April 2-10, 2004 VIDEO
Mileage in Arizona: 29889 to 31234 = 1345
Friday, April 2
Ruth and I spent the day preparing, cleaning, etc. James Wenger rode with us while we picked up each of the children in turn from their schools, Hana from Mt. Washington Elem., Christopher and Andrew from Roland Park Middle, and Carla from City College HS. They each had to get out a bit early which took some arranging (for example, Christopher had to go in early that day to take a Social Studies test, and Hana missed her beloved Chess Club.) James dropped us off and drove our van back. We checked in and went through security (the kids watched with much interest while I was searched rather thoroughly. I hadn't been through airport security since 9/11 so wasn’t aware of how much needed to be done such as empty pockets entirely, take off shoes and belt, etc.) We waited for a couple of hours for our plane which took us to Denver. Carla and Ruth enjoyed the in flight movie, Mona Lisa's Smile. We then made a rather quick connection on to Phoenix where we arrived at about 11AM local time. We had to wait for a while (in the unexpectedly cold weather there) for the Dollar Car Rental shuttle to take us from the airport to pick up our rental van. The shuttle drive was a jolly sort who needed to go around and shake each of our hands and wish us a good trip. Of course the children were wide awake with excitement during this process and as we drove to or hotel in N. Phoenix.
Saturday, April 3
We awoke in good spirits with the goal for that day of seeing the Grand Canyon. We had the usual (for us) hotel routine the next morning (treat for the children) of the continental breakfast and the exercise room while watching cartoons. I went for a nice jog. Ruth went out and bought an ice chest and some groceries for our trip and for our picnic meals.
We first stopped off at the gravesite of my sister Darlis. Her gravesite (Resthaven Cemetery, 6290 W. Northern Ave., Glendale, AZ) is shared by the other three young persons who were also killed in the same plane crash in December 1978. (Joe and Stephanie Guhr, Roy Slabaugh). I had the chance to re-acquaint myself with the site and also to show it to Ruth and the children. I told them the story about the accident too. So that was a good but bittersweet visit. As we were searching for Darlis' site, Hana asked "Are these graves in alphabetical order?"
Then we proceeded north up I-17 towards Flagstaff. We were impressed with the desert scenery, the saguaro cactus, other kinds of cactus, the dry browns of the desert (even though April is among the greenest times of the year for AZ), the craggy peaks in the distance around Phoenix. Hana made sketches of the different cactus plants she saw. Then, as we ascended out of the low areas around Phoenix onto the higher plateau the changing plants and scenery amazed us. The trip also included some rather impressive changes in weather patterns with cooler weather as we ascended then on the very flat plateau a view of a number of different small storm systems in the distance. We drove through some short but heavy rain storms then the sun would come out.
Our first stop was a large (1 mile diameter) meteorite crater, situated about 40 miles east of Flagstaff. This crater is said to have been caused by a meteorite impact about 50,000 years ago. We walked around this, toured the visitor's center, saw a movie about the crater, and bought some souvenirs. During the trip we also enjoyed making an ongoing video. Andrew takes a special interest in this and can handle our video machine quite well. Each of the children had their own camera and for the duration of the trip they enjoyed taking their own photos.
On through Flagstaff we ran into a fairly severe sleet/snow/hailstorm, certainly not something we expected to encounter in sunny Arizona. The rain continued on and off as we approached the Grand Canyon. We had a chance to view the Canyon briefly at Mathers Point before the cold drove us to check into Maswik Lodge to get on warmer clothes. Our attempts to catch a shuttle to Hopi Point were thwarted by the rain/sleet/snow that had overtaken us at that point. The view of the Canyon didn't go far as it was covered in fog. We had a nice supper at the Maswik cafeteria and spent the evening in our rooms. The children had their own room (the "Cartoon Room" which was special to them and we had our own room (the "News Room").
Sunday, April 4
It drizzled all night and we were feeling discouraged that perhaps our first very brief view of the Canyon at a crowded Mathers Point would be all we would get. However, we forged ahead and sure enough, the weather gradually cleared and views of the Canyon with the wisps of clouds rising up were something wonderful to behold. Each of the children were impressed in their own ways and although we stopped at quite a number of rim sites they didn't seem to get tired of it. Chris made the observation that we had seen three holes so far on our trip, the Grand Canyon, the Meteorite Crater, and the grave site. Ruth recalled seeing a cartoon with the caption "Erosion control experts visit the Grand Canyon for the first time and fall apart" showing some men standing at the rim crying and holding their heads. At one place along the rim we hiked a short ways down into the Canyon and met another family (with children about Hana's age) hiking out. They had spent the night camping at the bottom of the Canyon.
We also viewed a tremendous and well done IMAX show on the Grand Canyon. It recreated the original navigational trip of John Wesley Powell and his team down the Colorado River in wooden boats. It also educated us about the history of the Canyon and the peoples who have lived there.
We drove out around the SE corner of the GC and had our last view, and that with a tower as well. We drove through a Navajo Indian Reservation and remarked how barren it seemed to appear. Tuba City was not too far north of where we were, where Conrad had done some elective work during his pediatric residency. Nestled within the Navajo reservation is a smaller Hopi reservation. Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings time, the Navajos do, and the Hopi don't. This made scheduling appointments where he worked extremely challenging.
Hana decided to make a scrap book of her trip so that she can show her teacher and second grade class. So she began to collect items of interest, souvenirs, etc. with that goal in mind. She is quite gung ho in this endeavor.
On the way south we diverged at Flagstaff to visit Sedona, an area known for the impressive and beautiful red rock formations. It is also quite touristy, but we enjoyed it and bought some fudge at a shop there and also ice cream cones.
That evening, back at the Ramada Inn in Phoenix, Ruth and Carla went out and brought in a Chinese meal which we ate with gusto.
Monday, April 5
We set off for Tucson but decided to go east then south for the scenery and because my memory (when I worked for part of summer at Casa Grande, AZ) of the trip from Phoenix to Tucson on I-17 was very boring. Indeed, this scenic route was interesting as we traveled deeper into the Sonoran Desert. We traveled through Florence AZ a town where prisons there employ most of the residents. Driving by this maximum security place was sobering. We saw a sign for "Cactus Forest" on the map and thought that this might be a nice tourist attraction to learn about the different desert plants. We tried to find it but to no avail. There was no obvious place for tourists such as us to visit but we had a good time parking the van at the end of a road somewhere and photographing each other next to some saguaro. We decided later that the map was indicating a town called Cactus Forest and indeed there were a collection of houses not too far from where we parked although none of us would have liked to live in the town of Cactus Forest.
Near Florence we followed a sign that said "historical plaque" with an arrow off to the right. Although I have been generally unsuccessful in getting the kids excited about history, and they were less than thrilled about seeing such a plaque, we proceeded anyway over their objections. It seemed like it should have been a quick little detour but we traveled for quite some time and saw no plaque so we turned around and went back. I guess distances are not the same out here.
As we traveled, Carla did some of her homework in the backseat. This assignment involved writing different kinds of poetry, and Chris contributed his ideas to her poems. Carla read them for us so we enjoyed hearing them, some dealing with ideas from this very trip.
We stopped at the Casa Grande Ruins, remnants of a civilization (the Hohokams) that lived from 300-1300 AD. The main attraction was a tall mud construction that on one side was built to catch the suns rays just right during the spring and fall equinox. They aren't sure what this building was for, whether for agricultural purposes or for religions purposes, etc. Chris spent most of his time taking photos of some lizards, etc. he found in the surrounding desert. He got frustrated because he didn't have a telephoto lens.
We stopped at the town of Casa Grande where I had spent about one month doing a preceptorship during medical school in 1979 (at the West Pinal Family Health Center). We had a picnic in the park and I asked at a nearby library where this health center was located. They told me but we couldn't seem to locate it. I did recognize (a bit vaguely) some of the things that we drove through.
We arrived at Conrad and Andrea's house in northeast Tucson in mid-afternoon and had a chance to meet their 4 month old baby Ella for the first time whom we woke up from her nap. She is beautiful of course. Their house is one level, low set adobe type construction as are most of the houses in their neighborhood, situated in the foothills of the mountains which are breathtakingly visible to the north. Tucson as we learned is a city that is extremely spread out and driving from one end to the next takes some time. The children went swimming in their pool and we all got situated. Conrad got home a bit later from work.
Tuesday, April 6
We all went to Kartchner Caverns near Tucson and had an unforgettable tour. These caverns were discovered by some U. of Arizona graduate students in the late 70s (I think) and because of concerns of the public overrunning them they kept it secret for a number of years. Now it is available for tour if you make reservations and there are certain restrictions and precautions. (Only about 270 people per day can go through, no photos, there is a fine mist as you tour to keep any residue from our bodies from floating into the caves, the caverns are closed for 6 months out of the year so that the annual bat migration can take up their residence inside, no touching of anything allowed inside, etc.). It is a wet cave meaning that the stalagmites and stalactites are still dripping and forming. The tour guide was clear about the precautions and guidelines, but was also very personable. Hana had a lot of questions that she was not hesitant about asking. (Will we see the 20 foot straw? Does the ceiling above our heads now count as flat? (After he said a flat ceiling is most likely to fall down on us.) How do they know that the bones that were found belonged to a sloth?)
We had a picnic lunch there and drove back and spent a nice afternoon swimming in Andrea's mothers' pool. (She lives nearby and her pool is heated.) Chris, Andy and Hana were in the pool non stop for about 3 hours. Carla enjoyed the Jacuzzi along with the three other women (Ruth, Andrea and Andrea's mother). Conrad and I talked with Jim, Andrea's stepfather. Ella was held by a variety of people. That evening we had a barbeque. Hana worked on her journal. Ruth and I are always impressed by Conrad's abilities to carry on conversations with our kids, seeming to know how to hit on areas that interest them and get them talking. And as usual, he always has some interesting reading recommendations. Their bookshelves are fun to peruse because each of them love good books and make that a regular part of their lives.
Wednesday, April 7
We set off for Nogales, Mexico. On the way we stopped off at San Xavier Mission, an old mission church of the Jesuits from about 400 years ago. It brings to mind that book by Willa Cather, Death Comes to the Archbishop. It is a working church and open to tourists. We had some delicious fry bread sold by some local people nearby. A guide book that I read said that just looking at this fry bread can raise your cholesterol by 20 points.
We parked our van in Nogales, AZ, and went across the border into Nogales, Mexico. The children were fascinated by the busy market scenes in Mexico even though it was clearly set up for tourism from the US and designed with the goal in mind of how to most efficiently separate the tourist from his money. Carla was looking at a necklace that she liked and the lady began by offering it to her for $12. Carla wasn't sure what to do so she just stood there looking at it then at the lady, so the lady came down to $10 then to $8 then to $6 then to $5. All this time Carla was simply looking and not saying anything. The shopkeeper, I think, thought that she was just a very crafty, subtle and effective bargainer. This process of bargaining fascinated our children, and they didn't think that it was fair to argue the price down, something that Ruth is quite good at doing and comfortable with. Carla loved the market scene in Mexico, and she and Ruth could have stayed a lot longer. We stayed about 2 hours and I enjoyed the first hour but after that it got a bit long. Andrew and Chris each got a really cool pair of sunglasses for $5 apiece, and the kids got a variety of other souvenirs and trinkets.
We had some concerns that returning into the US from Mexico might be a problem with Carla but it wasn't a problem at all.
That afternoon the children swam again and then we all went to a large second hand book store in Tucson (Bookmans). We got some select books there and that evening saw Chicken Run, a video that Chris and Andy bought together at Bookmans. At some point this afternoon Chris and Andy caught a lizard in Conrad and Andrea's house and Hana wanted to hold it "just for a minute" but accidentally let it go. It certainly took Chris a while to get over this disappointment.
Thursday, April 8
I had the chance to jog a couple of miles around the neighborhood in the cool of the morning. We all visited the Sonoran Desert Museum in the morning, where we saw the desert habitat and animals that live there (coyotes, snakes, and javelina). We had a picnic lunch at a nearby shelter at the base of a small mountain. The children swam in the afternoon again and we played a game called Apples to Apples which all enjoyed immensely. Sometimes getting a game that all ages, Hana to adult, can enjoy is a challenge. But this one was a winner.
That evening we went to a Tucson Sidewinders baseball game, opening night. They are the AAA affiliated for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Conrad's hospital is just across the street from the stadium so we were privileged to park there and walk across. Someone at the gate gave us 5 free tickets so we got in on a bargain. The game was exciting, 7-7 after 9 innings when we left. We heard later that Tucson won it 9-8 in 12 innings on a long home run. I bought a (expensive) Sidewinders baseball hat. There were some activities for kids that I took Hana around to, one was where you throw a ball at a target and the guy in charge said "She's better than most boys that do this. Really." I guess he was impressed by Hana's strong left arm.
Friday, April 9 (Good Friday)
We took a tram ride up Sabino Canyon, very near to where Conrad and Andrea live. Once again, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. The desert hills and mountains in the distance, the cold stream running through it all which was almost too cold to wade in, the deep blue sky. It was not too hot. On the ride up we sat with a man who had been to the baseball game the night before and he filled us in on the details that we had missed. Some of the trails were closed off due to some sightings of a mountain lion. We hiked part of the way back down the canyon. Later on we heard that the same morning that we had made our trip into the Canyon they caught the 80 pound cat.
For lunch we met Conrad near his work place at a portable and very authentic Mexican restaurant. This vehicle pulls up into an empty lot each day and serves meals. A pediatric resident friend, Dana, joined us for the meal. The kids (except Carla) went swimming that afternoon and evening three times. This has been their first chance this year to swim, and they are making the best of it. We all played Apples to Apples in the evening and had a good time laughing.
Saturday, April 10
We said good bye and drove to the airport in Phoenix where we waited for a couple of hours. Hana played Old Maid with a couple of other girls there in the airport. A thunderstorm in Phoenix delayed departure by 1 hour and the planned connection time in Denver was 1 hour so we arrived in Denver right when our connecting flight to Baltimore was scheduled to leave. Fortunately, that plane was also delayed so we made it. We had visions of waiting hours in the airport, needing to split up our family, spending the night in a hotel, etc., none of which was terribly attractive. We arrived in Baltimore at about midnight and James was there to meet us.
All in all, it was a wonderful trip, perhaps our best ever as a family.