Arizona!!!!
Our dream come true, the Grand Canyon. For
over twenty years my husband and I have planned to go to the Grand Canyon.
Every time we made plans to take the trip something, somehow, some way, always
ended up happening and the dream vacation was put on the back burner.
We did it! We made it! Our dream vacation and
it was more than we could have ever imagined.
Welcome back to Pambling Roads, where we are
documenting our travels in the United States (and Canada) to "meet the
Americans."
Arizona
Grand Canyon North Rim
The Grand Canyon Lodge was great, peaceful. No
TV, no Internet service even though the website said there was service in the
lodge but not in the cabins. Would have been nice to know there was no service
in advance. Then again, I really should have known that there may be an issue.
I should have left a “message away” on my email account. That said, it was nice
not being attached to an electronic box for a few days, verynice!
The cell phone didn’t work but that didn’t
exactly break my heart either. I find cell phones to be one of those
inconvenient necessities.
The Grand Canyon Lodge Restaurant was
excellent. Neil was our server. Great food, great service, and happy employees.
All the employees at the North Rim including the visitors center gift shop,
front desk, restaurants, the bar, etc. were happy and pleasant. It was a pure
pleasure to be there. It was such an extreme difference from Utah.
The next morning we went to the general store
where they had free internet service and I did my mail away message. No
problem.
This was one of my dreams come true, one of
those lifelong dreams where I planned on someday seeing the Grand Canyon. Where
every time we had saved up the funds to go, something went wrong and we
couldn’t take the trip.
We were exhausted our first day there but
didn’t care. We couldn’t wait.
We walked along the canyon. I barely holding
in the tears of joy. It was cloudy, windy, chilly and damp. We didn’t care. As
we made our way around a curve, the sun had peeped out and that’s all it took…
The sun’s rays hit the canyon in such a way
that all I heard in my head was the Halleluiah Chorus and the tears fell. Never
in my life have I ever seen or experienced such a beautiful sight.
Grand Canyon Arizona - South Rim
Traveling to South Rim we went through Kaibab
National Forest, Navaho country, and then back into Grand Canyon National
Forest. We stopped at every pull-out. Wonderful!
We had dinner at the buffet restaurant in the
Best Western Squire Inn where we stayed for our South Rim visit. The food was
excellent. The service …. Well, the server was hit with a lot of diners at once
and when he realized there was a problem he called in reinforcements (including
his twin brother) before there could be trouble. Smart move. I’ve seen servers
think they didn’t need help and try to do it themselves and then fall flat.
After dinner, we had drinks at the Saguaro Bar
and Grill also in the Best Western.
The Best Western is absolutely gorgeous with
an entertainment area for everyone, a bowling alley, an arcade, pool tables,
and an outdoor pool just to mention a few amenities. Live music from a pianist
in the lobby….
Silly me. I got very emotional when we left. I
felt like a child not wanting to leave Disney World. My poor husband didn’t
know what to do or say.
Husband: “What’s wrong?”
Me: Wah… “I don’t want to go.”
Husband: “We can stay longer…”
Me: Wah… “No, we can’t.”
Husband: “Of course we can, it’s our
vacation.”
Me: Wah… “No, it’s okay.”
Husband: “Are you sure?”
Me: Wah… “Nooooooooo.”
Silence
Husband: “We can go back.”
Me: Sniff… “No, it’s okay.”
Husband: Sigh
We made a few stops to see the Painted Desert
and the Petrified Forest.
If I saw a likeness of a painting of the
Painted Desert, it would not do it justice, no matter how awesome the artist.
90,000+ acres of pure awe inspiring sighs. Someone took a rainbow and laid it
upon the land, planting it here for all eternity. The Painted Desert Visitor’s
Center has an informative movie along with a handful of displays.
The Petrified Forest is over 50,000 acres of
fascinating, beautiful scenery. There was a sign that said we could get some
petrified wood and decided to get some on the way out….nope, didn’t happen. I
suggest that if you want some, grab it at the entrance where the signs are and
make sure it is legal for you to do so. The visitor center lets people know
that it is against the law to collect the petrified wood or anything from the
park.
Benson,Arizona
We stayed at the Best Western in Benson, Arizona. We know we
can’t go wrong with Best Westerns.
The history buff in both of us wanted to visit an authentic
western town. Tombstone was a must and did not disappoint in any way from the
moment we entered the town.
Tombstone “The Town Too Tough to Die”
Driving into Tombstone feels as if you are driving into any
small town USA, until you turn the corner to go to the historical district. As
you walk toward the main street, you feel as if you go back in time with every
step you take. All the employees in the historic district wear period clothing.
I’m not sure about my husband but I felt as if I wasn’t dressed properly. We
had time-traveled to another time, another place.
You will hear about Big Nose Kate, Wyatt Earp, and his brothers.
History rings with stories of Doc Holliday, the gunfight at the OK Corral, and
the controversy behind the gunfight.
Tombstone started out as a silver mining town and thrived for
several years until the mines started to flood and they could no longer work
the mines. Once the opportunity was gone for mining the town slowly declined
from 20,000 resident to under 200 residents. Tombstone is still a small town
with about 1200 residents.
The horse drawn narrated historical tour was excellent. It is
definitely something you do not want to miss. This is a very informative ride
where you will learn the history and some trivia about the area. The tour
probably lasted about fifteen minutes and every moment was chock full of
wonderful historical content.
Lunch was at the Crystal Palace Saloon
The Bird Cage
The Bird Cage was once known for being a brothel, gambling hall,
and theatre. There are claims that the place was haunted and I believe the
clerk at the gift shop mentioned that there have been ghost sightings.
Tombstone Courthouse
The tour of the courthouse was fascinating. It is a two story
Victorian architectural masterpiece. It features quite a bit of Tombstone
history from artifacts, the mining history, pioneers, and cattlemen’s stories.
A reproduction of the courthouse and replica of the gallows in the courtyard
was intriguing.
The Epitaph Museum
If you like anything about printing, journalism, etc. this is
definitely a must-see. It is free and you can receive a copy of the newspaper
that printed the original story of the gunfight at O.K. Corral. It has original
equipment and presses on exhibit.
The O.K. Corral
The gunfight at the O.K. Corral is probably foremost on most
peoples’ minds when they hear the name Tombstone. Of course, we were thrilled
when we realized they did a reenactment.
The fight actually took place in an empty lot near the corral.
The area has a portion of the gunfight site cordoned off where you can see
where a part of the gunfight had taken place. Mannequins are positioned and
strategically placed where history and research has put the original lawman and
cowboys.
There is a theatre area where they reenact the gunfight, a
blacksmith’s, stables, the original corral office, and Fly’s boardinghouse
where Bid Nose Kate had witnessed the gunfight.
We look forward to returning to Arizona and plan on making the
trip again this year to the Tombstone area. Maybe we will stay at the Tombstone
Bordello, a real 1880’s bordello that is now a Bed and Breakfast.
Saguaro National Park
Oh, the saguaro were flowering and it looked absolutely
gorgeous. Picture perfect. We never realized how big they could get! It
was the middle of the day, so we didn’t do too much walking around. We stopped
at the visitor center and absorbed all the information we could. On our way to
the car, we stopped and spoke with a young man (from Texas) who was biking
across the state as part of his “break” from college. Good for him, we hope he
had a great time and arrived home safely.
Border Patrol between Arizona and California?
Yes, they do! Seriously, we thought we had made a wrong turn. At
the California and Arizona border we had to stop at Border Patrol and answer a
few questions. While we were in line I was scrambling for our passports.
Luckily, we brought them just in case we decided to go into Mexico or
Vancouver. They never asked for our passports but requested our driver’s
licenses. To this day we are not sure why there is a border patrol station at
the California border.
There was a truck, pulled over to the side where a BP officer
was speaking with a couple of men. They didn’t look very happy at all.
There are several journals so far in the Pambling Roads series.
Pages
for you to fill in the blanks! Nurture your creativity with Pambling Roads
State Journals, interactive journals designed to spark imagination and
self-motivation. They include
historical trivia and tidbits about each state, and a small section in
the front of the book by the author sharing her travels.
Great for all ages, and a wonderful gift for that special writer.
Purchase My Arizona Journal
Go to Amazon and see the other Pambling Roads Journals available for purchase.
States:
Alabama Arizona Arkansas Florida Georgia Louisiana
Maryland Mississippi Rhode
Island South Carolina
Ohio Oklahoma
Texas Virginia
Washington, D.C.
**Pictures on not in the print journals.
More to come! You can order any available Pambling Roads Journals from your favorite bookstore!
PamelaAckerson.com
@PamAckerson
Pam@PamelaAckerson.com
