Once again the morning came early to write the previous days trip report, eat breakfast and begin the short drive up to the Grand Canyon. The drive was beautiful just like every other one that we have taken thus far and in no time we found ourselves at the southern rim to what I would describe as one of God's greatest natural creations. Next to Pam, AK and little Delaney, of course!
The Grand Canyon has been the part of the trip I have been most excited for. I have always wanted to visit the worlds largest hole next to Aunt Edna's mouth! But, I do need to let all in on a little secret. Every super hero has their Kryptonite, and I am no different. Mine is called HEIGHTS. I don't just have a small fear of heights, I have a massive one. It's so bad that I can't handle it when I see other people are close to the edge. Now, I am fine if there is a protective rail, but I don't want to go anyone near an edge... nor do I want to see anyone else do it!
I told myself and prayed early on that I was going to have to suck it up and overcome my fear so not only could I enjoy the majestic views, but more importantly, my family. Pam even chimed in and had a chat with me about it. Let's just say that all prayers came unanswered, and Pam's conversation was for not--as total fear swept through my body as if someone was pumping ice cold water in my veins.
I could handle the parts were there was a railing. Heck, I could even go up to the railing and look out. It was the areas which there was no protection form a long drop of death that made me shake! I knew I was not going to go near the edge and that would be safe. The issue was my daredevil wife and off spring had other ideas. All three of them have zero fear and a huge sense of adventure. AK led the charge and went right up to one edge giggling with glee, and I lost it. I begged and pleaded with her as my knees shook and I felt like I was going to toss my cookies.
Poor AK was not going to have any of it. She wanted to see the canyon and she wanted the best views possible. I turned to my better half, who I knew would back me on safety being the first priority. My pleading fell on deaf ears. Pam is molded from the same clay as AK and she was not going to allow my irrational fear ruin this for them. It was obvious that I would be winning the Biggest Weenie of the the Trip Award!
I came to the quick decision that I was going to have to walk away from the family to let them and myself enjoy the Grand Canyon. I hiked further up the trail as they climbed up, down and all around the edges having the time of their life. I would stop and look out at a very safe distance to see the views. They caught up with my after a while, and we went back to the railing area to enjoy the canyon as a family.
I must say that it truly is one of the most amazing natural creations that I can know check off my bucket list. I also have a special shout out to Christine Morgan. She was AK's science teacher in 5th grade. AK rattled off all kinds of interesting facts about water erosion and how this must be how the Grand Canyon was formed with the Colorado River. When asked how she knew so much, she stated "Mrs. Morgan taught me!"
After having my intestines cleansed by the experience, we got a bite to eat and headed five more hours to our next adventure and big surprise for the girls. Pam and I had gone back and fourth on whether or not we should include Vegas in the trip when we were planning the adventure. It was not far from where we would be, and I knew I could score us some free rooms. At first we decided not to do it. Then the degenerate gambler in each of us took over, and the answer became a quick yes.
We have always mocked people who bring their kids to Vegas with snide comments and jokes. Now here we were--just like them! It was decided that we would not be gambling while the kids sat off to the side and watched. Nope, this trip to Vegas would be about showing the girls all the cool sites on the strip that they would love.
We kept this part of the trip a surprise and it took them a long time to figure it out, even with all the signs on the road from the hotels telling us how far away we were from Vegas. When they figured it out they were so excited. I could tell that they had not been switched at birth, and they belonged to both Pam and I. Delaney was the most enthused as she found out we would be staying at the pyramid hotel also known as the Luxor.
We walked down the strip and loved watching the girls eyes sparkle at the magic of the lights and sights. Little Delaney fell in love with the Paris while AK really liked "all of them"! My favorite part was going to the Bellagio and seeing the conservatory. This seasons theme with the flowers was Under the Sea. The girls were mesmerized at the pure beauty that had been created with flowers.
Hanging out on the strip and seeing all the sights had been a great deal of fun and something that Pam and I have not done in many years or trips to Vegas. It was great to go through all of the casinos and to see what was new. Plus seeing it through the girl's eyes was awesome. I'm not sure how many miles we logged between walking the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas Strip, but it was apparent that it was a great deal as my legs and body screamed for bed. As I layed in bed, I remembered to thank the good Lord for the opportunity to take the family on this trip. It has been one of the best ones yet!
No comments:
Post a Comment