Thursday was an easy flight with a little maneuvering around security and the Delta software mess nearly resolved. We landed early morning in Phoenix and checked into the Embassy downtown, grabbed a quick bite at Pino's Pizza and settled in. So hot, 115 degrees, like sticking your face in an oven, walking a block for lunch was an effort. Brandi and I had dinner at the famous Durant's with Cheri and Kristopher, outstanding meal, and prepared for our adventures.
Friday was a drive and rest day, we took a scenic route up to our hotel in Flagstaff, through Sedona for some shaved ice and amazing views of the mountainous topography. Forty-five minutes of winding roads thru the forest was awesome.
Saturday was up at 3:30 AM local time to spend 9 hours on a bus that day for 2.5 hours on the Colorado River. The tour company was a bit of a cluster (A/C broken in the bus), busing us all over to accommodate others, but the raft time was memorable. A raft for twenty of us traveled a couple miles thru the canyon, plus a boxed turkey sandwich, with our guide Scooter from Ohio, where we saw wild horses and sheep, stopped along the shore to see some Indian hieroglyphics, and swam in the cool river (57 degrees). The views were breathtaking. By the end of the day we were fried, found some lousy food and back to bed. We also came away with a cool photo at sunrise along the road up to the airport where we started.
Sunday was a free day, Nick and toured around downtown Flagstaff, checked out several miles of Route 66 and the remaining neon, and he experienced his first In-n-Out burger. Brandi got her stop at the local Goodwill.
Monday was Nick's highlight, the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, AZ up to Grand Canyon Village, where we wandered for three hours peering into the canyon from above. We had dinner at El Tovar, a 4-star restaurant in the village, my first time eating elk. Mostly pics and a cooler breeze further north, it was a 'now we can say we've seen it' day. For the train itself, we travelled in the luxury domed car with a full bar and food, and despite some annoying 'entertainment', it was worth the trip. Photos of us standing on the back platform, in the parlor below our car, and enjoying some drinks tell the story.
