October 5, 2023: We Went to the Bottom of the Grand Canyon!!!

DID YOU KNOW? Over 4.7 million people travel to the Grand Canyon every year…and

less than 5% of them make it down to the very bottom of the Grand Canyon.

On October 4th , Mom and Dad surprised us with an early Christmas present…a trip to the bottom of the Canyon! The next morning, which happened to also be Mom and Dad’s 26th

wedding anniversary, we returned to the Grand Canyon Historic train station in Williams. This

time though, it was to climb into a small bus (our crew took up 8 of the 14 seats) that had been rigged to handle the really rough roads we’d soon be driving. Our driver, Chris, was wonderful. The two-hour trip to the bottom was a relaxing ride…at least until we hit the actual Canyon, when the road became a gravel path full of bumps, washboards, switchbacks, and more. At that point, it became more like an amusement park ride that us young folks enjoyed.

The beautiful scenery going down into the Canyon was just as stunning as it was when

viewed from the top, perhaps even more so. Near the bottom, most of us in the bus opted to

get out and hike the last 1.2 miles down to the Colorado River.

After a quick lunch, we had a blast swimming in the very cold Colorado River and playing in the amazingly soft sand. It took a while for us to decide to do more than just wade, but after watching Chris dive in – uniform and all, we decided to brave the cold and join the fun. He showed us the best places to swim around in without stepping on rocks, and dared us to jump off some whitewater rafts that were tied in on the beach. Thankfully, the air temperature was in the upper 90’s, so once we got out, we warmed up pretty quickly.

After our all-too-brief time at the bottom, it was time to turn around and begin the trip

back up. Despite being wet and tired, the trip up was as wonderful and the trip down. Randall

somehow managed to fall asleep in spite of the major bumpiness. A short stop was made at the Route 66 – Degadillo’s Snowcap Drive-In for some amazing, sweet treats, and then it

was back to the train station where Kram-A-Lot Inn waited for us with the pups. We were sad

when the trip came to an end, but left with wonderful memories.

From the top of the Canyon, it’s easy to see the size and grandeur of the Grand

Canyon…but once you begin traveling farther and farther down into the Canyon, it becomes all the more real and spectacular. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip that none of us will ever forget. Thanks Mom and Dad! And thank you, Lord, for creating such beautiful places for us to enjoy.

Until next time, God bless!