My list of "Places to see before I die" includes the Grand Canyon and Route 66. My husband and I decided to do the Route 66 trip this fall and then I realized that the Grand Canyon was not too far afield from it. A great discovery since I hadn't put the two together. (Geography -- perhaps not one of my best subjects, unless there is a map in front of me). So we set out on a combination journey.
When we travel, if at all possible we try to include a boat ride of some sort on a trip; a train is even better. (Skip the planes if at all possible, thank you very much). So our trip this fall did all the fun things we hoped for and included both a train (Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, AZ to the Grand Canyon) and a raft ride (in Glen Canyon, beginning at the Glen Canyon dam).
We're not that adventurous to take the week (or two week) raft down the Colorado River -- (no flush toilets, if you get what I mean); so we were quite happy to have an afternoon raft ride.
Needless to say, the Grand Canyon was, of course, spectacular, and going in the fall was great because the crowds weren't too bad. Not too many kids; lots of foreign travelers. And the weather was perfect. Blue skies every day.
