Sure is Grand: Stop 3 - Grand Canyon National Park

And the road trip continued...

Our Grand Canyon portion of the trip started out with a slight mistake, which we didn't realize until later. Now, it wasn't a big mistake, and it ended up working in our favor, but just for future reference, there is an EAST entrance and a SOUTH entrance to the Grand Canyon. If you are staying at the Mather campgrounds, the South entrance is closer to your site...so take the East entrance only if you want a scenic route with no bathroom stops or if you want to see the Desert View Watchtower.

This turned out to be quite pleasant - a short escape from the heat as well as a walk down memory lane for me, as I had visited that tower with my parents 8 years earlier on our visit.

The views from the watchtower were pretty good...

After our stop at the watchtower, we finally realized our mistake with the entrances, so we kept trekking in our car towards our campground. Once we set up the tent (for the last time this trip!), we went to lunch at Bright Angel Lodge. (The parking gods were totally in our favor at Grand Canyon!) We also perused the gift shop, bought a few items, and wandered around the rim a bit. (We were on the South Rim, aka "tourist", side.) We found our way to another visitor center, where I picked up a magazine celebrating the Grand Canyon's centennial - it was established as a National Park in 1919 (as was Zion). I couldn't tell if the magazine was for sale, as there was no price tag, so I looked around to ask a clerk (but she was busy) and ultimately decided it must be free because it was sitting next to a Jr Ranger connect-the-dot coloring page (also free), so I put it in my bag. It became a running joke that I stole it, but I verified that the magazine was, indeed, free when I located it later in the main visitor center at multiple ranger stations. Phew.

In the magazine, I came across this poem, and it really struck a chord, so I took a picture of it and am posting it here, as it might touch your heart as well:

me with the "stolen" magazine

It was getting on towards 4pm, so that was when we decided to go to Mass. You can read about El Cristo Rey Chapel and the experience HERE. (Fun fact! - Grand Canyon is one of only two national parks with a Catholic chapel within its boundaries; the other one is in the Grand Tetons, which we visited last year but weren't there for a Sunday Mass.)

We grabbed a spot in the shade at Yavapai Tavern (located right next to Yavapai Lodge) for drinks and a light dinner. (My sunset mule was delicious!) And then we drove to the visitor center lot to park for the ranger talk (on bats) and sunset at Mather Point. Even though it was crowded and somewhat loud, it was a beautiful spot for sunset. Though, we were bound and determined to find a more secluded & quiet spot the next night...

sunset mule

ranger talk at the amphitheater

sunset @ Mather Point

We had seen stars(!!) at Zion, but we missed out in Bryce due to cloud coverage and some storms, so we were hoping that the Grand Canyon would not disappoint in terms of nighttime viewing, especially since the park was recently designated an IDA: International Dark Sky Park.

So legit.

And we would have had some pretty amazing star-filled night skies...except there was a full moon...which, due to the brightness it gives off makes it much harder to see the stars. Go figure.

Note to selves: try to plan future road trips around times when there are not full moons when possible.

Fast forward to the next day, when we were up early again for sunrise. We hit up Mather Point again (as that was the recommendation) - crowded (again), yet stunning.

And then it was time to hit the trail...well, at least part of it (roughly 4 miles round trip). 

Bright Angel Trail is one of the Grand Canyon's iconic hikes, and, when done in completion, leads about 9 miles down and into the canyon to the Colorado River. For those hikers who do the Rim to Rim Trail, they often end up coming up Bright Angel on their final stretch. (We met a few of those; my hat off to them, especially in the heat!)

Even though we were early to the trail, when the sun started eliminating the shade from the canyon walls, it got hot fast. But don't just take my word for it; there was an objective way to tell too: mule poop. Probably less than 30 minutes before we got to the start of the trail, a guided mule ride tour had passed through the trail...and the poop was already hardening by the time we reached it. (Talk about dry heat.) It was hard to watch your footing for both rocks and mule poop, but we managed, and the views were spectacular.

We finished up our hike right around 10 am, which put us right at the tail end of breakfast at El Tovar. What a neat place! First, it was pretty much empty. Second, they had classical music playing lightly in the background. Third, the service was superb - prompt and friendly. And fourth, the food was delicious! I had the meat quiche of the day and coffee, and boy did it hit the spot.

photo taken from the menu's front page

Nearing noon, we decided we couldn't really do anything outside, so we opted for showers ($2.50 for 5 minutes) and laundry. As a note to my fellow campers, it is a good life choice to do laundry before heading home from travels, as it is much more pleasant and easy to pack clean clothes than dirty ones. It was a good life choice, for sure. And then we were off for an early/"senior citizen" dinner for us yet again, especially since it was starting to storm outside - this time we were back at Bright Angel Lodge. We had to get a drink at the cocktail lounge first, as the restaurant didn't open until 4:30.

It was then nearing time for sunset, so we decided to try a spot by the geology museum this time around. Though still somewhat crowded, it was an overall better experience. A group of au pairs ended up sitting near/in front of us and eating pizza, so we got to chatting a bit. They were from Germany, Austria, and South Africa. For some, this was their first trip to America. A handful were headed home after a few more stops in the Southwest, but others from the group were going on vacation with their respective American host families. They were quite a delightful bunch!

some of the au pairs

Once the sun's glow left the sky, we got back in the car and drove over to the lodge for drinks and nachos. We sat right by a fire pit, and the place was hopping with folks of all ages and backgrounds. It was the perfect spot to relax.

We decided to skip sunrise the next morning, but we did still head out early for a ranger-led hike on the South Kaibab Trail. We made it down with the group to Cedar Ridge and then back up again on our own, for the group dispersed at the stopping point for photo ops, etc. I love the ranger-led hikes because we get to stop from time to time for information and fun facts! It was another hot day, but the hike was, once again, worth it!

me and Teddy Roosevelt Butte

one of the lookout points

After brunch at El Tovar (What can I say? We loved that spot.), we made our way out of the park toward Antelope Canyon for our day trip. (With so many pictures of that place + Horseshoe Bend, I decided to dedicate a whole post to it, so stay tuned.) It was pretty phenomenal - for now, I'll leave it at that.

The next morning we had breakfast at Yavapai Lodge, made a quick stop at the post office (for my postcard stamps!), and rented bikes for an hour. (We got lost, but we ultimately made it back in the time limit, so all's well that ends well.) And then it was time to set our sights on Vegas (for one more night) and our trip home.

Thank you, Grand Canyon, for your sights and hospitality. You were the perfect end to our trip. 100 years - wow!

Catholic Mass on the Road

In years past, I sadly have been on road trips where I haven't fulfilled my Sunday obligation. This time, though, I was determined to make it to Mass both Sundays. Aside from the actual obligation part, I enjoy spending time in other Catholic churches around the country.

The Grand Canyon (our third and final National Park - you can read about Zion & Bryce, if you missed those posts), though, looked like it could be a bit of a challenge. Still, the church website (which I had researched ahead of time) was helpful in determining location and times. (I'm glad my friend suggested we try for the Saturday evening option, which is what we ended up doing.)

El Cristo Rey Chapel was small and simple...and we got there pretty early. Even after waiting in the car for about 20 minutes we were still the first ones in the door. The pastor, Fr. Rafael, was there to greet us, inquire about our names and from where we came, ask me to read the First Reading and Psalm, and invite us to sign the guestbook. (He then used the guestbook at the beginning of Mass to introduce the 20 or so of us who were in attendance. And for those who were late, well, they had to introduce themselves. Lesson learned.) The chapel itself was small, fitting probably up to 30 people at any given time, yet furnished with an altar, tabernacle, pews, and statues/icons on the wall. It was a beautiful space.

That Mass truly turned out to be a blessing - I was filled with a sense of peace and joy in being with the other tourists who had taken time out of their travels to find the church and worship. It gave me so much hope! (Plus, the Gospel was about the Good Samaritan, and I would have hated to miss that one.)

If you ever find yourself in the Grand Canyon on the weekend, do yourself a favor and go visit El Cristo Rey Chapel and Fr. Rafael. You won't be disappointed.

side view of the church

a good reminder on the bulletin board inside

a view from our pew looking at the altar and tabernacle

a small Mary shrine

stained glass windows in the back

Pretty as a Postcard - Stop 2: Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon. Some people absolutely love it; others, eh, not so much. Me, personally? It was breathtaking in ways so different from Zion or any other park/red rock I had ever seen...

When we got there, it was mid-morning, so we claimed our campsite (which we later figured out was supposed to be the RV-only/no tents loop - oops...) and set out to see what we could see. In Bryce you start out above the rock formations (so in that sense, it's more similar to the Grand Canyon than to Zion, where you start off in the valley and have to climb up) as you walk the rim. It's known locally as the amphitheater, and the rock formations are called Hoodoos. These are unique to Bryce due to the high elevation (7,000+ feet), which leads to 200+ days of freezing & thawing temps, which leads to water getting down within the rock crevices, which leads to...well, you get the picture. (If you're interested in how they form, you can read about them on the National Park website HERE.)

As it was nearing mid-day, we decided to get our hike on, and we did the Navajo Loop Trail, which led us down "Wall Street" and into the hoodoos.

Magical.

Thor's Hammer

Me back on the rim looking down on the "amphitheater"

As is one of our favorite NP pastimes, we headed to the park's Lodge, where we found air conditioning, outlets, and a gift shop. (Could you ask for anything more when it's hot enough to make you melt outside?) There was a ranger talk at 2pm on the rim about the geology of rocks, which we ended up going to - that's where we learned about the hoodoo formations. Sweaty and somewhat tired, our next move was a strategic one - off to the 22 minute video in the visitor center. (I told you they had those at every park...)

By this time, it was getting on to 4pm. Time for our "senior citizen dinner." (Quite frankly, we were starving, as we had only had snacks since breakfast.) We asked for some recs at the visitor center, and one woman pointed us to Bryce Canyon Pines, where we had both a good meal and an incredibly delicious brambleberry pie a la mode. (I am baffled that they lack pictures of their pies on their website...but don't worry, I took one - see below.)

Confession: We ended up going back the next night for dinner, but we skipped the pie.


Rain was imminent by the time we finished dinner and headed back into the park, so we waited it out in our car by our campsite. There was a ranger talk at the lodge at 8pm, so when the time came we headed there. This one was about the life, death, and rebirth of stars...so, yes, a lot went over my head, but I still found it fascinating. The ranger did bring it down to a more basic level, and the pictures were incredibly stunning. Plus, to think about the galaxies beyond us made me realize what a small place we occupy in this universe. It really puts things in perspective.

As the ranger was wrapping up his presentation, I noticed the sky turning a beautiful pink hue, so we headed outside to catch sunset. There was even a rainbow! (You have to look really closely at the picture.) Does it get any better than that?

The next day we were up before the sun, and we were rewarded with some additional spectacular views:

It was just about 7am, so we headed out at that point for the Fairyland Loop Trail. Looking back, it probably wasn't the smartest decision (as with the rim part of the trail added in it made for an 8 mile trek), but I thoroughly enjoyed it, as we hiked down into the hoodoos once again. Most of the people we came across were coming the other way, so we thought we maybe did it backwards...but I still don't know...

At one point I had to rush ahead from my friend because (surprise, surprise) I had to find a bathroom, so by the time we finished she wasn't the happiest with me, but luckily she is a readily forgiving person, so the rest of our trip was still pleasant...

First stop after the hike, though, was lunch at the lodge. And we followed that up with the Rainbow Point bus tour (another recommendation by a friend) - good old George was informative and corny, the perfect combination for a hot summer day. Plus, the bus had air conditioning. Winning!

George and fellow bus tour goers

at one of our bus stops

Through the tour we got to see and hear about some of the park we hadn't yet traveled to...and it was over the course of 3.5 hours! I'll admit, I wasn't expecting it to be that long, but it was fun nonetheless. When we were done, we drove over to the General Store, where they sold showers ($3.50 for 8 minutes - what a deal!). Clean again! (Heads up: Bryce leaves you covered in red rock soil.)

As I mentioned above, we ate dinner at Bryce Canyon Pines, and then instead of the pie we got ice cream - huckleberry! For a kiddie size, it was almost more than I could handle...but don't worry; I finished it.

never come between this girl and her ice cream ;)

And that was that - we were off the next morning for the Grand Canyon. (I'm sure our RV friends were glad to see us go - we're pretty sure we got some glares. Good times.) We did stop in Kanab (at least, I think that was the name of the town) for coffee and breakfast, and that turned out to be a solid decision because we had a 5 hour drive ahead of us...

Time to turn up that road trip playlist!



Missed Stop 1: Zion? Check out my post HERE.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned in...Catholic Elementary School

Holy Family Catholic School - what a truly incredible place. 

It's probably impossible as an elementary student to fully grasp the impact a school and its teachers have had on you as you're growing up. (I'd place a wager that it's hard for many of us as adults to do that too!)

I think of all of my school leaders (Sr. Regina and Sr. Flo) and teachers - Miss Ferguson (& Mrs. Schultz), Mrs. Crabtree, Mrs. Miner, Mrs. Bridge (& Sister Melanie), Miss McKenzie, Mrs. Chase, Mrs. Hosack, Mr. Greenough, Miss Kessler, Ms. Brinsko, Mrs. Fair, Coach Mac, Mrs. Apple, and more - they gave me (and my classmates) strong foundational skills in math and reading, social studies and science, music and art, but I even more remember the love, joy, energy, and compassion with which they taught each day. They didn't just teach the Catholic faith; they lived it.

Many of these teachers were the role models and inspirations for my own career in teaching. Luckily, I've stayed involved somewhat in the parish and school over the years (my parents are still parishioners, and my mom still works at the school), so I've had the opportunity to be able to thank some of them as I've grown older, but I honestly can never say enough. But I hope they know how much they have meant to me and countless others who have been fortunate to be called their students.

My heart is so full remembering the sporting events, annual jog-a-thons, Christmas carol sing-a-longs, music and mime ministries, melodramas, book folder projects, art fairs, book fairs, student leadership board... I could go on and on with many an anecdote or memory, truly - so many opportunities for learning, growing, and loving. But I'll leave it at this for now.

So, thank you, Holy Family teachers and staff, for your amazing dedication to your students and families. Thank you for giving me a firm foundation in both faith and knowledge; thank you for helping to mold my conscience and my character. Thank you for inspiring me to pursue a career in Catholic education and our ultimate goal as Catholics, heaven.

Go Falcons!

Here are a couple of snapshots from the good old elementary school days. I should have asked my mom to scan and send more pictures - I'm certain she has some gems...

My Week-long Ode to Catholic Schools

As a product of Catholic schools all of my life (minus a brief 4 year stint when I attended a public university for college - but still managed to spend a great deal of time at the Catholic Student Union) and as an educator in Catholic schools for 10+ years, I'm a huge proponent of Catholic education. That's why, even in the midst of the craziness of Catholic Schools Week (between dress down days and assemblies, Masses and competitions), I'll admit that I love it.

Catholic schools are a treasure.

(I'm not trying to boast.)

They prepare kids beyond measure

with what matters the most:

They teach both heart and mind;

Students always come first.

They learn how to be kind,

For truth and knowledge they thirst.

It's more than scores on a test

(Though, those do matter a bit)

Did this student try his best?

Did that young lady show grit?

It's somewhat hard to express*

what Catholic education is worth

So, in terms rather simple, it's

a great gift from God on this earth.

*especially in rhyme ;)

(Clearly I had some poetry-writing stored up since I didn't do my usual Christmas card poem this year...)

Anyways...If you've been a follower of this blog for awhile (or if you've just happened upon it from time to time), it's likely no surprise to you how much my posts focus on Catholic education. Back during CSW 2017, I shared the witness that I gave to my students and school community during the homily about why I'm invested in Catholic education. While I was in grad school with the Remick program, I wrote about how I have fallen in love with Catholic education (my very own "What Would You Fight For?"). And the posts have gone on...

This Catholic Schools Week I've decided to give a small shout out to the Catholic schools I've had the blessing to either attend as a student or work at as a teacher/leader by posting a short reflection each day. I hope if you've had the opportunity to attend a (or many) Catholic school(s) throughout your childhood (or if you currently work in one) that you take a few moments this week to reflect on your own experience and to pray for Catholic schools around our country, especially those currently struggling to keep their doors open, those working to expand access to many through school choice legislation, and those that act as safe havens for students in need.

Happy Catholic Schools Week 2019!

In 2019, Give Me 5

2019 - Holy cow, it feels like we're talking about some futuristic time period. Yet, the calendar flips to it tomorrow at midnight. I'm sure I don't need to tell you this, but time sure flies.

I know it's cliche to talk about goals for the upcoming year, but I figure I should put my own in writing anyways...and now is as good a time as any, isn't it? Now, some of these things I am already committed to, but I'm pretty sure they still count, even if I made these goals/commitments within the past few months:

1. Use my talents for the betterment of others --> Run a marathon for charity - I started training a few weeks ago for the annual ACE marathon in the spring. And I've raised about $200 so far (thanks to my amazing friends who have donated!). I convinced my sister to run it with me, and I have friends in the CA area who are planning to come out to cheer and visit, so it's going to be quite a weekend. I just need to buy that plane ticket...

2. Grow in community and share of my time --> Volunteer on a regular basis for the same organization - Recently I've helped out at various organizations and for random activities as the opportunities presented themselves. And those were all quite worthwhile. (My recent favorite was volunteering at Misericordia's bakery during the holiday season with a group from church.) But I started to feel like I was missing something - that I wanted to have a relationship with an organization, the people running it as well as other volunteers. So I connected with Mission OLA - the group of nuns and religious there do an amazing job in the Humboldt Park neighborhood and they are always looking for helping hands. It should be the perfect fit, and I'll hopefully make it over there on a weekly basis starting in a couple of weeks. And, who knows, I might end up doing another marathon (Indianapolis, perhaps?) to fundraise for them in the fall (see goal #1). I'll keep you posted...

3. Share my passion for Catholic education --> Present at a national conference - I have one of my grad school professors to thank for pushing me on this one. I've always wanted to attend NCEA, and this year it's in Chicago...and I submitted a proposal to present, which was accepted. (And I found out that several friends are also presenting at the conference!) Now that we're just a few months out, it's a little nerve-wracking, but I'm also excited, as my topic is along the lines of my grad school work on getting students engaged in preparing for, participating in, and reflecting on the Catholic Mass. I definitely have some work to do before April.

4. Grow in knowledge and cultivate (new) friendships --> Join a book club - Since grad school finished, I've found myself filling quite a bit of my time with books. I ended up stumbling across many good reads since July, but it tends to be, at least for me, more fruitful when you read in a group and for a purpose. Therefore, in January I plan to join a local Catholic book club at a church nearby. Their first read is a book about Pier Giorgio Frassati - he is a saint I've wanted to learn more about, so this might work out quite nicely!

5. Be brave and open up to others --> Take a chance on the opposite sex - Admittedly, I feel a little funny putting this one in writing, especially since everyone always tells you that love happens when you least expect it and that I've never been particularly skilled in the flirting department, but what the heck. After all, I no longer have grad school and my sister's wedding as excuses, do I? What do I have to lose (except my comfort zone)?


Five goals seems doable, especially considering many of them are already in motion. And I hope that these particular goals will help me become a better person and a more devoted disciple of Christ one day at a time. Cheers to 2019!