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Random Thoughts
- How long does it take to get to the
Grand Canyon?
That is a question I've asked a few people. From what I could gather it
takes about 3 or 4 hours.
I was in Phoenix Arizona a while back lusting to head north to see that
grand big hole in the ground. One morning I woke at 5:45 a.m. anxious to
get moving. With one thing and another it was around 8:30 a.m. before I
headed out of Phoenix. By 10:30 p.m. (PM, that night) I had made it half
way. Apparently it takes some of us a bit longer.
But... that day I hiked around Cathedral Rock and reveled in a world of
brilliant reds, blues, and vibrant greens. I stood in the rain in the
desert and discovered the most dramatic small town in North America. It
had taken me 14 hours to cover a distance usually covered in 2 hours, but
I had covered a great distance in memories that I will cherish for many
years.
The desert strips away the clutter of our lives, it burns away emotions,
it clears and sharpens and leaves life simpler and easier to understand.
Life, death, energy, and beauty are there for the taking and easy to see.
The smells are subtle and clean and free of stress. The sights stun with
their power. The environment may be harsh, but you KNOW you're alive
there. And the beauty never ends.
The weeks preceding this drive I had seen wine country on two continents,
and tasted a few bottles. I had traveled on 19 planes and 1 elegant train.
I had hiked through golden rolling hills covering near 20 miles some days,
stood alone in the darkness of a desert night to watch a storm bearing
down on me, and photographed historic buildings in ageless cities. I had
met many new people and made new friends. I had some fun and I cried in
despair once or twice.
But that day I hiked around Cathedral Rock and cried only from the shear
beauty of it. That day I felt rain on my skin as I stood in a dry and
seeming desolate world. That day life seemed simpler, filled with beauty
and clarity and.... hope. That day I was free.
How long does it take to get to the Grand Canyon? Who cares.
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