Out there, it's desolate and quite. You can feel the red rocks still silently emanating Jehovah's magnificent creative energy. The gritty, baked desert glows with hues of burnt sienna and amethyst as it cools into the fading twilight. Stars slowly begin to trickle in across the sky like a rain shower gently pooling over the dusty ground.
It's also a part of me and my history. My grandmother lived in the tiny mining town of Jerome for part of her childhood.
She died when my mom was only 18. Mom grew up listening to her tell stories of the desert, my grandmother had loved it out there and it has been my mom's dream to go to Arizona.
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| Old family photo of donkeys roaming the hills near Jerome in the 1920's |
Never having the opportunity to know her, she has almost become this saint-like character in legend-like old stories and I hang on to the few things that connect me to her: Canadian Geese, the heroic story of Orion, the northern lights, her high school graduation picture, the Great Lakes, New York and the old pictures of Arizona from the 1920s. I'm even told I tell stories just like she did; passionately and vibrantly.
We will begin our adventure in the north-east part of the state, exploring a little known geological attraction: Antelope Canyon. Of course we'll stop to see the famous view at Horseshoe Bend and then hop over the border into Utah to take pictures with the welcome sign. Then for the next three days, we'll be soaking up the majesty of the Grand Canyon and the mighty Colorado River. For the final two days, we'll wind down in the Sedona area, sight seeing along with shopping and venturing out to the "Largest Ghost Town in America" and the purpose for our trip, Jerome!
