To The Grand Canyon

4:30am came all to quick after a mere 4 hours of sleep… It was Harmony’s graduation the night before, and between the celebration festivities and going over the gear lists for the trip multiple times, it was after midnight before we were in bed.

Packing the Jeep to maximum capacity at 5am was a bit stressful due to the sleep deprivation, but by 6:30am we were on the road with our faithful companion Pooh Bear.

The drive south was very pleasant once we exited I-15 onto the highway heading to Kanab. We stopped in Page, AZ to gas up and a quick bite to eat and were off across the Arizona desert through Native American lands. Stopping at a couple of roadside shops to parse the local native jewelry, artwork and such, Harmony decided to buy us a small traditional Dream Catcher to hang from the Jeep mirror… Probably a good idea to ward off the evil spirits while on a lengthy road trip!

We arrived at the Mather Campground in Grand Canyon National Park at 3:30pm and the check-in was as smooth as silk as we had reserved a camp site months in advance. Oh… Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Brown… We have been expecting you. You will find your site down the Aspen Loop… We hope you will find the accommodations to your liking!

Uh… Getting a bit over dramatic. But hey… It was pretty darn slick!

We immediately set up camp efficiently, even though it was our first camp of the trip… I always find that on these longer camping road trips, the routine gets smoother as the days go by.

After the tent and bedding was finished, we cooked up a quick dinner of Dinty Moore Stew with a can of green beans and hurried off to one of the lesser known points on the South Rim, Shoshone Point.

I had found this location while researching on the internet for the best sunrise and sunset locations to photograph. On the drive in, we did find the location of the trail head, as it is not marked with any signs and is not labeled on the Park Service maps… Ha! You know this is the kind of place I like and search for!

We hiked the short mile out to the jaw dropping point and enjoyed the Magic Hour light from an amazing viewpoint… And with only a handful of other people!

A wonderful start to our grand adventure!… And to think… We had 9 more days!