Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020 – Drive to the Grand Canyon

Hey Honey,
After a good night sleep, a free hotel breakfast, and a little bit of computer work and repacking, I hopped into my little white Toyota (well, they consider a Corolla a full-size car these days, but I remember when they were considered a tiny compact import), and headed out. My first stop was Bass Pro Shops. Evidently I need a rain suit for the rapids, even in 100 degrees, and I considered going to thrift stores in hopes of finding one, but then I found one at Bass Pro Shops on clearance sale, so I called them to make sure they had them, and was reassured by several people that they did, in numerous sizes, but when I got there, I got the runaround, no one could find them, no one knew where they were, and when we finally tracked down the person I spoke to (after 45 minutes of wasted time), it turned out he was wrong, that the ones I specifically wanted they didn’t have. Grrrr! In order to make good on it, thought, the manager agreed to let me have the same brand but that wasn’t on sale for the clearance price, so I ended up with what I needed anyway, though the store lost a bunch of money on the deal. I also got a nice big fanny pack so I can have some essentials within reach on the rafting trip. I lost a lot of time, though, so I headed out of town, with one quick stop at Albertsons for sunscreen, wine and a few odds and ends, finally heading out of Vegas just after noon. Had an uneventful drive under a cloudless sky, arriving at the Grand Canyon right around 4:00. Parking was tough, and I couldn’t figure out where I was supposed to go to check in, but finally discovered that I had to go to a different building to register, so I took what seemed to be the last parking spot on the road and walked over. Got my room all set, then stopped at the mule ride counter to check in there, so now I have a proper itinerary and packing list, which will help. Jeremy was a big help, though. I was told I couldn’t wear a fanny pack, but if I had a lanyard I could wear my camera around my neck, and then he got me a nice soft rope off a bota bag that had leaked, (looks like the old leather wine casks of old, and which is the only water carrying device allowed on the mules apparently), so I could use that for my camera. Got that squared away, then headed up to the room to check it out, in the Thunderbird Lodge, and when I came back out to go to my car to bring stuff in, there was an open parking space right outside the entrance by where my room was! Jackpot! I quickly moved the car up, couldn’t have planned that better myself! Got my essentials in, but by then it was just a half hour to sunset, so I got my camera and phone and went over to the edge of the canyon to watch. I did a quick Facebook video, then took some pictures and a video of some little ground animal that was skirting on the edge of the canyon. Once the sun went down, I headed back to the room, helped my brother Jeff with an online purchase and return, then settled down for the evening. There’s no coffee maker in the room, so no Sleepytime tea, but I’m tired enough that I don’t think that will matter. I spent some time sorting out my stuff between the mule ride and the rafting trip, so I feel a lot more confident that I have everything I need for both. They gave me a small bag for my stuff for the mule ride, plus a packing list, so I’m good to go, and the same bag will come in handy for the rafting trip as well. Tomorrow will just be resting, maybe some walking around and exploring, we’ll see what I’m in the mood for. Been going non-stop for so long a quiet day will be a good thing. Anyway, I’ve had my bath and now I’m ready for bed. Good night, sweetheart! Love you! Wish you were here with me again!

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