As the Summer of 2005 began to wind down, we piled ourselves and our kids in our new SUV for summer vacation. In this case, a road trip from Colorado to the Grand Canyon and back. In the span of just less than a week. Those that know us, know that this is not unusual. We long for a good road trip.

So, we stuffed our Thule with camping gear: two tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, ground clothes, etc. Two tents? Yes. We have three kids and our 4-person tent is getting a bit cramped.

The plan for the first night, make it to Colorado National Monument. This hidden gem is located just west of Grand Junction, Colorado. It's a relative unknown stop for most. It is, however, picturesque with many rock formations, a great scenic drive, and views of the fertile valley below. What's more, a decent campground that's hardly ever full. So...after a late start, we managed to get to the Monument about 5 pm. Plenty of time to get setup and take a few pictures.

We decided to try sleeping everyone in our 4-person tent the first night...just to see if it still could work for all of us. It didn't. Cross that off the list. Two adults, and three squirmy children (ages 3 to 9) in sleeping bags don't make for restful sleep. Needless to say, I was able to get a decent sunrise shot.

Day 2: Drive to southern Utah. An relatively easy day...we did stop at Wilson Arch just South from Moab. It's a good stop, right next to the highway, to let kids exercise their pent up energy.

Day 3: Sunrise in Monument Valley on the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (with a side trip to the Glen Canyon Dam). Hey, we've got time! Famous last words.

We managed to catch Monument Valley in some interesting light. Sort of an overcast morning with rather semi-diffuse sunlight. Very nice tones. Honestly, we weren't overly impressed with Monument Valley. I'd been through several times growing up. For my wife and kids, this was a first. I think they expected more and are probably a bit spoiled from our many trips to Canyonlands and other parts of Utah. Nonetheless, a few views are indeed striking.

Glen Canyon Dam was a nice detour. It's a big dam dam...or something like that. The kids enjoyed the views and learning about the building of the dam. As you can see, the water level was definitely low. Several years of drought in the Colorado high country are partly too blame. So too were the lack of any water restrictions downstream during that time ("What's that box-looking thing I'm standing on?"). Anyways, we didn't spend a lot of time there...hey, we've got a schedule to keep.

Next stop, the Navajo Bridge. If you're in this area, stop. Ok, so it looks just like a couple of nice bridges in the middle of nowhere...but, that's the point. It's the only crossing along the Colorado River for 600 miles! The history of this crossing is fascinating. Lee's Ferry is just upstream from here. Worth the stop.

Wake up Kids!!	Navajo Bridge

Time to make some time...we're a little behind schedule. Oh, did I mention that we don't have any camping / hotel reservations at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in August? For tonight? Right, we should get there soon. Just another hour or so.

We arrived at the North Rim around 3 pm. Not too bad. This was the first view of the Grand Canyon for my wife and kids. They were amazed. The views are tremendous from the North Rim and the weather was great - mid-70s with a light breeze through the pine trees. We took in a great Ranger talk at the Lodge. Our oldest daughter demonstrated how Condors eat. Lots of fun. (We even saw a Condor briefly the next morning - no pics, sorry).

Ranger: Condor Talk	Eatin' like a Condor!

So, sleeping arrangements. My wife seemed to be interested in where we were going to sleep tonight. We checked into staying at the lodge or one of the cabins. There was a cancellation; however, it wouldn't sleep five. So, I inquired at the Backcountry Desk about a camping permit. I wanted to try for Point Sublime - a 1.5 hour four-wheel-drive trip from the North Rim lodge. A bit off the beaten path. I heard it had great views. The Ranger in the gift shop said that a few people had to be towed out from the road in the last week....doesn't scare me. Oh, and some recent wildfires had threatened that area...hmm, that does scare me. But, the Ranger at the Backcountry Desk said "no problem." What's more, he had an available permit...and, no one else would be at the Point tonight. We'd be alone on one of the more picturesque views of the Canyon. Score.

After a very pleasant 4-wheel drive journey, we arrived at Point Sublime...alone. What a spectacular setting. We still had a few hours of daylight; however, several rainstorms were threatening. Too the East, we could see a heavy downpour near the North Rim Lodge area. I took a few long exposures hoping to catch some lightning...with marginal success.

We setup two tents this time - no more crowding, we're going to s-l-e-e-p tonight. Well, maybe...more on that in a minute. We had a quick bite and walked out to the far end of the point. Time for sunset photos.

Point Sublime	Point Sublime

I can't explain well enough in words the next hour or so. To be at such a scenic spot, overlooking something as spectacular as the Grand Canyon, basically alone. To hear only the rolling sounds of distant thunder echoing off the Canyon walls...while the colors of the Canyon changed minute to minute. It was a truly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of moment. What's more, we all knew it.

The following photos (and many more) were all taken in the span of about 20 minutes:

Grand Canyon Sunset Glow from Point Sublime

Grand Canyon Sunset from Point Sublime

Grand Canyon Sunset (Closeup) from Point Sublime

Grand Canyon Sunset Lightning

As noted, I took a lot of pictures. I wish I had Ansel Adams standing next to me - with his camera. Learn how he would capture the moment. The 'Sunset Glow' shot of the Canyon is really quite close to how it looked. It really was a 'glow'.

Light soon faded and we made our way to the tents. The thunder and lightning had not subsided...in fact, it was seemingly getting closer. Once everyone was tucked in, I began to count between the flash of light and the thunder that followed. Using the rule of 5 seconds per mile. I was concerned that two tents on an exposed point overlooking the Grand Canyon, sheltered only by a few weathered trees, was not the best place to be in a lightning storm. It wasn't long before I gave up counting. The flashes of light were only seconds apart - which obviously made it difficult to tell which thunder went with which light.

So, I decided to get everyone into the Pathfinder (SUV). Our middle child was with me - fast asleep. So I let her be while I went to the other tent. A flashlight was not necessary. I spoke to the tent - "Anyone awake?". The tent replied immediately, "Yes." It was my wife. I could tell from her tone that she was thinking what I was thinking...."Get in the Pathfinder". Soon everyone was inside...the kids asleep again. My wife and I watched the lightning show. I had a burning desire to setup the tripod at the far end of the point to just see what a 30 second exposure would look like. My wife did not share this desire, nor did she approve of my desire. Thus, we sat. For 2 hours. We then returned to the tents, sleeping kids and all.

Day 4: The next morning, I awakened just before sunrise in hopes of getting some more shots of the Canyon...this time with morning light.

In many ways, the morning views were just as spectacular as the night before. The thunder and lightning were gone. Replaced with total silence. Complete solitude.

The following duotone photo was created from a similar shot later that morning:

After taking about 100 photos in the span of 16 hours, it was time to move on. So, we drove back to the North Rim area - to more of the overlooks. Some of the views were striking; however, it just wasn't the same sharing it with other tourists. The feeling was different.

In keeping with our tight schedule, we left Grand Canyon National Park mid-afternoon. My intent was to drive to Kayenta in northeastern Arizona. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, the hotels were full - in Kayenta ?!? So we pushed through to Cortez, Colorado...and slept. For real this time.

Day 5: We spent the next morning in Mesa Verde National Park. We've been there a few times as a family and have always enjoyed it. As our kids are getting older, they appreciate the history even more. Below are a few photos. I'll save the bulk for a report specifically on Mesa Verde.

Mesa Verde National Park	Mesa Verde National Park

Later that afternoon, we drove into the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. This is our favorite area in Colorado. We spent two nights here before returning home. As with the Mesa Verde pictures, here is just a sample (more to come in a different report, including our Bear sighting!):

San Juan Wildflower Waterfall	San Juan Jeep Road

How's that for a busy week! An incredible trip not soon forgotten.

As always, please email me if you have any questions or thoughts.

Lance Livingston