A Grand Illusion

Posted on November 18, 2015 under Storytelling with one comment

It was a LOT colder at the Grand Canyon than it looks

Peter MacDonald photo

When you’re on a long road trip by car, one thing is for certain; expect the unexpected.  This can come in the form of getting lost, although a good GPS has all but eliminated this risk.   Or you may encounter car problems.  These things you can happily do without.  But there are other more pleasant surprises, like finding a restaurant in an obscure part of a city and discovering that the food is out of this world.  Being spontaneous and going with the flow can make for wonderful adventures.

On a recent trip with my son, we ventured to Florida for a week of sun and sand before heading across the continental United States to Victoria, British Columbia.  Florida was fabulous as the weather was unseasonably warm for November.  Some of the locals said that they have never seen such temperatures at this time of the year.  With the help of a dear friend from St. Louis, we mapped out our route and decided that there were two must-sees: Dealey Plaza in Dallas, where President Kennedy was assassinated some 52 years ago; and the Grand Canyon, still one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.

The experience in Dallas was both amazing and surreal as I stood on the very spot where JFK died.  We then headed north and west, with Arizona in our sights.  When we left Albuquerque, New Mexico, we were surprised at the strength of the wind whipping across the Great Plains.  A couple of hours away from Flagstaff we could see the sky darkening off in the distance.  Sure enough, rain soon swept across the barren land.  And then, to our great shock, we saw one of those traffic warning signs that said: “Caution.  Winter conditions ahead.”  We looked at the thermometer.  It said 13°C.  Someone in the transportation department’s head office must have typed in the wrong code.

By the time we reached Flagstaff, a mere hour away, we were in the middle of a major snow squall.  The temperature had dropped 14 degrees in 3 minutes and we were battling wind, freezing rain and snow.  We saw a sign for the highway to Las Vegas and were sorely tempted to head south.  We stopped at a gas station at Williams to top off the tank and gather our wits.  A guy who had just travelled the road told me not to worry as the plows were out.  I was not amused and didn’t feel reassured.  Mercifully we soon drove out of the storm and sunny clear skies prevailed the rest of the way.

We checked in and hurried to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to catch the last golden rays of the day.  You can’t describe the Grand Canyon.  You have to see it in person to understand its true majesty and beauty.  Only a few weeks earlier, my brother had completed a hiking expedition in the Canyon and the day time temperatures had been in the 80’s.  We had a serious wind chill going as the sun set and darkness arrived.  So cold in fact, that there were small patches of ice on the walkways.

Rather than return to our accommodations, 15 minutes away, we decided to splurge and ate a wonderful meal at an onsite restaurant, sitting next to a crackling fire.  After finishing our meal, Peter decided that he wanted to take some night time pictures, so we parted company.

I have noticed a few things about getting old.  My footing isn’t nearly what it was when I was young.  Ditto for hearing and eyesight, and if they handed out an award for bathroom breaks, I am sure I would win the gold medal, hands down.

I have a better than average sense of direction … in daylight.  The path back to our lodgings wasn’t terribly complicated but the trail wasn’t particularly well lit and in one section there were no lights at all.  I couldn’t see the walkway and rather than risk falling on ice, getting blown off into the canyon or getting mugged, I decided to take a short cut.

The Grand Canyon is a major tourist attraction and the accommodations are spread out over a vast area, but unfortunately not on a neat and tidy grid.  Within minutes I was hopelessly lost.  I almost stepped on a couple of raccoons as I stumbled my way back to the main lodge.  The only problem is that it wasn’t the right lodge.  There are several on the property.  No problem.  The courteous front desk staff cheerfully produced a map and threw in a flashlight for good measure.  I stepped outside into the frigid night and discovered that the flashlight had the candle power of a single firefly.

I wandered around for several minutes and was back at the front desk for a new set of instructions and another flashlight.  I vigorously debated the lack of lights on the paths with the front desk staff.  They informed me that the Grand Canyon is a deep sky preserve and that low lighting is intentional so that star gazers can see the Milky Way.  The folks who invented deep sky preserves were certainly NOT old people.

Eventually I met another couple who had a real flashlight and I found my way to our lodge.  I received yet another set of instructions and another flashlight.  I looked around the foyer.  The lodge is open 24 hours a day and I scoped out the furniture to see which chair might work as a bed if I got lost again.  Peter actually called me to see if I was alright.  I nonchalantly replied that I was just hanging out in the lobby taking advantage of the Wi-Fi (and searching for a miner’s lamp).

Forty-five minutes after first setting out, I arrived back at our room.  There had been a few detours along the way.

Getting old.  Isn’t it Grand.

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