Honestly, we were not sure what to expect: as time drew closer, we were starting to get concerned about our plan of going to the desert in the middle of the summer. There were heat warnings and advisories and even news of a lady that died of heat in the Grand Canyon! We had never done a guided trip before with the kids and there was going to be plenty of hiking in 100+ heat.

Our trip started off with a long day in Scottsdale after our airline moved us to a very early morning. It was a scorching day in Scottsdale waiting for our tour to start. The next morning, our guides, Joel and Bob, showed up promptly and ready to go. They greeted us and the kids and we set out. We got used to seeing the Austin Adventures van and trailer for the next week!

On day 1, we headed down to the Salt River and got ready to kayak. Joel joined us on our adventure while Bob drove the van to the pick up spot. We had an REI guide with us who lead the group, but having our AA guide with us was great too. They were all very diligent in our need of water, sunblock, and snacks all week. The kayak trip was very nice. The weather was very hot, but the water was cold. We got to paddle and even take turns jumping off of a rock into the channel. It was a very fun way to get things rolling, esp. for the kids. Bob had lunch waitin for us and it was great. All of the guide lunches we had were very good and plentiful. After the kayaking, we headed to Prescott.

Day 2- we started off with a fantastic breakfast at the Hassayampa Inn. The pancakes were huge! My daughter loved her parfait and rest of the crew had tasty omelets. I loved getting Joel's advice on what was good on the menu at each place. After a big breakfast, we headed to Watson Lake outside Prescott. What a beautiful place! Yes, it was hot... But, Joel and Bob always had plenty of water and lots of info about local plants, wildlife, and geological formations. . After the hike, we headed to "Bear"-izona. That's the most bears I've ever seen. We got to feed the grizzlies which was cool. Then we headed to Williams. We would be on our own for the afternoon. Joel gave us several recommendations for what to try for supper.

Day 3-after breakfast the next morning in Williams, we watched a wild west show at the train depot. It was pretty "meh", but we didn't have anything else to do while waiting for the train. The train ride was fun. I enjoyed looking for wildlife as we rode along. After we got to the Grand Canyon, they picked us up and took us to another tasty lunch, except this time it was on the rim and our first glimpse of the GC. We hiked along the rim back to our hotel. What a magnificent sight! It's such a beautiful place. That rim hike was a good warm-up to our canyon hike the next day. We rested up, did a little souvenir shopping, then had a great supper at the El Tovar.

Day 4-This was the big day--into the Grand Canyon! We had a good breakfast at El Tovar. Joel had recommended the avocado toast. I'd never had it before and it was very good. After that we headed to the South Kaibab trail head. We were going to head some miles into the canyon and then back out. Like the guides said, "into the canyon, optional. Out of the canyon, mandatory!" We loaded up lunch and plenty of water. We went all the way down to Cedar Point. The trip out was tough, but not as bad as we thought. We rested a bit then headed to supper outside the park.

Day 5-We headed out of the park to the watch tower and lunch in Flagstaff. The pizza there was great! After that, a beautiful drive to Sedona. It was hot again, but another great place. We got to spend some time in the pool watching the bats fly around.

Day 6-The last day. The Pink Jeep tour was a fantastic way to see the Sedona area. We had a good time doing that. We saw Montezuma's Castle which was a very interesting look at some American history. Then back to the airport and home! It was a great trip!

| January 1970