The Painted Desert & Grand Canyon

Drove from Albuquerque to the Grand Canyon yesterday with a detour through the Painted Desert.  Delighted to report that my mother was making "friends for the east" all the way.  Wasn't totally sure what was going on when she started a whole conversation with the clerk at the truck stop about whether it was too much trouble to give her the 93 cents change that was coming to her and offered to go out to the car and get some change to make his job easier.  When we walked outside and I asked her what that was all about, she looked at me like I was a little slow and explained, "I'm showing him some east coast manners. I'm making friends for the east!"  Can't wait until dinner tonight---if all goes according to plan, our waiter will be a "friend of the east" by the time our entrees are served. Just passing on some pics because I know some of you (particularly the ones trying to live vicariously through me) are a little bit hooked on them and get a little antsy when I don't share enough. I won't mention any names.

The Painted Desert

The Painted Desert

The Painted Desert

Grand Canyon-Hiking the Kaibab Trail

Grand Canyon-Near Yaki Point

Grand Canyon-Hiking the rim from Pipe Creek to Mather Point