What...a vacation? For me????
It hit me today, in an amusing moment of cold-induced brilliance, as I was looking up a bit of information on the campground we'll be staying at when my mom arrives - that this is also a vacation for me....and it's only 10 days away!!
Silly, isn't it?
I've gotten so wrapped up in the planning that I forgot I'm going somewhere that I'm really super excited to go to again!! *laugh*
For weeks I've been plotting, planning, gathering dollars and making reservations - all the while picturing my mom's surprise and pondering how/when to tell her where we're going, etc. - completely forgetting in the mix that it'll all be enjoyable for me too! :)
I realized that not only can we watch the sunrise & sunset at the canyon, but that since she probably won't want to walk more than a few miles - I can still go hike the rim trail while she reads or wanders herself. Unfortunately part of it is closed due to road construction *pout*, but there's still like 7-10 miles or so, I think, that I can do one-way and stops all along the way at lookout points where the shuttle stops so we can both walk and when she gets tired she can shuttle whereever she likes! :)
If I have the guts, maybe i'll even venture a mile or two down into the canyon - if I feel like a glutton for punishment that is. *grin*
This is great because the last time I was there, I literally arrived, strapped on my pack, stopped at the bathroom, talked to a ranger in the visitor center to make sure I wasn't absolutely insane, shuttled to the trailhead and down I went. When I came back up, I had some misc. stranger take my picture, bought a sandwich, crawled to the car and left. I didn't get to really explore the visitor's center - or walk along the trim and just admire the view.
I also think that should I happen to find a t-shirt there that says sometime like..."I hiked the whole thing" - I'm gonna buy it....since once upon a time I actually DID do so! :)
Now, I still need to figure out how to pack 2 sleeping bags, a tent, cooking things, clothes and food into her backpack, my day & a half pack and 2 suitcases. I think I may need to find someone to borrow a large suitcase from - as I only have 1 large and 1 carryon one.
I've got a lot of prep work to do in the next 9 days! *grin*
YAY VACATION!!! WITH MOM! BONUS!! :)
Silly, isn't it?
I've gotten so wrapped up in the planning that I forgot I'm going somewhere that I'm really super excited to go to again!! *laugh*
For weeks I've been plotting, planning, gathering dollars and making reservations - all the while picturing my mom's surprise and pondering how/when to tell her where we're going, etc. - completely forgetting in the mix that it'll all be enjoyable for me too! :)
I realized that not only can we watch the sunrise & sunset at the canyon, but that since she probably won't want to walk more than a few miles - I can still go hike the rim trail while she reads or wanders herself. Unfortunately part of it is closed due to road construction *pout*, but there's still like 7-10 miles or so, I think, that I can do one-way and stops all along the way at lookout points where the shuttle stops so we can both walk and when she gets tired she can shuttle whereever she likes! :)
If I have the guts, maybe i'll even venture a mile or two down into the canyon - if I feel like a glutton for punishment that is. *grin*
This is great because the last time I was there, I literally arrived, strapped on my pack, stopped at the bathroom, talked to a ranger in the visitor center to make sure I wasn't absolutely insane, shuttled to the trailhead and down I went. When I came back up, I had some misc. stranger take my picture, bought a sandwich, crawled to the car and left. I didn't get to really explore the visitor's center - or walk along the trim and just admire the view.
I also think that should I happen to find a t-shirt there that says sometime like..."I hiked the whole thing" - I'm gonna buy it....since once upon a time I actually DID do so! :)
Now, I still need to figure out how to pack 2 sleeping bags, a tent, cooking things, clothes and food into her backpack, my day & a half pack and 2 suitcases. I think I may need to find someone to borrow a large suitcase from - as I only have 1 large and 1 carryon one.
I've got a lot of prep work to do in the next 9 days! *grin*
YAY VACATION!!! WITH MOM! BONUS!! :)