Two days ago, in Phoenix, we saw Taliesin West, then Ian took us and his mom to Renata’s Hearth at the Biltmore. So yummy to eat, and quite yummy to see. The decor seemed designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and, indeed, the architect, Albert Chase McArthur had been a draftsman for Wright, and asked him to consult on the ‘textile block’ system used in its appearance.

I had a theatrical ‘el Matador’, a type of margarita that arrived under a cloche filled with smoke. The server then lifted the glass and swirled it to dissipate the smoke. It was delicious. As was the brisket! Ian ordered the items with an insouciance, an off the cuff delivery. He has an easy air, and works in an unfathomable, for me, business of doing something with crypto.

They dropped us at our hotel, which was walking distance (if you’re young and healthy) from their apartment. We made tentative plans to have coffee the next day. Coffee ended up being hugs instead, but thats fine. This trip has been full of wishes for longer stays at certain locations, and it would have been so good to stay here longer, too. But on to the

Grand Canyon! We made it just before dark. By the time we got checked in and found our room, it was dark. Neither of us was hungry, so we had a little wine and caught up with emails, etc. then we went to the Bright Angel bar and had a snack and another drink. Mom gamely walked in the dark (she really can’t see well in the dark) to and from the bar, and up the stairs to our room. This morning I tried to change our room to one on the ground floor, but the room they were going to give us was all the way down the hall and up two small flights of stairs. So we stayed put. She’s definitely stronger than when we left. I kept telling her during our trip in Canada and on this trip leading up to now, that she was in training for the Grand Canyon. It was in reference to the book ‘A Walk In the Park’, by Kevin Fedarko. He speaks of doing a 700 mile trek ‘off the couch’, where you just go on this strenuous journey, without training, hoping your muscles will build on the way. Not a good idea. She speaks of ‘getting her 15 minutes in’, in reference to walking or riding her stationary bike at home for 15 minutes (she does 20 on the bike). So we take a long enough walk to get somewhere and she says ‘I got my 15 minutes in’. She has done some impressive walking lately. Way more than 15 minutes.

Today was cold. Well, it would have been fine if it weren’t for the wind! We headed for the visitors’ center to the east, and Mather point. On the way we saw the most unconcerned deer I’ve ever seen.

It was standing by the side of the road and did not move as we drove by.

then we made it to the visitors’ center and tried to find parking nearest the front door. But the plaza is a circle, and the doors are far from the parking. So we walked, bundled against the wind, and saw the center. Then we watched two short movies about the canyon, one about the indigenous people that live in and around it, and one about the canyon. Then you walk across the plaza to the bookshop, where we looked for certain books and some gifts. Then back across the plaza to the restrooms. Sheesh. Then back to the car, and we stopped at a place near Mather point, to see the big hole in all its glory.

Then to the Yavapai Museum of Geology. One of the beautiful things about this place was the wall of windows overlooking the canyon, where you could look without being battered by the wind.

and they have models of the canyon—so funny to me that they wanted to put the whole canyon on a table sized space, so you can see it in one go. I mean, I like it, but it’s hilarious.

Also models of the divisions of the kinds of rock that make up the canyon walls.

After this, we stopped at the grocery store. I was surprised to find how big this was, like being at a major suburban grocery store, not the camp store I was expecting. They even had a big gift shop, where I found one of the books mom wanted. I got water, mostly. The dryness of the air, combined with the wind, and maybe the altitude, really parches you.

We then went to El Tovar hotel, where again I tried to find a short walk into the restaurant, but it didn’t exist. I dropped mom off at the entrance (with stairs) and parked the car. It is a grand hotel, as is the restaurant, and we had more delicious food.

We got back to the room in time to watch Rachel Maddow, but I fell in and out of sleep, so didn’t get any comfort or distress from her this time.

Tomorrow we may take the shuttle to the west, to Hermit’s Rest. And if I can get my carcass out of bed, I’ll go do some laundry. And we might go see the IMAX movie of the Grand Canyon in the evening.