The night was very peaceful. We could have left the van on the road, we would not have bothered anyone… like no one. Not even the animal that growled at us in the forest yesterday night when we were reversing the van. This morning, we get up in a magnificent snowy forest. We finish up our usual routine (a bit of cleaning with freezing water, milk and cereals, peeing in the woods…) and we’re ready for another adventure.
Today, we’re going to the Grand Canyon (the “Grand Cagnole” says Côme)!! We are super excited. On the road, we’re driving through a thick forest. We’re really surprised. We didn’t think there could be a forest next to a desert. In addition, there is snow everywhere… Yes! Snow at the Grand Canyon!! We told you, Doo is a black cat… 🤣 There’s also a snowstorm forecasted for this evening. One of which they haven’t seen for more than 15 years. So we’re actually “lucky” to be able to go there today…
Even though we’ve avoided the storm, we do not avoid grey skies, the wind and the cold… We will not be able to see the flamboyant colors of the Canyon but in spite of these weather conditions, the landscape is just breathtaking. The Canyon is really impressive!! We take the short rim hike, trying to avoid ice and slippery snow, to marvel at the view. While Julia and Doo are taking it all in, Côme prefers to have fun in the snow. On our walk, Julia gets looks of admiration from people we meet (it’s not easy to walk with crutches on slippery ground). We even hear a “You’re a trooper!”.
After this short walk, we jump on the van to take the scenic road along the Canyon. We will stop every 5 minutes or so to gaze at the viewpoints. At each stop, a very different view. At each stop, a breathtaking landscape. Of course, we’ve all seen pictures of the Grand Canyon but in reality it’s way more incredible! We just can’t believe what we’re seeing. We’re also lucky enough to have a few clearings in the sky, so we enjoy it even more. Boy! The picture selection is going to be extremely difficult (sorry guys, we’ll put about a hundred of them 😅)! On our last stop, we will visit the Indian handycraft shop. There are some beautiful art pieces.
It is 5 p.m. when we finally stop for a real meal. Unfortunately, with this weather and the storm coming, we were not able to picnic and take our time as we would had dreamed to. But that’s okay. Honestly, we are super happy to have seen the Grand Canyon.
We then head towards the Indian reserves. On the road, we start to sing Nagawinka while explaining the history of the Indians to Côme. In the evening, we will sleep on Paiutes’ land. We won’t really have the opportunity to talk with them apart from asking if we can park on their land. It’s 7 p.m. and the last images of our Grand day will be watching the horses roaming free with red rocks all around… What an incredible day!!
Today, Côme:
Did not understand: why the snow didn’t “shcroonch shcroonch” much when we walked on it.
Learned: that a river could disappear and then reappear somewhere else.
Loved: throwing snowballs in the Grand Canyon.
Julia:
Did not understand: how a forest could border the Grand Canyon.
Learned: that in the Grand Canyon there could be snow… and not just a little!!
Loved: the vastness of the site and its calm.
Doo:
Did not understand: why there was hardly anyone at the viewpoints.
Learned: that there were many superb points of view at the Grand Canyon.
Loved: the majesty of the landscape.
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