Grand Vacation

It is now the closing days before my 10 year old daughter and I leave on our "vacation of a lifetime". On Monday, we leave fly to Las Vegas, and on Wednesday, at 5:45 in the AM (morning, early...) we meet our group to fly to the Grand Canyon, and take a motorized raft 180 miles down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon for 7 days and nights.
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For seven days and nights it will be no buildings, no non-battery electricity, no running water (other then the river), and only campfires and flashlights and stars for light once the sun goes down. I don't think I have slept in a tent for even 3 consecutive days in the last two decades, much less camping so completely roughing it.
But then again, with out my wonderful bed, soft sheets (think Egyptian cotton), and four pillows, I am not sure I am going to be able to sleep at all anyway, so whatever.
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Why am I going? What possessed me to sign up for this?
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I love the IDEA of going down the Grand Canyon on a raft, especially since seeing some spectacular TV footage about 5 years ago on Grand Canyon rafting. My husband Carl knew this, and was always supportive - (Go ahead, Jeanne, you go....) When a group from my church announced a raft trip, I smiled at the thought of going, inquired a bit, and let the trip fill up without me.
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After all, I couldn't really leave my husband to get 4 children off to school while I traipsed around the wilderness in Arizona for over a week. Then, someone canceled. I still couldn't really go, my youngest would really miss me the entire time I was gone. Then there was another cancellation. I called Carl and said - I should take Miranda...

I have two children who are up for adventures, and two who are not. Miranda is always up for an adventure. She wants to travel, camp out, see polar bears in the wild (um, COLD...), to go to China and the city that has water for roads (Venice), and she wanted to see the grand canyon.
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Every year since the boys were in first grade, they have gone to camp Rokilio, the local Cub Scout Camp, (2 hours North) for a 3 night camp out, graduating in 6th grade to a 6 night camp out with the boy scouts in some remote camp (4 hours North) that I have never seen. Carl always takes vacation and goes with the boys, primarily so that my oldest son Tom can participate.
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Miranda's girl scout experiences, although fun, have been limited to one night overnights at the Betty Brinn Children's museum or similar, and culminated in a 2 night overnight at Camp Jellystone. (Very cool, but no lake, beach, boats, archery, or BB guns.)
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She loves going to the visitors night at Camp Rokilio, and has done so at least five times in the last seven years, to see Daddy and the boys. As she got older, we would stay for the campfires, even though it meant that I drove sleeping children home for 2 hours on country highways in the boondocks at midnight, after the campfire was over at 11:00 or so.
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So the idea of taking Miranda wasn't so far fetched, and evolved...
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By the time the boys had reached 4th grade, they have camped out a minimum of 12 days at Camp Rokilio alone, not counting other boy scout overnights. Miranda has had 3-4 nights of overnight camping other then in the backyard. This could almost even up the tally.

She might still not get to do archery or BB guns, but a helicopter trip might be a substitute. (After going 180 miles, they helicopter you out to the airport for a bumpy ride back to Las Vegas.)
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And the best part of the plan was that the group we would be traveling down the Grand Canyon with would be composed of people we knew on sight from church, (like the pastor and his wife, wonderful people) .
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I am of course excited about the scenery, the photographic possibilities, and I want to see the stars at night! But now I can't back out, and it really will be camping, and I am getting nervous. Pray for me! I guess it is a good idea that I am going with a group from church. Prayer will be part of the experience. (As will getting up early. Did I mention we start at 5:45 in the AM?)
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Oh, because I have never been to Las Vegas, on both sides of the trip we are staying in some pretty cool hotels. I wanted to go rafting with the church group, and now I am taking my daughter to sin city, Las Vegas. I took a Beth Moore Bible Study once, on Daniel. From God's magnificence (the Grand Canyon) to Babylon.
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Well if you hung in this far through the blog, I hope I kept you amused. Wish me well, and look for photos...


This is camping like I never want to do. Carl and the 3 boys have earned their polar bear awards. They camp in the snow for fun. Miranda has camped in the backyard in snow for fun.
I do not plan on camping in the snow.


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Grand Canyon intro

GC Getting There

GC Lees Ferry

GC Navajo Bridge

Grand Canyon Ruins

GC Running Rapids

GC River View

Elves Chasm