I went to the Grand Canyon and ....

Dizz · Post by **Dizz** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 11:17 pm

... I lost my luggage on the way! We strapped down all the clothes bags to the roof so tight that the straps twanged when you plucked them. Well, my bag somehow wiggled loose and is being enjoyed by a highway squirrel or something. So, I'm 300 miles away from home and have 1 change of clothes tucked away for when the weather got cooler.

Well, after driving 300 miles we had no idea where it went. We spent the rest of the day at the canyon until we got cold. It was dropping below 40 at dinner time.

Anyway, I got new clothes out of the deal to last me through the rest of the trip.

The trip was amazing by the way other than that ordeal. We went to cliff dwellings, the canyon, Meteor crater, a volcano, an indian ruin made of flagsone and ended it all with visiting the Petrified Forest. All this was over 3 days.

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Peg · Post by **Peg** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 4:38 am

I'm glad the trip ended up well. Enjoy the new clothes. :-6 Love the pics!

cars · Post by **cars** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:06 am

Wow great pix Dizz thanks for sharring. I've always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon, but so far have never made it, maybe one day! And keep looking for your lost clothes, you just might see them on someone, somewhere, sometime!

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:54 am

Dizz;1252126 wrote: ... I lost my luggage on the way! We strapped down all the clothes bags to the roof so tight that the straps twanged when you plucked them. Well, my bag somehow wiggled loose and is being enjoyed by a highway squirrel or something. So, I'm 300 miles away from home and have 1 change of clothes tucked away for when the weather got cooler.

Well, after driving 300 miles we had no idea where it went. We spent the rest of the day at the canyon until we got cold. It was dropping below 40 at dinner time.

Anyway, I got new clothes out of the deal to last me through the rest of the trip.

The trip was amazing by the way other than that ordeal. We went to cliff dwellings, the canyon, Meteor crater, a volcano, an indian ruin made of flagsone and ended it all with visiting the Petrified Forest. All this was over 3 days.

sounds like the road trip from hell!:yh_rotfl:yh_rotfl

beautiful pics.....thanks for sharing.

Dizz · Post by **Dizz** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:01 am

The scenery really was breath taking. It was so worth getting there despite:

- The dryer breaking down 2 weeks before hand.

- The minivan has almost 100,000 miles and has a new mysterious squeak.

- The weather turned COLD and windy. GC was in the 50F

- The clothes fiasco which cost $160 for clothes and a new bag.

- The propane tank bill coming due.

- Leaving the last place late and driving 300 miles through unfamiliar canyons in the dark.

In the past years, it's been canceled due to:

- Back door flying off in a freak wind storm.

- My sister's wedding and consequent trip to CA

- Front door peeling apart in a lesser wind storm.

- My sister in law's wedding and consequent trip to CA (again.)

- No $

- No reliable car

:driving::-5:driving::-5

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Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:24 am

Awesome!

Was it mind blowing or was it less than expected?

What was your 1st impression and describe what you felt when you saw what you saw.

Please.

Dizz · Post by **Dizz** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 11:05 pm

Walking up to the rim, I was greeted by a vast canvas of color. You have all seen pictures, but they don't do it justice. It was about 10 miles wide from north to south and 233 miles east to west. Looking northward, all I could see were bands of color with very little else to view. It was almost like being in front of a giant mural. It almost looked FAKE! It is impossible to get a good sense of distance there. I was having a hard time telling where one formation begins and the next ends. They were almost endless!

I got to listen to a ranger talk about the formation and he explained it like this:

D: Deposition ... sediment from the sea lays down the layers

U: Uplift ... a tectonic plate lifted the whole thing up

D: Downcutting ... the river did it's thing

E: Erosion ... weathering mostly.

I thought the acronym was cute. :-6

nok · Post by **nok** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:48 am

Wow, sounds like a fantastic trip. I'm glad things ended up good for you. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us. Sounds like a really memorable vacation.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:21 am

Dizz;1252126 wrote: ... I lost my luggage on the way! We strapped down all the clothes bags to the roof so tight that the straps twanged when you plucked them. Well, my bag somehow wiggled loose and is being enjoyed by a highway squirrel or something. So, I'm 300 miles away from home and have 1 change of clothes tucked away for when the weather got cooler.

Well, after driving 300 miles we had no idea where it went. We spent the rest of the day at the canyon until we got cold. It was dropping below 40 at dinner time.

Anyway, I got new clothes out of the deal to last me through the rest of the trip.

The trip was amazing by the way other than that ordeal. We went to cliff dwellings, the canyon, Meteor crater, a volcano, an indian ruin made of flagsone and ended it all with visiting the Petrified Forest. All this was over 3 days.
Is your last name Griswald by chance?:yh_rotfl

Dizz · Post by **Dizz** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:29 am

Hee hee hee! :driving:

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:56 am

Dizz;1252608 wrote: Walking up to the rim, I was greeted by a vast canvas of color. You have all seen pictures, but they don't do it justice. It was about 10 miles wide from north to south and 233 miles east to west. Looking northward, all I could see were bands of color with very little else to view. It was almost like being in front of a giant mural. It almost looked FAKE! It is impossible to get a good sense of distance there. I was having a hard time telling where one formation begins and the next ends. They were almost endless!

I got to listen to a ranger talk about the formation and he explained it like this:

D: Deposition ... sediment from the sea lays down the layers

U: Uplift ... a tectonic plate lifted the whole thing up

D: Downcutting ... the river did it's thing

E: Erosion ... weathering mostly.

I thought the acronym was cute. :-6

What did you feel?

Describe it, Im really interested in the emotions you experienced.

Please.

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:51 pm

Hey Dizz:-6

Your pics are absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Can I ask for your help please? I teach 3rd graders (8 year olds). We've just begun a Social Studies chapter about our Native Americans, and now we're learning about the Anasazies.

Have you seen any new info about the Anasazies or any other cliff dwellers native Americans on your journey?

I had some lovely pics of the Mesa Verde but misplaced them:-1

I'd love to share some thoughts that you've had about looking at the cliff dwellings and the Grand Canyon....as Nomad had also asked.

Thanks Dizz:-6

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:28 pm

Dizz

Wonderful - some what scarey pictures.. I remember standing very close to a edge.. of course that's when I was younger & had control...

Is this your first visit to the Canyon??

If you enjoyed the Canyon recently - it's beautiful when it snows, which should be soon.. you see the Orange/gold rocks with a shimmer of crisp snow edging.

It's absolutely beautiful...

BTW - it's your kind of car I dodge....!!!

Glad you enjoyed the Canyon - it's a remarkable place - it's a must see..!!

Thanks for sharing

Patsy

Dizz · Post by **Dizz** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:38 am

Kathy Ellen;1252926 wrote: Hey Dizz:-6

Your pics are absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Can I ask for your help please? I teach 3rd graders (8 year olds). We've just begun a Social Studies chapter about our Native Americans, and now we're learning about the Anasazies.

Have you seen any new info about the Anasazies or any other cliff dwellers native Americans on your journey?

I had some lovely pics of the Mesa Verde but misplaced them:-1

I'd love to share some thoughts that you've had about looking at the cliff dwellings and the Grand Canyon....as Nomad had also asked.

Thanks Dizz:-6

These are petroglyphs from the Puerco Pueblo. It's a 100 room complex, built on a hill in the petrified forest. They pecked these designs for unknown reasons. It could have been artistic, a rite of passage, signals to travelers, spiritual, or all of the above. The 'village' was between a river and a natural seep. The location was ideal for farming and seeing the area all around. Most of the AZ tribes, were farmers. The cliff dwellers would maintain farms by the water, while they would climb ladders to their homes. They were really resourceful, but every location I saw was ideal for water and food supplies. They also traded a lot and most of them loved Macaws! They traded heavily to get the birds and their feathers from tribes in Mexico.

Dizz · Post by **Dizz** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 1:59 pm

These are pictures from Montezuma's Castle, north of Phoenix. The red ones are built high up on the cliffs and were accessed by ladders. The white ones were near the base of the cliff and were easy to get to. Most of the dwellings I saw in general were built by the Sinagua... a generic name for the ancient people in the area. They moved on and blended with other tribes. Around 1400, there was a volcano blast that changed the farming conditions for a few years. That could be why they moved.

Patsy, I went there when I was about 4 years old. I have more recent memories of Zion and Bryce canyon. We didn't get very close to the cliff, but 2 feet off when there wasn't a railing. It's solid rock right up to it.

Nomad, as far as feelings go, I have a hard time answering you. I have grown up seeing natural wonders. My parents saw to it that I see and learn and gain a proper respect for the land around me. I am amazed at all the different landscapes and feel really happy when I see it. It brings back childhood memories and makes new ones for my children. I am impressed by the natives that have such great ingenuity. There is a lot of knowledge that was lost when they disappeared.

The third picture is of a ball field that are scattered all over Arizona. They think they played a game similar to hockey.

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