The GRAND Canyon

We went to the Grand Canyon on New Year's Day.  It was a very beautiful day--great weather, no clouds, just a bit cool.  The view was wide-open.  I've been there at least five times (I can remember five times) and it is always impressive.  It is just so GRAND. 

 

 Our family picture with Oma & Opa Leonard

 Matthew with his cousin, Noah Sorenson.  They are both 8 years old and got along really well.

 

 

 Our family picture:  Gavin is upset so he won't face the camera; Adam and Matt are tired of carrying their binoculars--so we caught the moment; it just wasn't a happy one. 

 

 

 

The Grand Canyon is about 80 miles northwest of Flagstaff.  We drove there heading west on I-40 to Williams and then north to the national park.  On the way back to Flagstaff, we decided to take a different route.  We drove the Desert View Road east and then headed south on Highway 89 to Flagstaff.  This was a beautiful drive.  We got to see lots more of the Grand Canyon and small 'tributaries' of it--smaller versions of the canyon.  I would recommend going this way instead of through Williams.  It really was stunning. 

 

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

We left Flagstaff the next day and went back to Phoenix.  In the afternoon we took the boys to a trampoline park, where they jumped and played around for a couple of hours.  That evening, Robert, Adam and Matt went to a Phoenix Suns basketball game.  It was the boys' first NBA game.  Gavin and I went to the movies with Oma and Opa.  The next day, Friday, we had played on leaving early to make the long drive back to Garden City, but the boys were way too tired.  I couldn't get them up 'til 8:30.  We left Phoenix before 10am but decided to stay the night in Albuquerque.  It was nice not to have such a long drive.  We got up the next day and drove home.  The last 30 minutes was in a blizzard but we made it safe.  The boys are quite good travelers.  It's so nice to be out of the baby phase.  It makes traveling so much easier, and we feel like we can visit more places.