We took Interstate 10 east for 40 miles (64 km) and then Interstate 15 73 miles (117 km) north until we reached Interstate 40, the freeway that would be our primary route for approximately the next 2000 miles (3219 km) from the west coast to the east coast.
First, however, we had 157 miles (253 km) to go before we reached the Arizona border, much of it through the Mojave Desert.
The Mojave was arid, barren, and very hot. It was 110°F (43.3°C) that day. My mother's car had a newly installed air conditioning system, but it struggled to keep us cool under those conditions. When we started climbing steeper grades, official signs warned us to turn off the air conditioning to avoid overheating. We complied although we felt like we were driving inside a blast oven. Putting the windows down just made it worse.
As we drove across the state line into Topock, Arizona, I remember seeing Topock Marsh to the north. There were signs pointing the way to Las Vegas, Nevada, and my gambling-minded grandmother bemoaned that we weren't going there. I later wished we had. She died three years later without ever having made it to Las Vegas.
From there, it was 221 miles (356 km) to the south rim of the Grand Canyon (7000 feet/2100 meters above sea level).
On the road to the Grand Canyon
If you've never seen the Grand Canyon, it's easy to dismiss it as being just a really big hole in the ground, but once you've seen it, you're forced to recognize it as an awe-inspiring wonder of nature that makes you feel dwarfed by its immensity and beauty. If you're there in early evening when the stars first begin to greet observers, you might just have a spiritual experience.
My grandmother and mother at the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon
And I would be remiss if I failed to tell you that I could have fallen into the Grand Canyon. I wanted to get a better view than the observation area would allow. There was a narrow spit of a cliff, perhaps four feet wide, with a small tree at the end overlooking the canyon, so I climbed over the railing of the observation area, ignoring the official signs telling me not to do so, and inched my way out to the tree, intending to hold on to it.
The tree turned out to be rather less sturdy than it appeared. I was at the end of a very narrow cliff holding on to a tree, knowing it was incapable of holding my weight if I stumbled. Somehow I managed to make it back to the safety of the observation area, but not before getting the shot I climbed out there for.
The Shot
We ate dinner at a park lodge cafeteria. I remember drinking one too many wine coolers, so my mother drove the car the 88 miles (142 km) south to Flagstaff, Arizona, where we stayed at the Motel 6. It was late when we arrived, so I went right to bed, but my mother and grandmother cooled off in the swimming pool first.
Total Travel Distance: 579 miles (932 km)
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