The Great Big Hole in the Earth….

AKA the Grand Canyon

** Picture Heavy **



I had a great weekend. Went to the Grand Canyon on Saturday October 13th. My son had been wanting to go and had been talking about it. So I decided we would go in the fall when the weather is cooler. It was truly beautiful in at the Grand Canyon. For a big hole in the earth that looks the same no matter which lookout point you are at it is a stunningly beautiful site. Pictures really do not do it justice.



I subscribe that God made the Canyon, carved it out beautifully and to his master plan, and I figure it was probably during the great flood, and not the Colorado over millions or thousands or however many years they say it took the Colorado to carve it out. Either way you beliver it still is a beautiful work of art.



I once again took my little dog with me to go and visit up north. Leaving Neo behind is just not an option. He just doesn’t mind well when left behind. He escaped last year on my vacation to Utah and I almost lost a dog. I now plan to take him with me, or board him if taking him with me is not an option. You’ll see him in a picture later. He did make visiting everything out of the question. He wasn’t allowed in buildings.

Me standing on the edge… Yeah it was scary but it was so cool too



Doesn’t he just look thrilled



This is known as Figure 7



El Tovar – the oldest hotel at and on the south rim.



On our way to the Grand Canyon we stopped in Bedrock City. It is a little Flintstone tourist trap between Williams and The Grand Canyon. Unfortunately, I found it to be a little sad. It seems old and a little uncared for. There is vandalism on much of it. Some things have been broken. I am sure things have been replaced or repaired over the years and new paint added. You just wander through the Flintstone village, there is a Gas and Auto repair shop. Although I am not sure why they need gas, they drove with their feet. Oh well. There was a medical center, and Fred and Wilma’s house, The Rubble House, and the police offer’s house. There was a jail and a huge phone booth and a post off that maybe doubled as a town hall. There was also a big brontosaurs slide and a snake tunnel. We posed with a few of the characters that seemed to be in better condition but where made of plastic instead of the foam most of the other things where made from. Maybe they where newer.



As seen from the Highway



Fred Flintstone



Barney Rubble



I get friendly with the original purple dinosaur, I LOVE DINO!!



We had a late lunch at this cute little Mexican restaurant in Tusayan Arizona. Sophia’s Mexican Kitchen. The chips where fresh the salsa too. You could taste the spices and the tomatoes and onions separately.

Afterwards lunch we went across to the IMAX and watch the Hidden Grand Canyon movie. It was about 30 or so minutes long. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Some of the shots made you feel like you where truly flying above the canyon in the helicopter. The white river rapids scenes where thrilling you could almost imagine you where in the little wooden boat with the explorers.

At the IMAX theater while walking Neo to let him stretch his legs again before heading back to Williams, we encountered a Red-bodied Tarantula (Aphonopelma theraphosidae) I had a blast catching him on film. After 5 minutes of the paparazzi style photo shoot, basically me moving all around him trying to get the best shot he wander off and find a place to hide or continue seeking dinner some where. He would have made an interesting pet and easy to care for it seems.



I barely made it to 10 o’clock Saturday night. I was exhausted, but it was a good exhausted the day was a lot of fun.

Sunday morning we had an excellent breakfast of French toast, bacon, made limp just the way I like it. Apple juice and scrambled eggs with green chilies and cheese.

We set off for Camp Verde about 10:30 maybe a little later, I am thinking maybe it was later. My Dad filled my gas tank for the ride back down the hill, and then treated us to Ice Cream at the Baskin Robins in Flagstaff. The seasonal ice creams are out right now so I had a little Salted Carmel Ice and Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream. I gave Neo a couple of licks of my bowl when I was done with my ice cream. His face is a little sticky. I need to give him a bath even more now than before.

Camp Verde lies roughly half way between Flagstaff and Phoenix. It isn’t a long jog down the hill, gravity pulls you down pretty fast if you let it. The afternoon was a lot of fun spent with Family. My cousin and her two children live there with my Aunt. My Grandfather too, on the backside of the property. I have always been real fond of my aunt she just has one of those personalities you can’t help but love. South Hospitality and Country Friendly and Tough as Nails all in one. My Aunt and I are alike in we both very much like animals. As long as I can remember there have always been a lot of animals at my Aunt’s house. I don’t expect that to change any time in the near future.

My Uncle (My Dad’s brother) and his wife where coming up to say good-bye to family. They are leaving for Australia next weekend for 2 to 4 years. I think that is so exciting. Wish I could do that. My Dad bought his brother’s truck. My Dad was coveting his truck said it was his dream truck and he was finally getting one of his own. It is a big truck, a Chevy. 3500. Diesel engine. That doesn’t mean much to me, but my Dad was happy. There were 3 missing from this visit, my little brother and 2 cousins. It is so hard to get all of together anymore in one place. We all are going in different directions now. So I treasures the times we do get together now.

The Girls



Just the Boys



The Gangs all here….. most of us



While trying to secure my little dog behind a fence, he has proven he is a Houdini; My Aunt uncovered a Common Desert Centipede (Scolopendra polymorpha). I gave him his paparazzi moment as well. It was so cool watching him move. All of his legs were moving at once. How he keeps it straight is beyond me. I have a hard time coordinating 2 sometimes, he did it with 40. I also wanted to make him a pet, I bet something could have been dug up to transport him if I had asked. Oh well, maybe on another visit.