May 18 & 19

May 18

We were up and out by 6:30. It’s been an  uphill climb for the last hour and half. Now at 6,000 feet, the air is much cleaner. 

Glad to be out of Phoenix because the drivers weren’t very patient. 

We are driving through Coconino National Forest and it’s nice to see green trees and forests. In Flagstaff we are 6,900 elevation and we are at the eastern flank of  the Rocky Mountains. Heading out of the Flagstone area we are now in a flat, rocky area, desert like. We are riding along the east side of the Grand Canyon to drive around and come in from the north. I can’t even describe the scenery in this area. Mountain ranges all around with plateau rims carved into the sides. The canyon is breathtaking. It’s like a pastel drawing with shades of pinks, yellows and teal. 

It’s a long ride to the North Rim. Noon now, about a half hour more. We are driving through a lot of damage to the forests because of fire. About 15 minutes to the campground.  We stopped at the North Rim Country Store for ice, fuel and coffee. Now at 8,760 feet above sea level! We checked in at 1:00. Our site is very nice. Actually this whole area is beautiful. Very wooded and spaced out. More tent campers, very few RV’s. No utilities but restrooms are immaculate and a little store with all the necessities we would need plus coffee. The nights went down to 40’s but we had Mr. Buddy to take the chill out when we needed to. After we set up we took a walk down the road to a path, about a 5 minute walk, to the Grand Canyon. I can’t describe the feeling when we saw it. I actually burst into tears at the beauty and magnitude of God’s work. When I think of the awesomeness of it I cry all over again. The width and depth is breathtaking.  We just sat all by ourselves and took in the beauty. After awhile we went back to our site and made supper. Sat outside until it got too chilly. Tom turned on the heater and we read for awhile before bed. Tomorrow is our mule ride!

May 19
We were up early so we went over to the Trading Post for coffee and a donut. We walked down the path to the canyon again. Never tire of this view! We drove over to the North Rim Visitor Center to pick up our tickets for the Canyon Trail Ride, bought a sandwich and waited for the shuttle bus to the stable. We were given our mules to ride. Tom’s was Rufus and mine was Ronnie. I fell in love with these animals. So gentle and hard working ❤️. We rode down the canyon along the rim for about an hour to the Supai Tunnel. We got off to rest the mules, took some pictures and a water break. The views were spectacular  and I never felt nervous at all on the mules. No matter how many pictures I take, nothing can capture the beauty of this canyon. We are so very blessed to be able to do this trip. The ride back to the ranch was about another hour or so. About 3:30 we headed back to the campground, took showers and did laundry to try to get the dirt off our clothes. We ate, took a walk, read and went to bed. 
Can’t believe we are leaving this piece of heaven tomorrow.