Arizona - Mother's Day at the Grand Canyon, 8 May 2011

Photo: "Lady, do you know how to bake biscuits"? Had the answer been 'yes', I'd have been kidnapped.

It was a beautiful day—perfect for a trip on the Grand Canyon Railroad.

We were at the train station by 8:30 am to pick up our ticket for the dome car. It’s about a 3 hr trip and I wanted to make sure we saw everything there was to see, whether it was left, right, or above us. It was a sold-out trip so there were probably 3-400 people on 7 cars. About 45 minutes before the trip, a trio of very talented ‘cowboys’ put on a great show at the western village. They were hilarious and the crowd was very entertained until we heard ‘all aboard’.

The trip was less than I expected (given the cost) but very enjoyable and we certainly arrived much more relaxed than if we had driven. I think I expect to see a much more rugged landscape but it was a lot of miles of scrubby flatland until we got closer to the canyon and began to see large fir trees. A nice continental breakfast buffet was served and the time went quickly.

We had about 3 hrs at the canyon and Wayne opted to do the walk around the farthest part of the South rim. I went the opposite way along the nice, flat path and really got too close once or twice to the unfenced ledge. Except for a few clear patches, it was overcast with a solid white cloud cover which didn’t make for a great photo day but I got a few good shots. The Grand Canyon is definitely one of those places that falls into the photo category of “sunrise or sunset” shooting only.

We boarded the train back to Williams and after some nice snacks and sparkling wine, we settled in. About a half hour from home, the train was ‘robbed’ by the same cowboys from the morning entertainment. We had lots of good laughs…I’m not sure how they do this twice a day, every day and still keep it fresh—but they do.

The temperature has dropped and showers are forecasted for tomorrow. It’s hard to get cranky over rain when this is a desert and any bit of precipitation is welcomed.

Till next time, love and hugs to all.