A "Grand"canyon New Years

It never ceases to amaze me, how different, diverse and beautiful the desert is. The picture on the left is the view out to my left while we were on the road and the picture on the right was the subsequent view to my right...just look at the color difference!

New Years Eve and we hit the road early... "Goodbye California", we already miss you but "Hello Arizona" and the anticipation of the Grand Canyon!

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day! Good thing we decided to travel in the middle of winter as we found out at the beginning of the trip that the air conditioner unit wouldn't cool anything to save it's life.

 It was a race to get to the Grand Canyon before dark. I had made peace with the idea that if we didn't see it that night (New Year's Eve) that it would be there to greet us New Years morning. Ben was determined!! Adamant really..."There's still 30 minutes of dusk after sunset...we can make this!!!" "We are going to see the Grand Canyon if it's the last thing we do!!!!

Well we did...after sprinting in practically almost complete darkness but we had about 5 minutes of dusk left...enough to see enough to see some definition of part of the canyon...and even better, to see the blanket of stars reveal themselves for us! There were only two other couples out on one of the viewpoints. It was one of the most special moments I have shared with Ben.

Needless to say we were in such a hurry to get out there that we left our headlamps in the truck...trying to get back in the dark was...interesting to say the least...but all part of a good memory.

Happy New Year! I opened my eyes to this view from the truck.

 We found out that there was a no open or wood fire policy...charcoal only...the problem was that it was so cold outside that the charcoal wouldn't heat up...Thank God for lighter fluid...good thing I brought a pyromaniac with me too...nothing would stop him from cooking brunch!

 I tried my hand at making cowboy coffee...love it! A little rough as it was my first attempt but I love how simple of a process it is...are you ready to learn? All you do is add the appropriate number of scoops of coffee to boiling water...let it boil a bit and then let the coffee grounds sink to the bottom of your pot and pour out the coffee that is on top and that's it...no filters, no brewing machines.

 The majority of the photos that I took were on my DSLR camera (that I have yet to download) but my wonderful phone helped me to capture this panoramic shot!!! Words can't express the awe that both Ben and I felt throughout our walk along part of the Canyon ridge. Every few steps we would stop and see a completely beautiful and unique picture/painting of the canyon. Breathtaking is an understatement. 

 We will be coming back. This day (and a half trip) was just a preview for us. We want to spend a week or so, hiking and camping down into the canyon. On a side note, I am so happy that we chose to go at this time of year...yes it was a little cold (esp at night) but on the plus side, it was significantly quiet and people free...I can only imagine what kind of a zoo the canyon must become during the more warmer and popular times of the year.

This little collage I made with a fun free phone app, once we got back on the road...a little recap of our amazing first two days on the road...Next stop...picking up Ben's "Little Blue"...To Be Continued...

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace

     will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will
     blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy,
     while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.
- John Muir