A Time for Vacation: Day 4

Have you ever had a moment when you felt like you stepped into a calendar?

The Grand Canyon is 1 of the “7 Wonders of the World.” I got to see it with my family. It was long anticipated as we left the pick up spot a little before 7am, and we didn’t get to the canyon until about 2pm. We got to be there for 3 hours with the rest of the group on the tour bus.

On the way there, we got to stop at the town that inspired the making of the movie Cars. It was kind of random and funny to have such a place on the way to see something so marvelous. They even had some of the Cars characters there. We got bag lunches with a sandwich, chips, cookies, and water with a turkey, ham or veggie sub. Nothing fancy, but it was nice that it was included.

About a half hour from the canyon, we got a change of scenery as the desert changed into what they call a forest. There were more trees, but not as dense or as big of trees as we have here in the Midwest. We knew little about what was to come, but we were so ready after such a long ride.

We got to get off the bus and take pictures by the sign. We still had not laid eyes on the canyon, but we knew that when we heard “GREEN STICKERS” it was time to go by our tour guide. When we got to finally see the canyon, I felt like it wasn’t real. It was so massive in size, that it went beyond what I could see in front of me, and side to side. It felt like it was a dream. So real, yet you couldn’t touch it. So real, yet it was about to storm so we were in awe as much as we were looking to see how close the lightening got from the storm. We got back on the bus after taking some pictures to get another view from a different spot still on the South ridge.

We got to learn some of the history. History which was somewhat true, and somewhat false ideas people make up to explain the flood from back in the Old Testament Bible days. Some of the history related to the Indian tribes that still have members living in and around the canyon. We learned about the wild animals like pink rattle snakes, the native birds and monkey, horses, and the mule and why it is preferred for traveling over the donkey. Mules can see 360 degrees because of where their eyes are placed, so they rarely get spooked as they can see so much more than a donkey or horse, both of which get scared easily.

At each stop, it looked like a calendar picture. Every 20 steps or so it was like flipping a new month and seeing a new view. We were there, but if felt distant. Our tour guide found some cool spots for pictures and named off some poses. He made sure we had time to get good pics. I posed in the “Oh crap!” position along with sitting on the edge of the rock. I was only scared coming back up. I was not scared to go down. It was peaceful to see the view and not have anything under my feet. I like roller coasters, so that is probably why I enjoyed it. I had to encourage myself to find the courage to make the moment matter. I wanted the cool pic, but I knew it would be slightly risky. I do not regret taking the picture. I knew I would regret it if I didn’t do the pose.

It was sad to leave. I was in awe and felt bamboozled like it wasn’t really happening both at the same time. I am so glad that we were able to go. The pictures don’t do justice to how humongous and marvelous the sight was. The ride back was even longer than the way there. We were on the second level of a double decker bus. We drove past the Hover Dam on the way back to the Las Vegas strip. It looked cooler from a distance and lit up at night than it does to actually walk across it in daylight. (We did that last time we went to Vegas for a family trip.)

While we were at the Grand Canyon, nothing else mattered. It was a kind of peace I can’t explain. The view, the company, the air, it was all wild. With having a little rain, it didn’t feel too hot. The lightning and rain left as soon as it came. We thankfully got a nice temperature day, even though we were told not to go in August as it is the hottest month of the year to visit.

After this experience, I am so excited for heaven. I know that the sights and feelings at the Grand Canyon are only a small piece of what heaven will be like for eternity. In heaven my feet won’t be sore from all of the walking, my ankles won’t swell, Chipotle won’t run out of chips and rice for dinner, and we won’t have to take a bus anywhere. Heaven will be a place of peace, beauty and I hope some amazing food and drinks. While I wait for my turn to go, I will continue to live out my life every day praying that you will get to be in heaven one day, too.

-Em