Day 2: The Grand Canyon

We made it to The Grand Canyon late last night, checked into our hotel and proceeded to figure out how I will be able to get the car fixed in the middle of nowhere? We were able to open the driver's side door with a manual key which forced Mapi to crawl in and out of the driver's side. The only way to access our luggage was to squeeze it through the back windows.

The hotel concierge said the nearest town to get the car fixed was Flagstaff, AZ..... an hour and a half away. But, he did say there was a garage inside the park. It was a long shot, but worth the try. Keeping my fingers crossed!!!

We got a late start to our day because of all of the phone calls trying to figure out how and where to get the car fixed. We stopped at the entrance of the park to take a picture when a girl driving an SUV told us to pull over and handed us her 7 day pass to enter the park. She only used it one day and didn't need it anymore. I see it as the beginning of my luck changing.

We found the garage. After about an hour of the mechanics trying to find the fuse box and a few trial fuse replacements, we had power. I asked to settle the bill, but the mechanic didn't feel like doing any paper work and let me off with a smile. We insisted on buying them lunch. My luck is definitely headed in the right direction. Finally, we were on our way to enjoying the first real day of the trip.

The Grand Canyon was amazing. I won't ever forget the first steps to the edge and the magnitude of the view that I saw. I felt like a little kid seeing Santa for the first time. Eyes wide open and giddy at the experience at hand.

When asked, "What is my favorite place to travel"? I always respond, "Any place I have never been". This is why. The joy of experiencing something for the first time is the feeling that drives me. Once things become repetitive and mundane, I lose interest, hence one of the reasons I am leaving LA.

At this point in my life, I have seen a lot and experienced more. It becomes harder and harder to impress me. I am constantly in search of new things to experience to keep me feeling interested and alive. As they say, variety is the spice of life. Right now, my life is an Indian curry mixed with habanero peppers. Delish!

On our way out of the park, we paid it forward by stopping a group on their way in and handing them the 7 day pass we had been given. Little did we know at the time, that our next route to the next town was a route that we could only access from inside the park. We turned around and ended up having to pay the entrance fee. Oh, well!!!

We are back on the road again for the sunset drive through Kaibab Trail and onto the 89 N. Next stop, Lake Powell, AZ.