Dad taught us the value of a dollar. Therefore, due to the lack of available campsites on our route home, we decided to drive through the night instead of paying for a hotel room. Are you proud parents? Worry not. We are home, safe and sound sleeping off the 15 hours of straight driving with one pit stop for breakfast with our Air Force brother, Zac (who bought our meal!)
I believe the last time we checked in we had taken the longest route possible to Las Vegas! Now, due to the fact that half of our traveling party is under the age of 21, we stayed safely in the car and simply drove the Strip. Vegas isn't going anywhere. They can come back in a few years.
After a short jaunt outside Las Vegas to take in the Hoover Dam, we headed out on I-15 for the Grand Canyon. Before leaving Vegas, we stopped at what I assume is a west coast chain Del Taco and bought 32 tacos. We have been dining on mostly PB&J or turkey sandwiches for the majority of this trip b/c it travels well, but the boys have had enough. So I yielded and we stopped to change things up a bit. Of course, my wily brothers plot to make this "amazing" shift in diet last longer than one meal. Luckily, these tacos are ultra cheap so they bought a ridiculous amount to save for later!
Full on 59 cent tacos, we made our way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Our handy GPS, Ginny (Genevieve), took us off-roading. We relied mostly on our atlas, but when she suggested we turn right onto a dirt road (not on the atlas) we had to take it! A smaller car would have struggled on this road, but luckily our Honda Pilot handled the rocky terrain with ease as we laughed at the absurdity of the road. Eventually we met up with a highway and continued on to the North Rim.
Having made no reservation, we just crossed our fingers for a campsite. Jacob Lake Campgrounds does not take reservation and only 40 miles from the North Rim, it was an amazing location. A meteor shower graced our night sky and the boys hacked a dried log with a hammer providing just enough wood to have s'mores. One of the best nights camping!
Next morning: Grand Canyon. My, was it ever GRAND! Truly breathtaking. And just like everyone says, pictures cannot possibly capture the scope of this massive thing. We encountered nature, Mattie slipped on the edge (scary), and we rested in the lodge at the top. I recommend the North Rim. Less crowded and a forest surrounds the entrance, which is just lovely but full of deer, which I nearly hit.
Decision time. North route to the Four Corners (AZ, CO, UT, NM) or south route through Petrified Forest. We decided to drive to the Four Corners, forcing us to take small, two-lane highways where we hit ridiculous traffic brought on my construction. At some point along the way, we had three different time zones showing on different little technologies. My phone had jumped ahead to central time, the car clock was on mountain time and Ginny (GPS) was still on Pacific time. We had no idea who was right. When we finally did make it to the Four Corners, we discovered it cost money!!! We were outraged and mostly annoyed, so after stewing by the front gate we paid in quarters out of spite. Aren't we mature? It was a fun random stop, but Adam couldn't let go of his annoyance.
I hopped into the front seat... so foolish. Little did I know I would be driving for the next 8 1/2 hours. Adam spent the next couple hours trying to find a place we could stop that would be far enough down the road that our last day wouldn't be 12 hours of driving. It just wasn't going to happen, so it was suggested to drive through. We're young and invincible, right? After singing along to 4 musicals, I called it quits in Amarillo. I feel I did my part by driving through all of New Mexico!
This trip could've easily exceeded a month had we allotted the proper amount of time for each stop. But due to finances and the packed schedule of life, we shoved a massive amount into 10 days. Tracking 4000 miles and spending less than $200 a piece... not too bad, I believe the true value of this adventure was revealed each time we met up with friends along the way and the hours upon hours in the car we endured, I mean enjoyed, with each other. I love my brothers!
