Grand Canyon

So, on our way home from California, we decided to go see the Grand Canyon because we have never been there. We have seen pictures of it...mostly looking very arid and very hot. The day before we saw the Grand Canyon, we had driven through the part of southern California that is below sea level. It never dawned on us that the Grand Canyon would be at such a high altitude. Boy were we in for a surprise. We left Phoenix that morning with palm trees and such around us. It was about the time we got to Flagstaff that we started to think that maybe we had some mistaken impressions of the area. Flagstaff was at a fairly high altitude...and just digging out from a fresh 15 inches of snow!



It was pretty icy and cold once we got to the canyon as well.











Almost everything there was covered with snow. This poor little plant reminded me of one of those spiky little dinosaurs hiding under the snow.


We knew we couldn't spend too much time there, so were feeling a little grumpy that the sign at the gate said the admission price was $25 a car. When we got up to the window to pay, the fellow there asked us where we were from and then how old we were. Then he announced that due to our advanced age, he wanted to give us a card for a mere $10 that would give us free admittance to the national park system...I think he said 1000 national parks! Naturally we took it.