Day 1: Nature's Way, Not Mine

As a Tucson native, driving through the desert has long lost its novelty for me; however, it was fun watching Caitlin enjoy it. She squeaked her amazement at how foreign it was. The bald flats with their tufts of creosote, jumping cholla and ocotillo broken up by pocked and striped volcanic crags. ​

​ In the interest in time and to avoid 100 degree weather, we forwent Las Vegas and headed straight for Flagstaff, AZ. Nature had another detour for us. We had to skip the Grand Canyon due to fires, but our stop in Williams was fun! This tiny town was truly a Western tourist stop with old timey shops, trading posts and a general store. I got post cards (but didn't send them for several days). We rendezvoused with my parents and Patrick for a quick, yummy but stingey and over priced dinner. The drinks were even watered down.They make up for it though because the ambiance was adorable and staff were lovely. Not surprisingly, Caitlin fit in beautifully with my family and she and Patrick seemed immediately comfortable with each other. Everyone liked her and she liked them, too. The evening was wreathed in warmth and joking.

A long four hours later, We spent the night in Orderville, Utah.