Thanksgiving is one of the American holidays that I really enjoy and wish there were equivalents in other cultures and countries – closest in some sense in Australia might have been the short-lived Family Day in Canberra, now Reconciliation Day – that at least focused on gratitude in the title, even if not in function. But not being tied to strong family traditions in how one celebrates it, Ari requested/desired/directed we use that time to see Something Significant™️. That turned out to be the Grand Canyon.

It was a reasonable drive of ~7 hours to base camp at Flagstaff, Arizona, giving us time to chat and listen to the now-mandatory-for-road-trips Cake‘s Comfort Eagle album. I’m also partial to Paul Simon’s Graceland for long trips.

Before even getting to the Big Hole, there are plenty of other interesting sites to see in the area, including the Wupatki National Monument, which we visited the day before Thanksgiving. This place is full of Native American archaeological sites and a very interesting geological blowhole (with air continuously escaping from a cave system). There’s plenty to learn from a people who could live in such an environment, though it’s not a day-to-day existence I really envy.

Thanksgiving Day itself saw a trip the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Being from the Southern Hemisphere, I’m used to November being a time of warming weather. Despite the clear and sunny skies, it was definitely on the cooler side and one of the children kindly loaned me their beanie. Or placed it on my head for safe keeping. Sometimes it’s a fine line between receiving charity and being a functional hat stand.

Of course, travelling with Gaynor means no celebratory family dinners go unrequited and she, once again, found and organised some delicious comestibles to treat us. Another upside was, given the weather, no fridge was needed to keep the opened food from spoiling.

During the day we took in the various angles and sights along the South Rim (I mentioned it’s pretty sizeable right?) and we made our last stand on the far eastern portion as the sun was setting. Still cold.

Before heading home the next day we managed a quick and informative visit to Walnut Canyon National Monument, a deep (110m) and fairly steep canyon featuring numerous abandoned dwellings in the cliffs from a pre-Columbian people. I understand they left the area due to the mobile phone coverage.