The back of a t-shirt in the Jacob Lake gift shop read, “The journey is the destination.” This might as well be a Hicks family motto, and was definitely the theme for today.
Just the size of these cliffs were humbling – their massiveness majestic and strange all at the same time. The rock pushes out of the ground at 45 degree angles, breaks at the highway and 
then continues up into the air on the other side of the road. Looking out the window, you almost begin to imagine that the road, with you on it, is tilting sideways. We pulled off the road to take pictures knowing full well that there was no way a camera could fully capture the place’s aura.
And then we crossed the Colorado River near Lee’s Ferry. Two bridges spanned the deep canyon where the green river meandered hundreds of feet below. One bridge, new since 1995
was for cars – the other, closed after the new one was built, for people. And, even though the beams were made of steel, even though I knew that the bridge had once held the weight of cars and trucks much heavier than myself, as I walked out upon this structure – I could still imagine the bridge cracking in half at my footstep and pitching everyone there into the depths of the river. It was an early taste of the Grand Canyon. It was thrilling….and terrifying. 
Across the Colorado, we stopped and had the “Really, Really, Good Burger” at Lee’s Ferry Lodge. From there, we drove past miles of rock landslides – huge, massive boulders that had 
fallen off of the Vermillion Cliffs to land on the flat plateau below. Some had rolled across the highway, or had the highway been built between them? It was difficult to tell.
And then finally, the last leg of our trip. The road wound into the Kaibab National Forest. Up and up the scruffy desert mountainside until, winding around and through the top of the mountains – glory be! Was that ponderosa pine? And, look! A mule
deer by the side of the road. Our eyes feasted on the bountiful flora and fauna! We had made it back to civilization, back to earth.
We checked into Jacob Lake Inn – a rustic lodge just off the road leading into Grand Canyon National Park. Our room has a porch that gazes into the woods that surround us and a playground for the boys is just outside. It’s perfect, it’s quiet, and it’s just what we needed to end this strange and tiring day.
The Journey is the Destination...
We drove north and west of Santa Fe on parts of the old Route 66, past scenes right out of Pixar’s movie Cars. We stopped briefly in Cuba, New Mexico to stretch and snack before heading back out on the road through white rock mesas and 
panoramic views. We dipped into the valley of the San Juan river; home to the towns of Bloomfield and Farmington.
We enjoyed a quick salad lunch at the Farmington Wendy’s. The franchise was apparently
celebrating something as there were balloons everywhere – inside and out. We enjoyed watching a small drama unfold as one of the employees had some fun dressed up as a super-sized Frosty milkshake. He was walked to the edge of the road by his fellow employees and left to wave at people on the side of the road. He was doing a great job. Lots of people waved, some honked, and some pulled in for a refreshing treat.
After lunch, it was back in the car and into one of the most “interesting” stretches of road through the Navajo Nation. Just outside of Farmington is a rock formation
called Shiprock. True to its name, it was a massive rock sticking out of the desert that had the appearance of a sinking battleship. “Look boys,” I said in an attempt to get their heads out of their electronic gear, “that rock over there is called Shiprock.” Without raising his head from his DS, Sam said, “Mom, say that again and this time hold your tongue.” Stinker. After that, I figured school was over for the day.
We skirted Monument Valley and the four corners area and continued on Highway 160 through desert-like, rocky, red and brown terrain that was more like another planet than anything that
should belong on earth. It is difficult even to call it beautiful. It’s desolate, barren and brings to mind images of bleached skeletons and dusty ruins. After traversing this road, I am beginning to understand some of the darker native folk art imagery that we saw in Santa Fe.
Mercifully, after about two hours of driving, we left the Black Mesa and Painted Desert areas and headed north, skirting the Echo Cliffs and moving toward Marble Canyon. This slanted landscape was surreal as if hands larger than any we’ve known chiseled and sculpted the landscape swirling the red and white rock together to form a weird, fun-house corridor of cliffs and ravines.
panoramic views. We dipped into the valley of the San Juan river; home to the towns of Bloomfield and Farmington.We enjoyed a quick salad lunch at the Farmington Wendy’s. The franchise was apparently
celebrating something as there were balloons everywhere – inside and out. We enjoyed watching a small drama unfold as one of the employees had some fun dressed up as a super-sized Frosty milkshake. He was walked to the edge of the road by his fellow employees and left to wave at people on the side of the road. He was doing a great job. Lots of people waved, some honked, and some pulled in for a refreshing treat.After lunch, it was back in the car and into one of the most “interesting” stretches of road through the Navajo Nation. Just outside of Farmington is a rock formation
called Shiprock. True to its name, it was a massive rock sticking out of the desert that had the appearance of a sinking battleship. “Look boys,” I said in an attempt to get their heads out of their electronic gear, “that rock over there is called Shiprock.” Without raising his head from his DS, Sam said, “Mom, say that again and this time hold your tongue.” Stinker. After that, I figured school was over for the day.We skirted Monument Valley and the four corners area and continued on Highway 160 through desert-like, rocky, red and brown terrain that was more like another planet than anything that
should belong on earth. It is difficult even to call it beautiful. It’s desolate, barren and brings to mind images of bleached skeletons and dusty ruins. After traversing this road, I am beginning to understand some of the darker native folk art imagery that we saw in Santa Fe.Mercifully, after about two hours of driving, we left the Black Mesa and Painted Desert areas and headed north, skirting the Echo Cliffs and moving toward Marble Canyon. This slanted landscape was surreal as if hands larger than any we’ve known chiseled and sculpted the landscape swirling the red and white rock together to form a weird, fun-house corridor of cliffs and ravines.
Just the size of these cliffs were humbling – their massiveness majestic and strange all at the same time. The rock pushes out of the ground at 45 degree angles, breaks at the highway and 
then continues up into the air on the other side of the road. Looking out the window, you almost begin to imagine that the road, with you on it, is tilting sideways. We pulled off the road to take pictures knowing full well that there was no way a camera could fully capture the place’s aura.And then we crossed the Colorado River near Lee’s Ferry. Two bridges spanned the deep canyon where the green river meandered hundreds of feet below. One bridge, new since 1995
was for cars – the other, closed after the new one was built, for people. And, even though the beams were made of steel, even though I knew that the bridge had once held the weight of cars and trucks much heavier than myself, as I walked out upon this structure – I could still imagine the bridge cracking in half at my footstep and pitching everyone there into the depths of the river. It was an early taste of the Grand Canyon. It was thrilling….and terrifying. Across the Colorado, we stopped and had the “Really, Really, Good Burger” at Lee’s Ferry Lodge. From there, we drove past miles of rock landslides – huge, massive boulders that had 
fallen off of the Vermillion Cliffs to land on the flat plateau below. Some had rolled across the highway, or had the highway been built between them? It was difficult to tell.And then finally, the last leg of our trip. The road wound into the Kaibab National Forest. Up and up the scruffy desert mountainside until, winding around and through the top of the mountains – glory be! Was that ponderosa pine? And, look! A mule
deer by the side of the road. Our eyes feasted on the bountiful flora and fauna! We had made it back to civilization, back to earth.We checked into Jacob Lake Inn – a rustic lodge just off the road leading into Grand Canyon National Park. Our room has a porch that gazes into the woods that surround us and a playground for the boys is just outside. It’s perfect, it’s quiet, and it’s just what we needed to end this strange and tiring day.
