The Mountain Pass (aka The Grannies Brave Caradhras)

 Thursday morning, having NOT stayed overnight at the North Rim... found us a good way closer to my Aunt and Uncle's house, just inside the elbow of California. We drove on the Nevada side of the line, through hours and hours of deserts. If you haven't visited a desert state before... you may not realize that desert isn't always sand and saguaro. We saw at least four very distinct types of desert. 

We observed that through most of this route, we had mountains in all four  directions around  us. The roads wandered and wound through the valleys as we traveled from south to north. 

All during this day, as we pressed through the ever changing desert, the mountains stayed on four sides. Then, we came upon  some huge military area. Wow. Bunkers as far as you can see in three directions.  Then, gorgeous Walker Lake.

As the Sierra Nevada Mountains drew closer and closer, Mom mentioned how she really hates the high mountain passes.. but knows we must cross them to get to California. 

On a single lane highway with limited passing zones, I was stuck behind the only slow driver to exit the state of Florida. Days of driving... 9 of 10 vehicles that passed us were from Florida. 

Until today. Our longest milage day thus far, which was just under 700 miles to our destination.... and I'm behind someone enjoying the scenery. 

Ahead, I  could see a rainstorm pouring down. I was sure I would be pumping gas in the rain, as we wanted to fill up before crossing into California. Finally... a gas station.  I filled up while Mom went in to use the facilities. However... the facilities were closed. They had a porta-potty. Uh...  think I'll  hold it.

(This proved unwise.)

Meanwhile, we can still see the storms pouring out its fury on the mountain to our west.

Mr Google directions took us across the highway, and back South.  Then we were Welcomed to California. Google directed us on a circuitous route of surface streets... and we were presently informed  we were in the Toiyabe National Forest. It was a giggle when we first saw the National Forest sign. But before  long, there were actually trees to see.

We descended into a valley village... and the road began to climb a little. It soon began a steady climb. It had been in the upper 80's, nearly  90* when we entered the Toiyabe Forest. The temperature began to drop.

Amazingly, we saw snow! In June! HA HA HA... ha? The snow rapidly turned to sleet/ hail/ torrential downpour.  The storm we had been watching to the west had settled on the mountain. Temperatures dropped to 32* in moments.  There was no place to pull off. The accumulation of sleet/ snow was being pushed by the bumper of Mom's Ford Escape. The ruts were flowing two inches deep as we were forced to just keep going. Mom said we passed a sign that we were 9800-some odd altitude. I was trying to keep going... white knuckles. We were both praying loudly. 

Around one turn in the road, it hugged the mountain on the right. The torrential rain/sleet was making a waterfall off the mountainside, pouring across half the lane. You've seen  *watch for Fallen Rocks* signs? There were fallen rocks bounding into the road. Softball, cantaloupe, BASKETBALL sized rocks. I danced the Nelly Bell between the biggest and over the smallest.  And then... we were through it. 

(Our other rainy encounter was in Albuquerque... it was five lanes wide traffic with the wipers slapslapslapslapslapping as fast as they could, while we guessed where the lanes were supposed  to be, and dodged pedestrians and bicyclists who thought crossing a wire fence divided 10 lane highway is best done in pouring rain).

It was another 80ish miles to our destination... where we rested and visited family for several days. (Our family nearly encountered a log truck losing its load in front of another log truck, which blocked the entire highway down the road from their house... and were turned home from an appointment while we were there.) (No injuries).

Our drive home was long, and uneventful!

An UnGrand Time at the Grand Canyon

 Mom and I made good time getting to the Grand Canyon on Tuesday.  We stopped  first at the South Rim.  It was my first visit there... and  Mom's first visit to the Grand Canyon at all.

My sweet Aunt Lennie said we really must have a meal at the famous  Harvey House restaurant  on the South rim.

So I found a place to park near the secondary Visitor Center. We checked it out, and were told it was an easy five minute walk from there.

It was a walk all right. And for flatlanders, the 7000 ft. elevation  was breathtaking.  Literally. We were both out of breath in a hurry. So we strolled slowly along the safety wall, pausing often for *photo ops*.

South Rim

Just as we were reached the entrance to the Hotel (the restaurant is inside the hotel), a sassy  squirrel hopped up on the wall to talk to Mom. There were a number of signs posted warning people not to approach  wildlife, and strictly enforced fines for feeding wildlife.

Well, this little squirrel couldn't read. It approached us! We were scared it was going to jump on Mom, so fierce was it's chatter at her.

We got inside, and went to the restaurant. There was a line. And once we waited through the line... we learned we needed to be on a waiting list. So we were added to the wait list.

Eventually, we were seated. Half an hour after that, we were offered water or beverages of our choice. We always choose water... and this water was $3.50 for a glass. (Still our beverage of choice). We had fantastic  hot honey fried chicken sandwiches. 

While seated and waiting... I looked up the drive time to the north rim. I thought it would  be a couple of hours drive. Our reservation was for arrival after 4 pm. It's  a four hour and 20 minute drive to the north rim! It was already almost 3 pm. 

I left Mom to awaiting our tab... and went for the car. I was literally  gasping for air by the time I got to the car. Thankfully, we had carried  *recreational oxygen*  along for the trip. It took me three loops through the one way village to find a parking spot closer to pick up Mom.

We headed towards  the north rim. About an hour into the trip, Mom got a message on her phone. Our reservation for the Lodge at the north rim had been *modified* to be only for Wednesday night. 

We were over a hundred miles to the nearest town. It was raining, the temperatures over night going to be in the low 40's, with severe storms expected. Literally in the middle of nowhere... and no room for the night.

And... we had to pee.

We prayed as we drove , for God to provide us a place for the night. We came to a crossroad. There was a sketchy looking gas station and a defunct grocery store. 

Do we turn back towards  Flagstaff? Or towards the North Rim. I decided to head closer to the north rim and hope for  the best. A couple of miles beyond the crossroad, we saw THE FAMOUS HISTORIC CAMERON TRADING POST AND RESTAURANT! JEWELRY! SOUVENIRS! and inn.

Hey! Did you see the small print on that sign? It said they have an inn! It was not an auspicious sign. I went in and enquired about a room. They had one. We took it.

The Cameron  Trading Post was a great stop. I don't  know that we met friendlier, more welcoming people anywhere. The room was huge, by hotel standards. It was clean. And it had a balcony! Our prayers for a good, safe place for the night were answered.

The storms set in in earnest as we settled into the room. Looking into the distance, we could see the storms raging across the horizon. We were exhausted. Angry and disappointed at not getting to stay at the North Rim Lodge. (A severe storm  earlier in the week knocked out power to the Rim. Things like that happen. However, being notified and hour before check-in to a location as remote as The Grand Canyon is just not right. And we were informed that our second night was still on reserve. You are charged if you cancel under 72 hours beforehand. 

Wednesday morning, we breakfasted at the Famous Cameron  Trading Post restaurant.  Mom and I chose to try Indian Fry Bread. Now, I have no basis of comparison... but this was fantastic! 

We took our time getting ready for the two and a half hours remaining to the North Rim. A stop for pricey gasoline at Jacob Lake. We debated having lunch there, but decided we really wanted a nice meal at the North Rim Lodge restaurant. We drove through intermittent rain and light fog into the park.  Saw our first mule deer!

There was plenty of parking available, unlike when Becky and Ruby's and I went with the kids. First things first... the potty! While ensconced in the stalls... Mom's  cell phone dinged with a message. It was the North Rim Lodge... canceling our reservation. Mom was out of breath. (Altitude 8,200 feet). There were lots of stairs. Oblivious tourists looking at their phones nearly knocked Mom off the path! They never noticed, nevermind apologized.  

It was after 2:30 in the afternoon.  Once more, Mom and I are literally more than a hundred miles away from any place to stay overnight.  Mom was So. Done. with her visit to the Grand Canyon. I cried all the way back out of the park, and well down the road. Originally, I wanted to take Mom through Zion. But what do we see in Zion? Canyons and tunnels. What does Mom like less than looking down into the depths of canyons? That would be going through tunnels. Especially going through  long, long, looonnng tunnels. 

I scratched Zion off the list.

We headed west. I let Google maps choose our best route to my Aunt and Uncles house, barring the route that took us through Death Valley. We stopped for the night in Mesquite, NV.

It was reached by traveling through the Virgin River Valley.  That was an amazing drive.

We had dressed for the 45* weather expected at the North Rim. It was 102* in Mesquite. Once more, we were too mentally exhausted to even get food, much less go out to the pool.

Stay tuned for the next day of our adventurers, where the Grannies get to California. 

Adventures with Grannies

 My Mom (Rose) and I  recently returned from our adventures out West.

We left Mom's house May 23rd.. a day and a half after our intended departure.  It was  drawn out fiasco in me trying to switch phone carriers with a new phone.  The SECOND phone I purchased was to he delivered Thursday, May 22. I was planning to be home on the 21st to best prepare for Camp Cowgranny. 

Camp Cowgranny has morphed over the years from two or three cousins at a time visiting  Mr C and I for a week or two, into four or five  days of as many cousins (grandchildren) as can gather in that time.

I try to plan at least one special event. We do crafts, have a rainy day back-up plan.

The phone fiasco put me a solid two days behind.

My Mom came up. We had officially  Monday through Thursday of *Camp Cowgranny*, attended  by 12 grandkids.

It rained pretty  much every day. And was unseasonably cold.

Still, I think we had a great time. 

The kids all left Friday morning.  Mom and  I had a trip out west planned. I had secured the last room available for the season at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon Lodge.

We had it booked for two nights. I figured that  would give us a solid full day of visiting the Grand Canyon.  We had to leave my house in NE Oklahoma on Sunday. Our room was for Tuesday and  Wednesday nights.

Sunday night, we stayed in Amarillo, Texas. Supper was BBQ sandwiches from Buccee's! (Always a treat!) 

The room was clean, but pricey. We were absolutely too tired to check out the pool. The next day,  We had an authentic Mexican lunch in Tucumcari.  Trying to be mindful that we were on vacation, and no absolutely set in stone dates to be anywhere at any **given time, we took frequent breaks for potty and leg stretching.  We pulled into to one rest area. It was a low building with a series of gender  neutral individual bathrooms all facing out. Quite a number of men were around... no women, no families. I didn't  like the "feel". We weren't desperate, so pressed on.

** except for the Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge... where we had the reservations for Tues and Wednesday nights!

We made it to Gallup, New Mexico for the evening.  We chose a RedRoof Inn, grabbing our room key before looking for supper.  We had Taco Bell. The employee doubled our order. After we ate all we could, I took the rest out to the parking lot. A couple of older teen boys were walking past. I gave it to them. The RedRoof Inn room was filthy.  We skipped showers.  It was accumulated  filth.... not that the room hadn't been  "cleaned". the carpet around the edges of the bed was gray with lint and pet hair (RedRoof Inns are pet friendly) and the gaps between the floors and walls (needs baseboards, folks) was full of dirt and debris. People notice when just the center of the bathroom has been mopped, especially when the  corners are dark with grime.

Tuesday was our big day to make the Grand Canyon.  We saw the sign for Winslow, Arizona. 

Mom started singing.  I asked if she could  find The Corner. Yes... your GPS can direct you to the corner in Winslow, Arizona made famous by The Eagles.  Mom and I parked, got pictures... and were back on the road a short  time later.

I see this is getting  too lengthy.  I will write more later!