… And then stalked by lightning

Saturday morning we added an additional 200 miles to the trip by going back to the Grand Canyon to see it in daylight. Totally worth it – I get why Bobby and Cindy wanted to get away from their annoying family and wander around by themselves. I am a sucker for all things cheesy about America, but the Grand Canyon really is so superlative that after a while you're just dumbstruck. "Wow." "Cool." "That is one big hole."

Tight on time, we abandoned the original plan to hit the Grand Canyon Skywalk. A bummer, but now we have an excuse to go back. We also had to skip Santa Fe, so no turquoise jewelry or Georgia O'Keeffe reprints for everyone this Christmas, I'm afraid.




Skies were ominous for a good part of Saturday, and as we headed down mile after mile of road toward Albuquerque, we watched the lightning show. Cool from a distance, but heading into that dark sky, oppressive cloud cover and lightning was like riding into Hades. Both Midwesterners, we grew up with storms, but neither of us had ever experienced anything like this. After a massive flash of lightning and instantaneous clap of teeth-rattling thunder right over us at an Albuquerque gas station, there is now security video of me practically ducking and covering.

The storm shook us up a bit, but on a truly dark and deserted road to Roswell that would've made Hank Williams proud, we encountered an incredible night sky with a canopy of stars that practically forced us to pull over to the side of the road to look. My fear of alien abduction or kidnap by escaped convicts kept us in the car, though. Who wants to be a cautionary tale?

Eternal gratitude to the lovely people at the Roswell La Quinta Inn for such a pleasant stay.


Saturday Miles: 710
Route: Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon, through Albuquerque, taking refuge in Roswell.
Time: Door to door, 15 hours, give or take.
Foodstuffs: Del Taco, McDonald's salads (hey, it's green and it was raining), Tim's Luau BBQ potato chips, nacho cheese Bugles.