Fun and Relaxation in Scottsdale

On Thursday, we headed to Scottsdale for a couple of days of fun and relaxation. The kids absolutely love swimming in the pool! We had some friends that were also in AZ for spring break staying at a hotel with an awesome watermark. The kids loved seeing their pals and going down the crazy watersides! Mom and Dad also loved the slides even though the slides "ate" dad's shorts! After playing in the sun for several hours, the kids then relaxed in the "shade fort".




On Friday, we spent sometime with Dad's friends/colleagues. We headed out to the desert to this fun place called "Grease Flats", a casual outdoor restaurant with bonfires, fun band, and outdoor games for the kids. The place where you order food was covered in dollars (real ones). The kids had a blast playing horseshoes and the parents had fun dancing to the band! But alas, this is the end of our journey. Next morning, we had one last burrito and then headed to the airport...... A historic spring break for the Pergande family!

Day 3 - Recovery Day

The hike was a huge accomplishment for our family but it also took a toll on our bodies. Day 3 was about recovery and a more relaxing exploration of the Grand Canyon. We started our day off at the visitor center. Seems ironic now that we feel so connected and intimate with the Canyon. It's a huge visitor center and we watched an inspiring movie on the Grand Canyon. Kids stepped up for front row seats! We also visited the book store and secured a beautiful jigsaw puzzle of the South Rim. And we stopped by Mather point with a great vista of the Canyon!




After the visitor center, we began our drive along East Rim Drive, enjoying vistas such as Grandview Point and Moran Point.



We also enjoyed the Tusayan Ruin & Museum, where we saw evidence of the Anasazi people - a great connection for Presley who is learning about Native American Indians in school. She took all the photos at the museum. Mom also purchased a morbid book (as Canyon would describe it) on all the people that died in the Canyon and how. May be morbid but also quite interesting and insightful!



We then visited the Desert Watchtower, which replicates early Native American architecture. More climbing. Presley 'LOVED" and photographed all the Native American paintings inside! She then went on to photograph pictures at the Kolb Studio and other stops along our way.... A budding photographer!





The view of Bright Angel Trail from the south rim. Hard to believe we walked that far.



Our night ended with a ranger story at the Shrine of the Ages where we learned about the recovery efforts of the California Condor, the largest bird in North America, and a very endangered species. It was great to hear about the efforts, progress, and passion of those trying to help save this amazing bird.

Day 2 - 9.5 Mile Hike Out of the Canyon

Day 2 was both tough and exhilarating. We started our morning at 5:15 am to break down camp, return our tent and sleeping bags to Phantom Ranch, eat some "breakfast", and then begin our 9 hour ascent out of the canyon by 6:30 am. It was a bit scary when we were less than a half hour in and Presley declares that "she's tired". It was also a bit scary when we began our climb out of the river and we quickly ascended to a trail with sheer drops along the river (note no pictures due to Mom's fear). But then the Pergandes ultimately got into a groove, with regular rests and a strong determination!




About 2 miles into our hike, we came to Mom and Dad's first destination into the Canyon (the actual point where we stopped before heading back out) in 2001. It was a nice memory to point out to the kids.



Bright Angel Trail had some nice adventures with several creek crossings and a stop at Indian Gardens campground where the squirrels were quite bold and courageous. As the trail progressed, Mom tried to keep up with Canyon (who was on a mission to finish) and Dad helped to inspire Presley.



And in the end, it was a true Pergande team effort, and we celebrated this huge accomplishment as we exited the Canyon at 3:45 pm after our two day adventure.

Day 1 - 7.5 Mile Hike to Bottom of the Canyon

Our day started bright and early at 6:15 A.M. to make sure our backpacks, Camelbaks, and layers of clothing were ready to go. It was 20 degrees at the top of the Canyon but by the end of the day at the bottom of the Canyon, the temperature would be near 80 degrees. The kids were super excited and ready to take on the adventure head on!



We boarded the Hiker Express bus at 8 AM with the other camper/hikers, heading toward the top of South Kaibab trail. Canyon and Presley were the only kids on the bus! Real Rock Stars!



Our 7 hour adventure began at 8:45 at the rim of the trail! The trail was steep and long with steep sides. Mom's constant quote of the trip. "Slow and steady. Stay focused!"





On our hike down, we took many snack breaks and many bathroom breaks. We also passed the infamous mule trains heading up to the top of the rim (the "easy" way). We enjoyed the vistas, our lunch breaks on the side of the mountain, and the amazing trail! We also began to shed layers as we descended towards the bottom.







The end of the day was tough. While it is down hill, it is tough on the legs and tough on the stamina. And this was only Day 1. We still needed to head up and out of the Canyon on Day 2. We truly didn't know if the kids could make it. Reaching the bridge that crosses the Colorado river was a huge triumph! We then headed to Bright Angel Campground, retrieved our bags from Phantom Ranch and set up a beautiful campsite alongside a rushing creek. Our reward was a huge steak dinner at Phantom Ranch! After dinner, we played a couple of games while Mom gave foot rubs in the tent. And by 7:00 pm, the crew was out, exhausted and trying to recharge for our 5:15 AM wake up the next morning to hike out!

Grand Canyon - Canyon's Namesake Adventure!

We told the kids that when they turned 10, we would take them each to their namesake. Canyon was named after the Grand Canyon as a tribute to Mom and Dad's love of hiking and camping. It was on our first trip to the Grand Canyon in 2001 and a 16 mile trip to the river and back to the rim in one day that we talked about our readiness to have kids. It was also on that trip that we started talking about potential baby names. "Canyon" was, in fact, talked about on that long hike.

We arrived in AZ very late the night of March 31st and stayed at a hotel near the airport. The morning of April 1st, our adventure began. The kids started off the day with a quick dip in the hotel pool and hot tub and then we packed up our car (with 4 suitcases, 3 backpacks, 1 red cooler and a guitar) and headed out on the 4 hour trip to the Grand Canyon.




Shortly after our drive began, the kids began to read an then we encountered a huge traffic jam on Hwy. 17. "Thanks" to GPS, Mom found a side road that could potentially take us around the traffic jam. Oops! Maybe not a road but a dried up creek bed! After 40 minutes of boulders, side bending, shrub rubbing, and potential tire busting hazards, we finally made it out and back onto the highway. Super crazy drive. Pictures don't do it justice because Mom was holding on for dear life during the rough parts. Presley said "let's not do that again". And I don't think it saved us anytime!




We made it just in time to the Grand Canyon to turn in our 2 duffels, which would be carried to the bottom of the canyon by some mules. They weighed it to make sure they were each less than 30 lbs. And then we checked into the Bright Angel Lodge and got our very first glimpse of the amazing Grand Canyon! Wow!





We then headed to the famous El Tovar Hotel for a final night dinner before our hike down! Much to our surprise, it started snowing during our dinner! But luckily we didn't need to wear crampons on the trail as they thought we might! An adventurous start to an adventurous trip!