Painted Desert and "The Big Ditch"

We left Santa Fe and headed to the Painted Desert. We bought an annual park pass and ate the best veggie burgers in the whole world cooked by Navajo women at the park.

After pitching our tent we hiked to the south rim of the Grand Canyon and watched the sunset with people from all over the world. On our way back to our tent we stopped at the local market in the park to buy supplies (ice and Pringles) and we decided to take a short cut through the woods. Bad idea! As night fell, without flashlights, carrying ten pounds of ice, and listening to Ann's pleadings to leave the coyote filled woods, we left the woods for the main road and got back safely to our tent. We comforted ourselves with peanut M&Ms and vowed to bring a flashlight and a map next time.

Up at 5:30 (our bodies still on Eastern time zone) we saw the sunrise over the canyon with cups of overpriced coffee from the lodge. We met a local woman who worked there and she convinced us to come back when we retire and work at the "the big ditch" as she and her coworkers called the Grand Canyon. She then took us on a tour of the mule area and the rim trail and regaled us with terrifying stories of people falling off the edge. Ann thanked her graciously and dragged Randi away from her new friend. 

Another local enjoying the early morning view. Randi tried to make friends with him too but Ann wouldn't let her. 

Look to the right of our tent (isn't it beautifully pitched) and you'll see our reward for rising so early in the park. We had two elk walk within two feet of us as we dined on cereal commandeered from our Santa Fe hotel. We are the frugal adventurers!

After the Grand Canyon we headed west towards Lake Havasu City (our last stop before LA) and couldn't resist lunch at this route 66 eatery. The menu described all its choices in terms of roadkill...mmmmm....hope it wasn't Randi's squirrel friend from the morning!