As Homer J. said, "Ah, the Grand Canyon! What a ... grand ... canyon..."

Maggie had never been before and it had been probably 10 years since I had visited with my family. We flew into Phoenix on Saturday morning and headed straight north up Interstate 17. We stopped at a Living History Museum along the way to get a glimpse of what life was like in Phoenix circa 1890. Even though the townfolk hadn't quite brought their "A" game, it proved to be pretty interesting. We even got to witness a gunfight involving an outlaw by the name of "Muley."

We got back on the road toward the East entrance and encountered no fewer than 3 seasons along the way. The road rises and falls and twists and turns as it climbs up to the 7,000 feet elevation at the canyon's Southern rim. One minute it would be 65 degrees and sunny. Literally over the next hill it would be 43 and snowing. I'm pretty sure it caught some hikers off guard since a lot of them seemed to have only windbreakers with them as they took off toward the paths.

As you approach the first viewpoint of the Grand Canyon, one of the strangest things you realize is how flat the land is leading up to the edge. I can't imagine what Coronado and his men must have thought when they "discovered" it in 1540. Most every American child has seen pictures of the canyon in school. While a postcard is far from seeing it in person, the Europeans had virtually nothing at all to compare it to. It was also probably a good thing they didn't stumble across it at night...

As you see more and more of it you really can't help but feel small. No picture or account can capture the immense size or presence that it seems to exude. Watching the sun's last rays bounce off the rocks was a very peaceful way to end our first day. We ate dinner at a restaurant right there on the rim and headed to a little town just outside the park for the night. The next morning, we woke up early to go down to the Grand Canyon Park Airport to take a flight out over the canyon. This was one of the most memorable parts of the trip. The point at which you cross over from rim to chasm is probably the most incredible. They took us for a 50-minute ride over toward the Northern rim and right over the top of the inner gorge. While some incoming clouds made the last few minutes a little bumpy, the view was definitely worth it.

On our way back to Phoenix, we took the scenic route via Sedona. The landscape changes rather dramatically from a mountainous national forest with a twisty, turvy road to a scene out of an old Western movie (a bunch of Westerns actually were shot in this area) in a matter of miles. The views are pretty striking. Red rocks and buttes abound. They've got all sort of names for them, some are fitting, others I'm not sure about. It was a nice stopover point though and the drive was well worth it. A few hours and a guacemole-laden meal later and we were back on the road to Phoenix.

Normally that is the point at which I would stop the blog. The travel day was challenging enough that I felt it worth a mention. Maggie made it out on our third try but I spent roughly 9 hours walking back and forth between 3 gates only to be rejected time after time. Finally though, my name got called from the list and I made the short flight home. Better late than never. It probably isn't even my worst Monday on record...