Grand Canyon Trip - Part Three

The third and final part.  Then I can get back to posting about what I normally post about, my kids. ;)

*******Saturday, May 11, 2013*******

Gooooood morning!

Jason and Jason jumped off this rock into the narrowest part of the Grand Canyon. The rest of us were too wimpy.  It was still cold outside and the water was soooo cold. 

 

We stopped and walked to this waterfall.

And the guys got in and had to go under the waterfall. 

That's Jason, and Dave and Jason are in/under their somewhere. 

This was our boat.  Both boats had really awesome people, and we lucked out with a really fun group. 

 

We were lucky enough to stop at Havasu, (it's a tricky place to stop because of how rough the water is on the river), and as we were walking in...

we saw this.  The water was that amazing blue color again because of the calcium carbonate on the rocks. 

Incredible. 

We hiked, swam, jumped off cliffs, and enjoyed the incredible scenery. 

 

 

 

 

 

Their was a little pocket behind the waterfall and the boys were able to get inside the pocket and see out through the water fall, and then make this awesome face as they came through the water fall. 

Walking back to our boat. 

 

 

More rapids. 

We decided to take one last bath that night. Nothing like group bath time. 

 

Our awesome guides.  Alysse (Joe's wife), Joe, RD, Scotty, and Parker.  Since it was the last night of our trip, we were told that in order to come to dinner, the girls must be wearing some kind of skirt/dress, and the guys had to wear a necktie. 

Our guides cleaned up nicely. 

We used our extra sheets to make dresses/skirt, and the money we brought for our guides tips and floss to make bow ties for the guys. Everyone loved the guys bow ties, especially the guides. :)

Shrimp cocktail and salmon for dinner.  Amazing. 

Joe and Scotty playing for us on our last night. Again, it made me weepy.  I had never been on a trip like this and I was amazed at how I connected with the people, and the river.  I'm not much of a nature girl, but being in the outdoors, away from technology, surrounded by so much beauty, it really let me focus on things that I don't normally get to think about.  This trip was an amazing adventure, on every level. 

 

*******Sunday, May 12, 2013*******

Our last morning of the trip. 

We rafted for a little bit, and then pulled over to a small area, just large enough for a helicopter to land and fly us out of the Canyon. 

In the helicopter, Bachelorette style. 

After the helicopter ride, right before our first real shower in almost a week. 

 

 All showered and about to say goodbye.  It was one amazing trip, one I will never forget (especially after how well I documented it). 

A few more random pictures I couldn't help posting.
 

 

 

 

Hello, Mr. Bug

New fashion trend. 

As I was unpacking, I found my spoon that I was supposed to return at the end of the trip. Whoops.  Guess I will have to go on this trip again just so I can return the spoon. I have it in my silverware drawer and it makes me smile every time I use it.

 

After the trip, the six of us were talking about all the funny things that happened,  or that were said.  We made a list of them on my phone, because I knew I would forget.  Honestly, I have forgotten what some of them mean, but they made me laugh on the trip, and I wanted to document. And there is one more that isn't on here: When us girls thought we were "Eve".  Hahahah!

                       

Dave and I took the little tiny plane back to Vegas, where we walked the strip, ate lots of greasy food, and then flew home late that night.

We are so grateful for Bruce and Marianne coming to watch the kids so we could go on this trip.  They are amazing, and our kids are in such excellent hands while we are away.  It was exactly what we needed, and we felt refreshed on every level- emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

This trip was the prefect combination of relaxing, yet adventurous. "Roughing it", yet being pampered.
I asked Dave what his favorite part of the trip was, and he sad, "Not having to make any decisions." I hadn't thought about it, but it was true.  It was like we were the kids again, and we didn't have to do any decision making.  Every meal was cooked for us - no deciding from a menu, every day was planned for us - we didn't have to decide what to do.  It was something that I had never experienced on a vacation before, and given the circumstances, it was perfect. Perfect in every way.

Grand Canyon Trip - Part Two

*******Thursday, May 9, 2013*******
Getting ready for the day! No makeup, mirrors or curling irons. Just braids, the river and sun hats.


This day was amazing.  We stopped where the Little Colorado River merges with the main Colorado River (mile 60 of our trip).
On the right in the Colorado River, and on the left is the Little Colorado.  Due to calcium carbonate in the Little Colorado, the river takes on that baby blue color.  This is where they merge. It was so incredible to see. 

Walking around the Little Colorado. 

 

The water was much warmer here, and we were able to form a train and go down some rapids.  It was so fun.  The color of that water was breathtaking. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Back on the boat for more rapids.  When there wasn't rapids we could lay on the boat, talk, hang out, and then the rapids came and made it exciting.  Perfect combination of a relaxing trip and adventurous. 

Prepping for the rapids.

Jason and his goggles.  The one and only time someone was more dorky that I was.  Although I do have a nice bonnet look going on. 

Camp and dinner that night. 

 

And because I'm sure people are curious about this situation, like I was before I went on this trip, this is the bathroom situation. Behold the loo with a view.   

 

*******Friday, May 10, 2013*******

Rise and shine! 

We had two boats in our group, and this was the second boat going down some big rapids.  Dave, Jason, and one other guy almost fell off going down this bad boy. 

We stopped and hiked and found this little waterfall. 

You could walk around the side of it and then jump through it, which the guys did.  The girls were too cold.  Such wimps we were. 

This next stop was a huge highlight of the trip for me.  This was a slot canyon, and we hiked through it. 

 

 

 

Our guides, Scotty and Joe, are in a band together.  They played us some songs, most being songs they wrote and about the Grand Canyon.  The acoustics in this canyon were amazing.  It made me teary a few times.  

At the back of this canyon was this rock.  J and J climbed up and jumped off. 

More rapids.

A video from some rapids.  This was a good sized one, but not as big as some of the ones we went through. 

We learned lots of cool things about how the schist and granite were made millions of years ago, and how these veins happened.

Happy campers. 

That night we stopped for camp and hiked to this waterfall.  We were in need of another shower, so we "showered" under the waterfall that night.  

 

Waiting for dinner and feeling so refreshed and clean.

Our gorgeous campsite that night. 

We had bananas foster for dessert that night.  Ice cream on our fourth night in the dessert.  These guides and the food were pretty amazing. 

This might be my favorite picture from the trip.  This was the first night it didn't rain, so we stayed up a little later than normal.  Jason is wearing his headlight and it was attracting the bats.  He loved to look up and watch the bats come fly through his light.  I loved to keep my distance.  He is such a little boy at heart. 

We were able to sleep under the stars that night.  The sky was unlike anything I had ever seen.