The Found Year

The first time I went to the Grand Canyon was more than 20 years ago with my high school friend, Dylan. It was part of a road trip from Texas to LA and back. We arrived at midnight, set up a tent in the dark, peeked over the edge in the morning and then kept going. Oh, to be twenty and carefree again. Not. I was determined to really appreciate the experience this time around.

It was Trent’s first time, and when he saw it, he was simply stunned by the enormity. “It’s just so big,” he said while gazing over the layers of rock a mile wide and a mile deep. I was awestruck also, even though I had seen it before.

Sunrise View from the South Rim

As you stare over the edge, it is simply awe-inspiring to imagine the forces at work to carve out that incredible natural wonder over thousands of years. I think Molly and Tucker were impressed too.

In all, we spent four days walking, driving and mini-hiking with the dogs around the Canyon. We also took a trip to Flagstaff to check out a new city and buy some dog food.

The temperatures were perfect. Sunny and seventies the entire time. And clear as a bell.

I was a little worried about how much we would be able to do with the dogs in tow, but it worked out great. There is a long trail along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and pets are welcome on that trail. We walked it every day. Dogs are also okay at all the viewing areas. In fact, Molly and Tucker were quite popular with all of the other tourists who were missing their own pups.

One of my favorite experiences from all of our camping adventures was waking up early to watch the sun rise over the Grand Canyon.

This was our last adventure in The Freedom Machine. We sold her to a very nice family when we returned to Denver. It was bittersweet to say goodbye, but it was always the plan to buy the camper, camp for six months and then sell so we could use the cash for Thailand. We had some great memories in this camper, and now we know that we will be camping folks for the rest of our lives.