Day: 32
Miles Travelled: 7,456
Miles Hiked: 90.7
Final Location: St. Augustine, FL
Sadly we have completed our trip. We are really looking forward to seeing or family and friends and the idea of a somewhat normal routine is appealing but LD and I both agree that we could easily do another month or more. A great deal of our conversations in the car have centered around planning for the next time we take the same kind of trip.
Special thanks to everyone we stayed with along the way. Our family and friends went completely overboard to make our trip special. Each visit provided an opportunity to see and try new things that we probably would not have gotten to do on our own. Our trip was made ten times better by the friendship and genorosity of everyone we dropped in on.
In addition to being a lot of fun, this trip has also been an eye-opening learning experience. It is amazing to see how much America has to offer and how diverse this country is. In the course of one month we have seen streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, hills, mountains, plains, forests and deserts. We have eaten cold beans out of a can and ate diner in a five star restaurant with family over looking the Pacific Ocean. We visited 6 National Parks and saw all kinds of different cities. We had our picture taken next to a 2 million dollar car and nervously drove through areas where we were sure we were going to star in Deliverance 2. We stood in front of things, both natural and man-made, that you have to see to comprehend. We met people, both good and bad, from all over the country and the world.
What I am trying to say is that If you consider yourself proud to be an American and you have even an ounce of patriotic spirit in you, spend some time travelling this great country of ours. You won't be disappointed and whatever you feel about America will be multiplied several times over. And yes, as with some of our other posts, I realize how cheesy that sounds.
Travel Day - MS, AL, FL
Day: 31
Miles Travelled: 7,231
Miles Hiked: 90.7
Current Location: Quincy, FL
Today we added another state to the terrible drive list. We drove almost the entire length of Alabama from north to south. It seems like half the state is a strip mall and most of the other half is a traffic light. Despite almost 12 hours on the road we only covered about 500 miles. We did make it into our destination state of Florida and we are right on the edge of getting back to eastern standard time.
We will post an entry once we have arrived in St. Augustine.
Miles Travelled: 7,231
Miles Hiked: 90.7
Current Location: Quincy, FL
Today we added another state to the terrible drive list. We drove almost the entire length of Alabama from north to south. It seems like half the state is a strip mall and most of the other half is a traffic light. Despite almost 12 hours on the road we only covered about 500 miles. We did make it into our destination state of Florida and we are right on the edge of getting back to eastern standard time.
We will post an entry once we have arrived in St. Augustine.
7,000 Mile Mark
At 5:53 PM EST on June 3rd we hit the 7,000 mile mark as we approached Montgomery, AL.
Travel Day - TX, OK, AK, TN, MS
Day: 30
Miles Travelled: 6,734
Miles Hiked: 90.7
Current Location: Olive Branch, Mississippi
We left Texas early and drove more than 700 miles, passing through five states. It is interesting how much you notice the humidity when you have not experienced it for a while. It is 15-20 degrees cooler here but seems twice as oppressive. Not a lot to see on the drive except cows, windmills, tractors and flat land...
... and crosses
We came across a Hampton Inn as we crossed the Mississippi border so we pulled in early to spend the night. With only 2 days left we are just going to wing it as we make our way down to St. Augustine.
Miles Travelled: 6,734
Miles Hiked: 90.7
Current Location: Olive Branch, Mississippi
We left Texas early and drove more than 700 miles, passing through five states. It is interesting how much you notice the humidity when you have not experienced it for a while. It is 15-20 degrees cooler here but seems twice as oppressive. Not a lot to see on the drive except cows, windmills, tractors and flat land...
... and crosses
We came across a Hampton Inn as we crossed the Mississippi border so we pulled in early to spend the night. With only 2 days left we are just going to wing it as we make our way down to St. Augustine.
The Big Texan
Day: 29
Miles Travelled: 6,001
Miles Hiked: 90.7
Current Location: Amarillo, TX
“There is nothing on that plate but gristle and fat.”
- Roman Craig referring to what remained during Chet Ripley’s attempt to eat the Old 96er in the movie The Great Outdoors
We had the car packed and left Grand Canyon before sunrise with the intention of getting at least 500 or 600 miles in today. When we were planning the trip my brother told me that if we did not visit at least one location featured on the television show Man vs. Food that the trip was pointless. If you are not familiar with the show, the host, Adam Richman, visit cities throughout the U.S. to take on various eating challenges.
As we drove through New Mexico (which battles Kansas for most barren and boring state) we saw a billboard for the Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas. On Man vs. Food Adam visited the Big Texan and took down the 72 oz. steak challenge. There is a motel right next to the restaurant and it is right off of I-40 so we figured we would spend the night there and give the challenge a try.
The challenge involves eating a 72 ounce steak, baked potato, salad, 3 fried shrimp and a dinner roll in 1 hour or less. If you beat the challenge the meal is free. Here is the food once as they set it out on the table.
I did not feel great but when I saw everything laid out I thought that I had a decent chance. I started plowing through the steak and eating random bites of the side dishes here and there. I was half way done in about 20 minutes.
When I started I thought I was tearing into the toughest part of the steak but it turned out to be the choicest. I began to hit some serious gristle and tough meat which really slowed me down. At the 30 minute mark I finished off the roll, shrimp and all but a few bites of potato and salad. I probably had 24 ounces of steak left but I was definitely winding down. I made one last push but there was so much crap on the plate I asked the waiter how much of that needed to be eaten. He indicated that about half still had to be put away.
So it was not the sides or being full that did me in, it was the toughness of the meat. I called it quits with around 9:00 minutes left. When you quit they weigh how much more you had to go. My remainder was around 10 ounces. I might have gotten it done if the meat was better but unlike the great Chet Ripley, I just did not have it in me to finish off the gristle and fat. LD agreed that the steak was not that great.
We had a few beers and then went back to the motel. I felt fine and did not really go through any of the stages of suffering that usually accompany an eating challenge. I give credit to anyone who can polish that off in an hour, it takes a special skill.
Miles Travelled: 6,001
Miles Hiked: 90.7
Current Location: Amarillo, TX
“There is nothing on that plate but gristle and fat.”
- Roman Craig referring to what remained during Chet Ripley’s attempt to eat the Old 96er in the movie The Great Outdoors
We had the car packed and left Grand Canyon before sunrise with the intention of getting at least 500 or 600 miles in today. When we were planning the trip my brother told me that if we did not visit at least one location featured on the television show Man vs. Food that the trip was pointless. If you are not familiar with the show, the host, Adam Richman, visit cities throughout the U.S. to take on various eating challenges.
As we drove through New Mexico (which battles Kansas for most barren and boring state) we saw a billboard for the Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas. On Man vs. Food Adam visited the Big Texan and took down the 72 oz. steak challenge. There is a motel right next to the restaurant and it is right off of I-40 so we figured we would spend the night there and give the challenge a try.
The challenge involves eating a 72 ounce steak, baked potato, salad, 3 fried shrimp and a dinner roll in 1 hour or less. If you beat the challenge the meal is free. Here is the food once as they set it out on the table.
I did not feel great but when I saw everything laid out I thought that I had a decent chance. I started plowing through the steak and eating random bites of the side dishes here and there. I was half way done in about 20 minutes.
When I started I thought I was tearing into the toughest part of the steak but it turned out to be the choicest. I began to hit some serious gristle and tough meat which really slowed me down. At the 30 minute mark I finished off the roll, shrimp and all but a few bites of potato and salad. I probably had 24 ounces of steak left but I was definitely winding down. I made one last push but there was so much crap on the plate I asked the waiter how much of that needed to be eaten. He indicated that about half still had to be put away.
So it was not the sides or being full that did me in, it was the toughness of the meat. I called it quits with around 9:00 minutes left. When you quit they weigh how much more you had to go. My remainder was around 10 ounces. I might have gotten it done if the meat was better but unlike the great Chet Ripley, I just did not have it in me to finish off the gristle and fat. LD agreed that the steak was not that great.
We had a few beers and then went back to the motel. I felt fine and did not really go through any of the stages of suffering that usually accompany an eating challenge. I give credit to anyone who can polish that off in an hour, it takes a special skill.
6,000 Mile Mark
At 9:02 PM EST on June 1st we reached the 6,000 mile mark as we pulled into the parking lot of the Big Texan Motel and Horse Hotel.
Grand Canyon - Day 2
Day: 28
Miles Travelled: 5,290
Miles Hiked: 90.7
Current Location: Grand Canyon
NOTE: As I was writing this entry in the car Laura and I kept talking about how great this particular hike was. It ended up being one of the best things we have ever done so we wanted to capture it in as much detail as possible. The only thing harder than the hike itself would be reading this entire passage so bear in mind that we are aware how lengthy it is.
We woke up around 5:00 a.m. this morning in order to get most of our hiking in before the mid-day heat. Even this time of the year daytime temperatures get into the 100's. To this point most of the hiking we have done involved going up first and then coming down. In the Grand Canyon, you descend first and then have to climb back up. They advise you that it will take twice as long to climb up as it did to go down regardless of what trail you take. On our way to the trail we came across about a dozen elk by one of the lodges. They are surprisingly huge.
We decided to take a hike on the Bright Angel Trail. We picked this trail because there are checkpoints at 1.5 and 3 miles on the way to Indian Garden which is 4.5 miles from the rim. There is water at each one and we figured we could turn back at any checkpoint if we were too tired.
In addition to making it to Indian Garden, if we were feeling good we could go for Plateau Point which is another 1.5 miles out with no shade or cover. The park guide says going to Plateau Point and back in one day is rated extremely difficult. I put an X on the point in this picture to show how far off it was.
Like many of the hikes we have done, the difficulty with this one is not the distance but the incline. Right from the beginning the trail was one switchback after another. Here are a few pictures to try to illustrate just what they are like. This one shows one small set of switchbacks.
Here is LD just one level below me. As you can see in the picture, we are only about 10 feet apart. However, to get to that point she had to walk 40-50 seconds. So it gets mentally challenging after awhile because at certain points you walk for 10 minutes and then look up and see the spot you were just standing only 25 feet above you.
We made the first checkpoint in 37 minutes where we filled our water bottles and ate a quick breakfast. At this point on the trail the scenery started to change a little bit and we saw some new flowers that we had not seen to this point.
The path to the 3 mile check point was pretty steep but we continued to make good time, hitting the station at 1 hour and 24 minutes. As we left for Indian Garden I snapped this shot of a lizard sitting on a park sign.
One of the most amazing things about the Grand Canyon is that from the top it looks like it is a 100% desert environment. However, once you get down into the canyon you start to see things that you would never expect. A few examples are streams and groves of large cottonwood trees like those pictured here.
We covered the 4.5 miles to Indian Garden in a fast paced 2 hours and 13 minutes and felt great when we got there. There was no doubt that we were going to push on to Plateau Point (1.5 more miles) when we saw a sign indicating that the river itself was only 3 miles further. We began debating the merits of trying for the river with one of the main discussion points being this sign that we had seen at the trailhead.
For the most part, people who do this kind of hiking are extremely friendly and helpful. That was certainly the case during our decision making process. We talked over the idea of the river hike and decided that while we were physically up for it, we should pass because it would be 6 miles there and back without drinking water and we might not be carrying enough.
As Exhibit 2 of it being a small world, we then met a family, Christian, Stephanie and Alex from Richmond, Virginia that live in the same neighborhood where Laura grew up. They are avid hikers who spent several overnights in the bottom of the canyon and had just come from the river. They said the hike was manageable as they had just done it in 3 hours with full overnight packs. They had heard us mention that we were worried about our water supply so they offered us one of their empty bottles. We took that as a sign that we should go for the river. We talked for a little while longer but we wanted to beat the heat on the way down so we packed up and left shortly after that. The trail to the river was initially pretty flat so we were feeling great about the trip until we rounded a corner and saw this view of what we were in for.
We contemplated turning back but decided to push on. The trail was arduous and we now had the full sun on us. The three hardest parts of the hike were:
(1) The incline - Total elevation change was over 3,000 feet down and then up
(2) The desert heat - The air is very dry so you don't sweat as much as you normally would. Sweating normally tells you that your body is overheating and needs water. Without it, you don’t realize how hard you are working and you feel fine but the effects of the heat sneak up on you and hit you all at once
(3) The mules - Guides are allowed to take people down to the canyon floor on mules with as many as 10-12 in a team. When you pass on the trail you have to squeeze against the wall of the cliff as the entire dusty, smelly team passes by. Even worse, the trail is their bathroom so there are some major sick spots along the way. Awful for anyone but a particular sore spot for LD who commented at least 197 times during the hike.
The hike down from the last checkpoint was a tough 1 hour and 36 minutes, putting us at the river in 3 hours and 59 minutes including breaks. It was well worth it because the setting by the river was one of the most beautiful things we have seen yet.
We spent 45 minutes relaxing by the river. Getting our shoes off and dipping our feet into the ice cold water was about as refreshing as anything could ever be. We camped on a rock that stuck out into the river and ate lunch. Here is LD relaxing by the river.
By this time it was around 11:30 a.m. Using the park guideline that it takes twice as long to hike up as it does to hike down, we were looking at 8 hours back to the top which would put us in after dark. LD and I are always up for a challenge so we set out up the trail with the mindset of beating the 2x guideline. Despite hiking in the noon time heat, we not only beat 2x, we actually made it back to Indian Garden 12 minutes faster than we came down! As we reached the checkpoint the temp was hitting 101 degrees in the shade.
After a 25 minute rest we set out for the 3 mile checkpoint. By this point we were really hurting but still made great time. Again, we were faster going up, making it in 45 minutes vs. 48 on the way down. The mental challenge was really kicking in and trail conversation was at a minimum. I focused on counting the steps along the 1.5 mile section of the trail of which there were 3,650. An interesting note on hiking is that even when you hike the exact same trail on the way back you see totally different things based on your direction, perspective and probably your mental state. I took this photo on the way up.
We rested for 15 minutes at the 3M mark where we noted that if we had done Plateau Point instead of the river we would already be done. With 3 miles left to go I can say that the only other time in my life that I felt like this was after running the NYC marathon. This hike was a combination of the distance from Allegheny National Forest with the altitude and exertion of Upper Yosemite Falls. We made the 1.5M mark in 39 minutes, about the same as coming down. At each checkpoint the bathrooms are about 50 yards off the trail. At this point I specifically noted that I would rather piss my pants than add 100 extra yards to the hike.
With 1.5 miles to go we were both totally wrecked. Getting back on our feet after sitting down was pure agony. Other than passing the water bottles back and forth there was zero interaction or talking. We literally had to put every thought into getting one foot in front of the other. Our pace slowed drastically and we focused on getting back to that danger sign at the top of the trail.
We were about 15 minutes slower going up the last leg but we made it. Seeing the lodge at the top of the trail was like approaching the stage to receive your college diploma. You vaguely remember starting the process a long time ago, you put in a lot of hard work and had a lot of fun but most importantly you are glad as hell that you are done with it all. We hit the top in a grueling 9 hours and 7 minutes over 15 miles. We celebrated with a picture by the sign saying not to do what we had just accomplished.
It is incredible how your mind and body break down once you drop your guard. We had just finished the last 1.5 mile leg of a 15 mile hike in 49 minutes but once we reached the end we could barely function and it took us nearly that long to go 150 yards to the parking lot and get in the truck. It might seem like we are overstating the suffering of the hike so I wanted to include a picture of one of the many blisters that were already there by the time we hit the halfway point at the river.
The recovery process after the NYC Marathon was longer but this ranks as the hardest thing I have ever done. Laura is in total agreement. Our trip is winding down and this is probably our last hike so it is only fitting that it was the best, most challenging and most rewarding thing we have done and that we did it in the grandest of America's countless wonders. We will definitely be back to take on the 25 mile cross canyon hike.
Click here for the full Grand Canyon - Day 2 photo album
Miles Travelled: 5,290
Miles Hiked: 90.7
Current Location: Grand Canyon
NOTE: As I was writing this entry in the car Laura and I kept talking about how great this particular hike was. It ended up being one of the best things we have ever done so we wanted to capture it in as much detail as possible. The only thing harder than the hike itself would be reading this entire passage so bear in mind that we are aware how lengthy it is.
We woke up around 5:00 a.m. this morning in order to get most of our hiking in before the mid-day heat. Even this time of the year daytime temperatures get into the 100's. To this point most of the hiking we have done involved going up first and then coming down. In the Grand Canyon, you descend first and then have to climb back up. They advise you that it will take twice as long to climb up as it did to go down regardless of what trail you take. On our way to the trail we came across about a dozen elk by one of the lodges. They are surprisingly huge.
We decided to take a hike on the Bright Angel Trail. We picked this trail because there are checkpoints at 1.5 and 3 miles on the way to Indian Garden which is 4.5 miles from the rim. There is water at each one and we figured we could turn back at any checkpoint if we were too tired.
In addition to making it to Indian Garden, if we were feeling good we could go for Plateau Point which is another 1.5 miles out with no shade or cover. The park guide says going to Plateau Point and back in one day is rated extremely difficult. I put an X on the point in this picture to show how far off it was.
Like many of the hikes we have done, the difficulty with this one is not the distance but the incline. Right from the beginning the trail was one switchback after another. Here are a few pictures to try to illustrate just what they are like. This one shows one small set of switchbacks.
Here is LD just one level below me. As you can see in the picture, we are only about 10 feet apart. However, to get to that point she had to walk 40-50 seconds. So it gets mentally challenging after awhile because at certain points you walk for 10 minutes and then look up and see the spot you were just standing only 25 feet above you.
We made the first checkpoint in 37 minutes where we filled our water bottles and ate a quick breakfast. At this point on the trail the scenery started to change a little bit and we saw some new flowers that we had not seen to this point.
The path to the 3 mile check point was pretty steep but we continued to make good time, hitting the station at 1 hour and 24 minutes. As we left for Indian Garden I snapped this shot of a lizard sitting on a park sign.
One of the most amazing things about the Grand Canyon is that from the top it looks like it is a 100% desert environment. However, once you get down into the canyon you start to see things that you would never expect. A few examples are streams and groves of large cottonwood trees like those pictured here.
We covered the 4.5 miles to Indian Garden in a fast paced 2 hours and 13 minutes and felt great when we got there. There was no doubt that we were going to push on to Plateau Point (1.5 more miles) when we saw a sign indicating that the river itself was only 3 miles further. We began debating the merits of trying for the river with one of the main discussion points being this sign that we had seen at the trailhead.
For the most part, people who do this kind of hiking are extremely friendly and helpful. That was certainly the case during our decision making process. We talked over the idea of the river hike and decided that while we were physically up for it, we should pass because it would be 6 miles there and back without drinking water and we might not be carrying enough.
As Exhibit 2 of it being a small world, we then met a family, Christian, Stephanie and Alex from Richmond, Virginia that live in the same neighborhood where Laura grew up. They are avid hikers who spent several overnights in the bottom of the canyon and had just come from the river. They said the hike was manageable as they had just done it in 3 hours with full overnight packs. They had heard us mention that we were worried about our water supply so they offered us one of their empty bottles. We took that as a sign that we should go for the river. We talked for a little while longer but we wanted to beat the heat on the way down so we packed up and left shortly after that. The trail to the river was initially pretty flat so we were feeling great about the trip until we rounded a corner and saw this view of what we were in for.
We contemplated turning back but decided to push on. The trail was arduous and we now had the full sun on us. The three hardest parts of the hike were:
(1) The incline - Total elevation change was over 3,000 feet down and then up
(2) The desert heat - The air is very dry so you don't sweat as much as you normally would. Sweating normally tells you that your body is overheating and needs water. Without it, you don’t realize how hard you are working and you feel fine but the effects of the heat sneak up on you and hit you all at once
(3) The mules - Guides are allowed to take people down to the canyon floor on mules with as many as 10-12 in a team. When you pass on the trail you have to squeeze against the wall of the cliff as the entire dusty, smelly team passes by. Even worse, the trail is their bathroom so there are some major sick spots along the way. Awful for anyone but a particular sore spot for LD who commented at least 197 times during the hike.
The hike down from the last checkpoint was a tough 1 hour and 36 minutes, putting us at the river in 3 hours and 59 minutes including breaks. It was well worth it because the setting by the river was one of the most beautiful things we have seen yet.
We spent 45 minutes relaxing by the river. Getting our shoes off and dipping our feet into the ice cold water was about as refreshing as anything could ever be. We camped on a rock that stuck out into the river and ate lunch. Here is LD relaxing by the river.
By this time it was around 11:30 a.m. Using the park guideline that it takes twice as long to hike up as it does to hike down, we were looking at 8 hours back to the top which would put us in after dark. LD and I are always up for a challenge so we set out up the trail with the mindset of beating the 2x guideline. Despite hiking in the noon time heat, we not only beat 2x, we actually made it back to Indian Garden 12 minutes faster than we came down! As we reached the checkpoint the temp was hitting 101 degrees in the shade.
After a 25 minute rest we set out for the 3 mile checkpoint. By this point we were really hurting but still made great time. Again, we were faster going up, making it in 45 minutes vs. 48 on the way down. The mental challenge was really kicking in and trail conversation was at a minimum. I focused on counting the steps along the 1.5 mile section of the trail of which there were 3,650. An interesting note on hiking is that even when you hike the exact same trail on the way back you see totally different things based on your direction, perspective and probably your mental state. I took this photo on the way up.
We rested for 15 minutes at the 3M mark where we noted that if we had done Plateau Point instead of the river we would already be done. With 3 miles left to go I can say that the only other time in my life that I felt like this was after running the NYC marathon. This hike was a combination of the distance from Allegheny National Forest with the altitude and exertion of Upper Yosemite Falls. We made the 1.5M mark in 39 minutes, about the same as coming down. At each checkpoint the bathrooms are about 50 yards off the trail. At this point I specifically noted that I would rather piss my pants than add 100 extra yards to the hike.
With 1.5 miles to go we were both totally wrecked. Getting back on our feet after sitting down was pure agony. Other than passing the water bottles back and forth there was zero interaction or talking. We literally had to put every thought into getting one foot in front of the other. Our pace slowed drastically and we focused on getting back to that danger sign at the top of the trail.
We were about 15 minutes slower going up the last leg but we made it. Seeing the lodge at the top of the trail was like approaching the stage to receive your college diploma. You vaguely remember starting the process a long time ago, you put in a lot of hard work and had a lot of fun but most importantly you are glad as hell that you are done with it all. We hit the top in a grueling 9 hours and 7 minutes over 15 miles. We celebrated with a picture by the sign saying not to do what we had just accomplished.
It is incredible how your mind and body break down once you drop your guard. We had just finished the last 1.5 mile leg of a 15 mile hike in 49 minutes but once we reached the end we could barely function and it took us nearly that long to go 150 yards to the parking lot and get in the truck. It might seem like we are overstating the suffering of the hike so I wanted to include a picture of one of the many blisters that were already there by the time we hit the halfway point at the river.
The recovery process after the NYC Marathon was longer but this ranks as the hardest thing I have ever done. Laura is in total agreement. Our trip is winding down and this is probably our last hike so it is only fitting that it was the best, most challenging and most rewarding thing we have done and that we did it in the grandest of America's countless wonders. We will definitely be back to take on the 25 mile cross canyon hike.
Click here for the full Grand Canyon - Day 2 photo album
Grand Canyon - Day 1
Day: 27
Miles Travelled: 5,290
Miles Hiked: 75.7
Current Location: Grand Canyon, Arizona
We arrived at the Grand Canyon with plenty of daylight left so we went right to the visitor center to find out about possible hikes into the canyon itself. A park ranger not only gave us some great information on day hikes for tomorrow but also advised us that we had enough time to catch a shuttle up to Yaki Point to get in some hiking and catch the sunset.
We decided to hike a mile a down and back and then go up to the point for the sunset. We took the South Kaibab trail which is mostly like this.
The views from the trail were amazing. If there is any place that you need a wide angle camera lens it is the Grand Canyon. You just can't fit everything in with a regular lens.
After a short hike we went up to the point. We walked along the rim to see as many views as possible. Here is LD checking out the view from the top followed by me standing along the rim and then one of both of us.
It was a little crowded so we found a spot away from the viewing area to watch the sunset. This is where Laura got set up and a few shots of the sun as it went down.
We then went to our campground and had a huge dinner to gear up for some extensive hiking tomorrow.
Click here for the full Grand Canyon - Day 1 photo album
Miles Travelled: 5,290
Miles Hiked: 75.7
Current Location: Grand Canyon, Arizona
We arrived at the Grand Canyon with plenty of daylight left so we went right to the visitor center to find out about possible hikes into the canyon itself. A park ranger not only gave us some great information on day hikes for tomorrow but also advised us that we had enough time to catch a shuttle up to Yaki Point to get in some hiking and catch the sunset.
We decided to hike a mile a down and back and then go up to the point for the sunset. We took the South Kaibab trail which is mostly like this.
The views from the trail were amazing. If there is any place that you need a wide angle camera lens it is the Grand Canyon. You just can't fit everything in with a regular lens.
After a short hike we went up to the point. We walked along the rim to see as many views as possible. Here is LD checking out the view from the top followed by me standing along the rim and then one of both of us.
It was a little crowded so we found a spot away from the viewing area to watch the sunset. This is where Laura got set up and a few shots of the sun as it went down.
We then went to our campground and had a huge dinner to gear up for some extensive hiking tomorrow.
Click here for the full Grand Canyon - Day 1 photo album
Hoover Dam
Day: 27
Miles Travelled: 5,045
Miles Hiked: 73.7
Current Location: Nevada / Arizona state line
On our way out of Las Vegas we hit the worst traffic of the trip so far as we crossed Hoover Dam. We were anxious to get to the Grand Canyon so we were not sure if we were going to stop or not but when an easy parking spot opened up we pulled in.
We walked across the dam and took a few pictures. This one is of Lake Meade which is formed by the dam.
There are several monuments around the park and there is a legend that rubbing the feet of one of them will bring you good luck so we had LD do what she could to make the rest of our trip go well.
We only spent about 45 minutes at Hoover Dam and then headed for Grand Canyon National Park. Then the strangest, most inexplicable thing of the entire trip happened.
To understand what happened try to envision what driving through the Arizona desert is like. Straight roads, flat landscape, no trees, no animals and even the cars are few and far between. The radio was off and we were talking about the trip when all of a sudden something hit the windshield with so much noise that we both jumped out of our seats and I nearly swerved off of the road.
Again, we are driving along at 80 m.p.h. and there is absolutely NOTHING to be seen within miles of the car. The windsheild is covered with countless individual globs of what looks like sap but we notice that there are little pieces of stuff in this clear substance. It was basically like hundreds of birds shit on the car simuoltaneously.
I cannot begin to explain the shock we were in. The wipers could not clear the windshield and we were worried that whatever hit the car was all over our stuff in the back of the truck so we pulled over at the next rest area. When we got out we found that the sides, hood, roof, bed and back of the truck were completely clear. We had no idea what it could have been. Then I walked around the truck and saw this on the front edge of the hood.
Then it became clear what it was. We had driven through a swarm of bees. When we looked closer at the globs on the windshield you could see wings and other bee parts in them. Our idea was confirmed when we popped the hood. There were hundreds of bees stuck in the grill.
I'm sure that some of you are asking why hitting some bugs with the car warranted such an in-depth write up. All I can say is that it was one of the most unexpected and initially unexplainable things we have ever seen. Our surprise when it happened and curiosity in trying to determine what it was made me want to capture it in as much detail as possible.
Click here for the full Hoover Dam photo album
Miles Travelled: 5,045
Miles Hiked: 73.7
Current Location: Nevada / Arizona state line
On our way out of Las Vegas we hit the worst traffic of the trip so far as we crossed Hoover Dam. We were anxious to get to the Grand Canyon so we were not sure if we were going to stop or not but when an easy parking spot opened up we pulled in.
We walked across the dam and took a few pictures. This one is of Lake Meade which is formed by the dam.
There are several monuments around the park and there is a legend that rubbing the feet of one of them will bring you good luck so we had LD do what she could to make the rest of our trip go well.
We only spent about 45 minutes at Hoover Dam and then headed for Grand Canyon National Park. Then the strangest, most inexplicable thing of the entire trip happened.
To understand what happened try to envision what driving through the Arizona desert is like. Straight roads, flat landscape, no trees, no animals and even the cars are few and far between. The radio was off and we were talking about the trip when all of a sudden something hit the windshield with so much noise that we both jumped out of our seats and I nearly swerved off of the road.
Again, we are driving along at 80 m.p.h. and there is absolutely NOTHING to be seen within miles of the car. The windsheild is covered with countless individual globs of what looks like sap but we notice that there are little pieces of stuff in this clear substance. It was basically like hundreds of birds shit on the car simuoltaneously.
I cannot begin to explain the shock we were in. The wipers could not clear the windshield and we were worried that whatever hit the car was all over our stuff in the back of the truck so we pulled over at the next rest area. When we got out we found that the sides, hood, roof, bed and back of the truck were completely clear. We had no idea what it could have been. Then I walked around the truck and saw this on the front edge of the hood.
Then it became clear what it was. We had driven through a swarm of bees. When we looked closer at the globs on the windshield you could see wings and other bee parts in them. Our idea was confirmed when we popped the hood. There were hundreds of bees stuck in the grill.
I'm sure that some of you are asking why hitting some bugs with the car warranted such an in-depth write up. All I can say is that it was one of the most unexpected and initially unexplainable things we have ever seen. Our surprise when it happened and curiosity in trying to determine what it was made me want to capture it in as much detail as possible.
Click here for the full Hoover Dam photo album
5,000 Mile Mark
At 9:10 AM EST on May 30th we hit the 5,000 mile mark for the trip as we left the Rio in Las Vegas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)