Day 1 & 2

Day 1 Driving to Arizona

Yes we actually did leave at (nearly) 4am!  We were actually on the road at about 4:15.  We had hoped the girls would sleep for a while to make the day's 8 hour drive a little easier, but they were too excited.  They did nap later though.  We Drove to Ludlow where we made a pit stop and had breakfast in the Ludlow Cafe.  Then we pressed on to the Arizona border and got our first glance of the Colorado River.  We snapped a quick picture of the "Welcome to Arizona" sign and were on our way.  We arrived in Williams, AZ at about 1:30pm and set up camp at the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park.  After a dip in the indoor heated pool, we went grocery shopping and BBQ'd hamburgers at the trailer for a tasty dinner.  After getting up so early, we were pretty tired and all went to bed early.

Day 2 The Grand Canyon

We caught a Wild West Show before boarding the Grand Canyon Railway for our 2 hour ride to the Grand Canyon.  The train was a lot of fun for the girls... there were traveling musicians that made the ride a lot of fun.  Mikaela announced that this was “the best train ride of (her) life!” 

Once at Grand Canyon Village we walked up from the train depot for our first real glimpse of the canyon.  It was really a great sight, we were all amazed at the colors and the depth of the canyon.  We could see hikers down on the Bright Angel Trail.  After eating lunch at the Bright Angel Lodge, we boarded the shuttle bus to take us to the Yavapai Observation Station.  From there, we hiked .75 miles along the Rim Trail to Mather Point.  The vistas were amazing and the weather was beautiful (about 75 and clear with a pleasant breeze), I feel sorry for all the folks who have to come in the summer heat!  Along the trail we saw bighorn sheep perched precariously on the edge.  We had wanted to spend time at the Visitor’s Center at Mather Point, but we had to catch the shuttle back to train depot to catch our 4pm train back to Williams.  

The train ride home was enough more fun:  A violin player let Aislinn play a tune (he helped a lot) and then after a visit to the café car, our train was robbed!  Cowboys on horseback boarded the train and held us all up!  One of them says they were also looking for a bride among the crowd… preferably one who could cook, so I was safe!  We also saw antelope and deer on the ride home which made it extra special.   

In all, we had a great time on the train and at the rim, and we all decided that when the girls are old enough we want to come back and ride burros down the canyon! 

We’re on the road again tomorrow, heading towards New Mexico, Texas and the Diamond Mine in Arkansas… stay tuned!