Category: Family

I took some pics with the underwater camera of the kids playing in the pool today. Here’s some of my favorites.

Aidan

Falyn

Jared

Riley

We made it back home in record time, stopping just one time along the way to get gas and lunch. Everyone was happy to be back home. After unloading the car, we all jumped into the pool. We had a great trip, but it is nice to be back home.

It’s our last day at the Grand Canyon so we decided to take one last hike down into the canyon. We went down the South Kaibab Trail to Ooh-Ahh point. The name certainly does this spot justice as it is absolutely breathtaking and well worth the hike. It is about a 1.5 mile hike, during which we took many water and snack breaks. Falyn discovered during this hike that it is much easier to go down than to go up. After the hike we had lunch and then headed over to the Visitor Center so they kids could get their Junior Ranger Badges.

We spent the morning and a good part of the afternoon hanging out at camp before heading off down Desert View Drive. We drove all the way out to watchtower, stopping at each point along the way. We then drove back to Grandview Point to watch the sunset.

Hanging Out at Camp

Grandview Point

Moran Point

Tusayan Ruin

Lipan Point

Navajo Point

Desert View

Sunset at Grandview

Firepit Back at Camp

We spent the morning hanging out at camp. After lunch we went to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, where the kids got their Jr. Ranger Night Explorer Patches. We then walked out to Mather Point and hiked over to the Yavapai Geology Museum.

We had a late breakfast this morning then headed off to explore the village area. Dan, Talia, Kayli and Aidan went on a hike down Bright Angel Trail, while Grandma Nancy, Grandpa Ron, Jared, Riley, Falyn and I checked out all the shops. We were very glad we didn’t go on the hike, as a thunderstorm rolled in drenching everyone caught out in it. We got ice cream and sat on a covered patio area outside a shop to watch the rain. During a break in the rain, we spotted a California Condor. The one we spotted was number 33. Meanwhile, the hikers scrambled up against the side of the trail with a rock overhang above them protecting them somewhat from the rain. When the rain stopped, we continued to explore the village shops. We ended up at Verkamp’s Visitor Center just in time for the Ranger Porch Talk on the geology of the canyon. We were joined there by the hikers, who arrived just in time for the talk.

Talia, Kayli and Aidan head down Bright Angel Trail

Talia, Kayli and Aidan sheltering from the rain on Bright Angel Trail

Condor #33 in flight

Condor #33 resting

Talia and the Canyon

It’s raining, it’s pouring…

Canyon after the rain

We headed out early this morning to catch the bus out to Hermits Rest. We parked at the ranger station and took one bus to the Hermits Rest Transfer bus stop. We then got on another bus for the 45 minute ride out to Hermits Rest. We join Ranger Lexie for the Junior Ranger Adventure Hike down Hermit Trail. Ranger Lexie gave the kids the history of the canyon and at one point sent them off on a fossil hunt. Falyn the the twins really loved hunting for all the fossils listed on the sheets the Ranger handed out. You get a whole new perspective on the canyon when you walk down into it. I really think all visitors should hike down a trail into the canyon, even if it just for a short hike. After our hike, we caught the bus back, stopping at Hopi Point to take pictures of the Colorado River. We also got rained on at this stop. When we got back to camp, we found that the ravens had pecked into our watermelon! Everyone was tired from our long hike, so we spent a quiet evening at camp.

Waiting at the bus stop

On the bus

Made it to Hermits Rest

Ranger Lexie talking about the canyon

Looking for fossils

Hiking down Hermit Trail

Jared and Riley on Hermit Trail

Falyn taking a break

The boys taking a break

Talia and Kayli on Hermit Trail

Snack break

View of Canyon from down the trail

We made it back to the top of the trail!

Waiting for the bus

At Hopi Point

What was left of the watermelon

This morning we headed off to the Ranger Station to pick up a Junior Ranger Discovery Pack for the kids. Ranger Lexi taught the kids how to use the items in the Discovery pack and gave them each a field journal. She explained that the kids who completed the field journal would earn a patch. She then took us on a hike from the Ranger Station to the Trail of Time. We then hiked down the Trail of Time to Verkamp’s Visitors Center. During the hike Falyn kept busy trying to spot lizards. She got so excited every time we found one. We also had a deer jump right across the trail while we were hiking. When we reached the visitor center, we stopped for a snack. A squirrel tried to join in our snack. He ran off after discovering we were not going to give him any of our food. After refilling our water bottles, we hiked a bit more down the rim trail. Everywhere you looked along the rim trail the image was just breath taking. At times it looked like a painting and was hard to believe that it was real. It is impossible to take it all in. After our hike, we took the shuttle bus back to the Ranger Station where we had parked our car that morning. We headed back to the camp site to wait for Dan’s parents, who would be joining us for the next several days. They arrived in the afternoon and we helped them get their campsite set up. Then the kids finished up their field journals and we took them back to the ranger station where Ranger Lexi swore them in as Junior Rangers and gave them their awards.

We left at 6 am this morning and drove to the Grand Canyon. We only stopped twice and made it there around 2:30 in the afternoon. We got two of the tents up before an afternoon thunderstorm struck. It was pouring down rain while Dan and I put up the third tent. The kids were able to wait out the storm nice and dry in their tents. It stopped raining a bit after we finished getting up the last tent. We went over to Mather Point, but left the camera behind because it was still drizzling and cloudy it wouldn’t have made for very good pictures. They have a ban on campfires due to fire danger, so we had to cook our dinner on the propane stove. Once it got dark, we all headed to our tents. The boys are all in one tent, with the girls in another one. Dan and I have our own tent. It didn’t take long for the kids to fall asleep. Everyone is looking forward to exploring the canyon tomorrow.

We had a great 4th of July! The boys started out the day participating in the Huntington Beach 4th of July parade with the cub scouts.

Meanwhile, the girls had fun participating in a neighborhood bike parade.

After lunch, we had an epic neighborhood water-balloon fight.

We then had a big BBQ followed by hours of fireworks fun.