Being with family is GRAND (week 3)

I believe with my whole heart that travel is one of the only things you can buy and walk away richer. Lucky for me, my immediate family feels the same way.

We first started talking to my sister Becca and her husband, Andy, about coming to visit us in Sedona last November when they were down with us in Charleston. This trip for them was by no means a slam dunk, as they both work in health care and have seen firsthand what COVID is capable of. Their two girls, who are nearly the same ages as my daughters, required much less arm twisting.

Fortunately for us, they kept their plans intact and arrived here Sunday night. Bright and early Monday morning, we all made the two-hour drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. (I couldn’t stop gushing about the beautiful mountains outside Flagstaff. My 13-year-old niece said they reminded her of a can of Coors Light.)

The drive was incredible but paled in comparison to our first glimpse of the canyon. “Grand” is too mild of a description. We spoke at length about how mind-blowing it must have been for the first explorers to come across this sensational sight. Truly, words and pictures and even National Geographic videos do not do it justice. You simply must experience the Grand Canyon for yourself.

The kids were troopers as we made our way first down the South Kaibab trail to Ooh Aah Point (its actual name) and then alllll the way back up again. I can see how hikers can get themselves into trouble on the trails, as the decline of the first half of the trek is much less strenuous than the steady incline back up to the rim. But we paced ourselves and took lots of pictures; I even kind of got used to the terrifyingly steep drop-offs, switchbacks and sheer cliff faces and made it through the entire day without a panic attack! After lunch, we took a walk down just the first portion of Bright Angel Trail, which was also stunningly beautiful. Hearing stories from other hikers who’d made it all the way to the bottom and back left Tony and me longing to return some day and check that off our bucket list.

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I wish I could say the Arizona weather has been perfect, but Tuesday was cloudy, cool and rainy. Turned out to be the ideal time for the adults to check out some wineries in Cottonwood. (If you ever get the chance, visit the Arizona Stronghold tasting room! So good and so many cool stories about the Apache land on which the grapes are grown.) The girls were happy to have some cousin time and thrilled that we brought back brisket and pulled pork from Hog Wild BBQ. Five stars. Highly recommend.

Yesterday the adults walked up to the Chapel of the Holy Cross near our house while the girls did their schoolwork. After a little bit of shopping in Sedona, we all trekked out to Bells Rock and did some climbing. The views were like nothing I’d ever seen.

We’ve been hearing about the javelinas (boar-like critters) that apparently live in this area, but we hadn’t seen any—until a few minutes after my sister and her crew took off for the airport. Seeing two javelinas walk right through our back yard is about the only highlight of today, however. The house definitely seems too big and too quiet now that our visitors are gone. *UPDATE: I’ve been trying and trying to upload the javelina photos, without success. Will post as soon as we get these tech issues figured out.*

I’m lucky that my sister and I and our families are compatible for many reasons—not the least of which is our mutual appreciation for travel and adventure. We reminisced and talked at length about the places we’ve already seen together and, of course, started scheming and dreaming of where our next adventures will take us. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Last thing: We keep hearing about how Arizona is a hotspot for COVID right now, but that doesn’t seem to be the case in our little corner of Sedona. Of course we are being cautious, using common sense and wearing our masks. The girls have the day off from school tomorrow, and we’re trying to decide where to go and what to do. I’m guessing it will be another outdoor adventure; no shortage of those around here! Breathing in lots of fresh air and staying away from big crowds just seems to be the smart thing to do these days.

Until next week!! Stay safe and be well, everyone!