Moon’ guide book with their suggestion of a authentic diner, and Mr D’s, did not disappoint!! With a juke-box in the corner, Marilyn and Elvis memorabilia, furnished in pink and turquois ….just perrrrrfect!!

With all these diversions…you can understand why we kinda missed out on a view of the Hoover dam….And why it was 9pm already, before we got to our ‘fancy hotel’!!! (The whole day Nina was excited about arriving at our ‘fancy hotel”…’with the swimming pool’! Mind you, any old hotel would have been fine…since we were desperado for a shower….4 days and counting since the last one…baby wipes are amazing, but can just substitude water for SO LONG!!!) Well, our hotel was like a dream come true…Vegas style. This include the free drinks and snacks every evening, AMAZING cooked breakfast, swimming pool with hot tub…and do not forget the real(yes I am not kidding) swans in the little pond in the foyer.

We had time to clean up, do the washing, catch up with friends(free wifi…yes baby!!!) relax in the pool, meet some South Africans/now Americans and visit the down town-largest-in-the-world M&M store (4 stories high!!). Our late night trip to watch the musical fountains in front of the Bellagio and the volcano exploding in front of Cesar’s palace (together with every other tourist in Vegas, was a bit overwhelming…..but hey ho, we were in Las Vegas!!!!

Thomas and Alana will remember Las Vegas for the gym sessions they had with mum and dad at the ‘fancy hotel’.

Alana says she will also remember Las Vegas for the loudness(I guess ‘loudness’ in colour is included here) vs the quietness of the National Parks with their beautiful bright stars.

I will remember Vegas for the sore back I had after carrying a sleeping Nina for hours (or so it felt) dodging people and taking in a showcase of fakeness!! I loved the whole experience!!!

Only one more week left to explore the US….aaaaaa time is passing so quickly! Especially if you are having this amount of fun-filled experiences to digest!!!

Yosemite National Park here we come……