To Albuquerque: Day 2

We made it to Albuquerque!

This morning we enjoyed breakfast with Jesse's Aunt Carol and cousin Miles. We were so grateful they were willing to get up bright and early and meet us before we headed out on day two.

I can't remember whether this was before or after Bud knocked over Miles' full cup of coffee on the hearth.

Then we headed up to the Grand Canyon, just an hour and a half up from Flagstaff. Here we are at our kids' first visit to the rim!!

Nutmeg: "Where is it?"

It was totally, completely fogged in. We stood at the edge and the picture above shows the farthest out we could see from anywhere we walked. We didn't stay for very long. It did start raining, and we skipped back to the car (well, I did, and maybe Wombles). The kids seemed relatively unfazed that we had spent an extra three hours in the car only to see the kind of fog bank we see in our own backyard with some regularity. Bless them. If any of them had pitched any kind of fit, I don't know what we would have done.

Once in the park we did see a couple of elk; after maybe 100 miles of signs for "Elk Crossing" that was pretty gratifying. And we drove through beautiful valleys up around 8000 feet of elevation; it was fun to hear the kids play "spot the aspen grove" and rejoice in the blooming lupin.

Otherwise our day was pretty uneventful, but for the half gallon of water dumped in the floor of the van and getting to spend more time watching thunderstorms from a distance. Maybe Nutmeg will be totally used to lightning before she has to contend with thunder...

Did I say uneventful? What was I thinking--today's reading aloud was the Siege of Gondor.

Tomorrow we're looking forward to another breakfast with (semi-local) family before our travels take us to Texas. TEXAS!

Storms and Smooth Sailing: Day One

We pulled out this morning on our cross-country trip. After staying up until 2am packing up and out, the morning seemed to come too early. Even so, we hit the road later than we had hoped. We ended up making excellent time, reaching Flagstaff in time for leisurely snacks and drinks with the kids before supper. No swimming, though--it was only in the upper 50s outside. Brrr! (There's snow on that there mountain).

I am too tired and too in-the-midst to process our departure or our beginning-at-last of this new season. I will note that we left today on the anniversary of our leaving for Europe Semester last year; there's something poetic about that. There were two weepy Covingtons as we drove down the hill. We stopped at In-N-Out again for our final California meal.

 

We headed East down the same road that we used when we moved to Santa Barbara in the first place seven years ago; it had all of the displaced familiarity of watching a movie on rewind. Only this time we had four in the back seat instead of two. 

And after we had been in Arizona for a while, perhaps the most foreign thing yet: a rainstorm. We drove into it, shutting off the movie as the kids shrieked, wondered, and counted raindrops on their windows. 

So tired. And so grateful for a safe day filled with beauty both within the van and without. For hotel desk clerks who cheerfully guess the kids' ages. For strangers who are fellow SEC fans and chat football, which makes me feel a little more at home no matter where I am. For the smell of rain, and for clean bathrooms and cheerful children. And for a pillow.

Goodnight from Flagstaff, friends.