Welcome back, folks. Early that morning, We got up and left the Grand Canyon. We had reservations for the North Rim campground, but instead decided to help a friend in need. Don’t get me wrong, We needed showers, but We went to the House of Pretty in order to help my dear friends Angela and Rylan for a while. Angela would be needing surgery sometime within the following few days and they have 3 lovely children who (while extremely well behaved) are a bundle of energy. Angela not feeling well, and both of them working, I felt I could do more than say “boo :(” on facebook, ya know. There were several stops on the way there though. A few stamps that needed to be put in my passport book 🙂
First stop was Sunset Crater National Monument.
We got there when they opened and it was only 8am. It was a nice enough area with lava beds from an eruption and the volcano itself is pretty awesome.
The dry lava flow was beautiful on the ground. Black and rough, sharp as glass and still had flowers growing out of it.
The volcano looked like it might sneeze, so I thought I would help out 🙂
While We were there, We witnessed a few rangers investigating an abandoned car. Nobody in sight, early in the morning, and a car in the day use only area with a cool to the touch engine…creepy.
Anyway, We rolled on down the road to Wupatki National Monument
which is a red adobe structure out in the middle of nowhere. It was pretty big.
From there, We had to drive a bit off the straight path and go to Navajo National Monument.
It was kind of dinky and once We got there We discovered that you had to walk more than a mile to get to a point where you can look through binoculars to see the monument site!! No thanks. It was a nice area and all, but…so We walked around the interpretive trail there at the visitor center, saw a few reproductions of things “Navajo” and We were on Our way.
The last stretch of Our days journey took Us to Pipe Springs National Monument. On the way there, We crossed a pretty cool bridge over the Colorado River, and it happened to be a newer addition to the National Lands and had its own stamp for my book! SCORE!!
The only picture I got at Pipe Springs was the sign, so yeah 
After that, it was straight on to Las Vegas. Those days in Vegas, I spent most of my time hanging out with the kiddos and/or helping keep up with the cleaning that a house of 5 demands. Neither of them has it easy around there, but they sure make it work! I enjoyed spending one day with Evan (the baby boy) playing and laughing and just having fun. I miss mine all the time and playing with him made me look even more forward to seeing them soon! I was glad to spend time with Ang (when Ry and I werent insisting she nap). She was still working up until the surgery and when she got home she was a tired mess that was in pain 😦 When I wasn’t looking after the beautiful (even when not feeling well) Angela and the mini-pretty ones, I spent some time loving me some Lor. I finally got to meet her boyfriend, and he even made Us dinner!! I love her. I really do. She is intelligent and driven and gorgeous and doesn’t let ANYONE hold her down. Its pretty inspirational. We weren’t there to play, We were there on business, so there isn’t really much else to say. Angela had her surgery and is “getting better” but isn’t done yet 😦 Wish We could have stayed to help longer, but the show must go on!!! Lauralie is on her grind and doin the damn thing. Everyone else I know is carrying on life as usual…The first of the month came while We were there which meant it was time for California!Let me say here that I had only been to California once before. I had taken the greyhound bus there when I was 16 from Austin to Victorville (outside San Bernadino). I had gone there to visit my good friend Melissa and her son James. This trip took like 2 days!! It was kinda scary being on a greyhound bus going across the country by myself, but it was an adventure. Point being, when I was in California the only time I ever been there, I didn’t get out much and I don’t really consider that going to California. All I know about California is what I saw on TV or in magazines or read about…its sunny all the time, there are beaches everywhere (as well as movie stars), a starbucks on every corner, bad traffic and films being shot. Plus theres the HOLLYWOOD sign. Next time Our adventures will land Us in 2 National Parks, San Diego and finally Los Angeles where We will bunk with Annie.
What’s California like? Inquiring minds (like mine) want to know.
Stay tuned.
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