Memorial Weekend--Grand Canyon

Sunday morning, Joe had to spend some time in the O.R. so we packed up after breakfast and waited for him to get back before hitting the road for the southern rim of the Grand Canyon.  I was so excited for this trip.  I've never seen the Grand Canyon so I couldn't wait!

We arrived around 4:00 p.m. and it was windy and cold.  We checked into our hotel room at the Yavapai Lodge but it actually wasn't even a lodge.  The "hotel" was several buildings laid out in the middle of the woods.  We were in building #3 and they reminded me of the girl's camp cabins from the old "Parent Trap" movie starring Hayley Mills.  The buildings were green and looked a little questionable.  The room was tiny and our bathroom was for the handicapped so the kids were freaking out at the drain in the floor and just a curtain for the shower that even had a chair in it!  Joe and I were giggling at our children's complaints about such a cramped room and realized how spoiled they are when we go on family trips.  It was definitely a room designed for a lot of family bondage, I mean, bonding.  The hotel was clean and freshly painted and it was right out in the woods so we actually thought it was perfect, even though it was so small.  Three of the kids slept in one queen-sized bed, Joe and I took the other, and Clark slept in a roll-away bed that was wedged between the foot of our bed and the dresser with the TV on it.  After settling in, the kids changed into jackets and jeans and rushed right outside to collect rocks, stick, pinecones, and play amongst the trees.

The kids climbed all over this fort behind the hotel

We took the shuttle up to the  Bright Angel Lodge to grab some dinner and take a quick peek at the Grand Canyon.  It was awesome!  It was starting to get dark and unfortunately there were too many clouds so we couldn't see a beautiful sunset but the views were breathtaking.  After dinner, we grabbed a map and headed back to our room to plan the next day's visit.

Monday morning we got up, packed the car, grabbed some breakfast at the Canyon Cafe (terrible food and way too pricey) and jumped on the shuttle to start our hike towards Hermit's Rest and see the Grand Canyon.  We had a great time hiking along the trails and taking pictures.  Katelyn even stole the camera for a while to take some pics.  Be prepared for a lot of pictures from several different angles.  It was amazing.

 

 

I'm taking pictures of my posing kids and here is my husband marking his territory along the trail.

Each child had to have a walking stick to assist them with their hike along the paved walkway.

 

Wow!  Obviously this is a pic that Katelyn took.  I wanted people to think we're normal!

Jake found a quarter and looked all along the trail for "telescopes" so that he could see the Grand Canyon better.  He finally got his wish when we stopped at Hermit's Rest for some water and snacks.  He was so excited and kept yelling at everyone to look through the telescope.

After our hike, we headed to the Hopi House and El Tovar Hotel to pick out souvenirs and watch the Native Americans put on a show.  They did some awesome dances and their costumes were so neat.

We got back on the shuttle in the late afternoon and headed home.  We had such a great time.  No children fell off any cliffs, nobody lost any possessions, everyone followed Mom's threats and rules, and we can't wait to do it again when we have a few days to spend there and hike all over the trails!