The Grand Canyon

The day before yesterday, after driving through sand storm insanity, multiple Indian nations, lots of tumble weed and abandoned trailers scattered through the desert, we got to the Grand Canyon. It was amazing. We stopped at a view point before getting lost in the maze of unmarked park roads and then finding a campsite just outside the park.



Andrew had been checking the weather, trying to see if the sand storm haze was dying down so we'd be able to see the canyon better the next day, and found that it might rain or snow that night!
The view out at the clouds. The camp ground felt like some of the ones we've stayed at in Europe-- wide, open, flat.



Then the lady at the campgrounds told us it was supposed to get below freezing. Insert me kind of freaking out. I then put on virtually every item of clothing I'd packed, helped set up our camp to be as warm and put of the wind as possible and went to bed.



It did rain, but only a little, and I eventually got warm and stayed warm all night, which was wonderful. I didn't escape without being harassed though-- Andrew went to bed in shorts and a long sleeved t shirt and at some point we had to switch sleeping bags because I, in my six pairs of pants, three shirts and a sweatshirt and three pairs of socks was STILL cold. So he took my bag and I got his below zero one annnnd his super warm fleece blanket. And he was too hot. And I was just right. Heh
We went back to the Grand Canyon the next morning. Breakfast!



The wind had gone away and the rain had washed all the dust put of the air. It was perrrrfect.



There are so many layers! I'd look down and see a piece of canyon floor, and then look farther down and see the actual floor.



And all the rock striations and colors... Mm. So amazing.







We could see trails winding down into the canyon, a little ranch at the bottom nested in a sliver of green, and pieces of cloudy green Colorado River.



After that we headed toward California.... And we went that way for almost 600 miles. We drove through the Mojave Desert and by trains pulling long trails of cars, some stacked two high.







At sunset the sun reflected off the tracks. We drove by tiny towns, down part of the wonderful and historic Route 66 corridor and by wild horses. We weighed the truck at a scale in Barstow, which was fun,



and then we pushed on, intending to stay the night at a rest area that turned out to be closed. My mom sent me pictures of people at her work "planking," which I'd never heard of in this context-- apparently it's lying flat on your front somewhere unusual and have a photo taken? I'll let you know when I learn more. But i sent her a picture of me at a rest stop doing it:



So we stayed at a truck stop. which ended up working out well and now we re very close to Yosemite! I slept in the cab for the last time.



We drove through the worlds raisin capital, Selma! And now are climbing into the mountains. No 3G so we ll see when I can post this.
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Location:Tulare,United States