July Vacations

Hello Barefoot Runners,
It has been a very busy month in July (mostly vacation!)  yay!!




Lunch in Benton Harbor on the way up north

I started off the month with friends up in Northern Michigan (Elmira/Gaylord area) at a friend's buddy's cabin.  We had a great time relaxing, four wheeling and spent one day going up to Mackinaw Island on the ferry.  I got in a little barefoot running while there, although the pavement (if you can call it that) didn't really allow for any long runs.

While back at home and working briefly, I kept up the higher daily run mileages and we had our nephews, Timothy and Joshua come stay with us the week before we left on our second vacation for the month.  We had fun taking the boys to the county fair, the Indy Zoo and our church fish fry.  On some days we went swimming in the pool, camped in the backyard and they even helped me cut down a tree in the front yard.  

They had a good Indiana experience and we really enjoy having them come stay with us.   We had Linda's Mom and Dad come down on Saturday as Dave and Beth (aka parents of Timothy and Joshua) came back from their 10th wedding anniversary vacation in CA.  We got to celebrate Linda's Mom's birthday a day early and then left for our two week vacation on the following Monday.

Heading across Route 66 in OK, TX, and NM

Lutes at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo TX

And what a vacation is was (and still is).  I'm sitting in Grand Canyon Village typing this blog having just ridden the Mules up out of the Canyon from Phantom Ranch.  But let me start at the beginning.  We left Indiana and headed for an overnight in Tulsa.  I got in an interesting barefoot run the next morning around the Asbury Campus before we left for Oklahoma City and the Murrah Federal Building Memorial.  This museum was very well done and brought back to life this terrible tragedy from 1995.  From there we headed to Amarillo TX and had dinner at the Big Texan.  This is the home of the 72 oz. free steak...if you can eat in in one hour...we saw one guy fail while we were there!  After an eight mile barefoot run around the Amarillo shopping mall we left for the Cadillac Ranch, a strange "sculpture" of ten half buried (vertically) Cadillacs in a farmers field which people are free to spray paint as they feel inspired!



Albuquerque Metro
Run



One Week in Grand Canyon

Then we headed for Albuquerque and had lunch in Old Town.  The next morning we headed to Arizona and stopped along the way at the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Monument.  I had stopped at both of these some 31 years ago when I first moved to CA and was on my way out west.  The monuments were just as I remembered them, but it was nice to now be able to share with my family.  From there we headed to Flagstaff and then to the Grand Canyon to start a four day camping experience at the Mather Campground on the South Rim. 

I got in several nice barefoot runs from the campground each morning and we hiked the many trails around the South Rim during those camping days. 

We even headed over to Grand Canyon West one day to experience the Skywalk which is a huge glass shelf over the canyon along with other side attractions on the Hualapai Indian Reservation.



We came...we rode...we conquered!
Awesome Trip!

After finishing our camping adventure we checked into the Maswick Lodge on the South Rim before starting our two day mule ride to the bottom of the canyon.  This was definitely the experience of a lifetime and once again, I feel very blessed to be able to share it with my family.  We rode down the Bright Angel Trail to Phantom Ranch, where we enjoyed a steak dinner and accommodation for the night.  We attended two different ranger programs while there and my daughter Rachel and I hiked out to the "Silver Bridge" over the Colorado River in our flip flops.  The next day we ascended back up the canyon via the South Kaibab Trail.  I'm sure the girls and I will remember this experience for the rest of our lives.

Now we are checked back into the Maswick Lodge and will stay one more night before heading to Durango CO and a trip to Silverton on the narrow gauge railroad.  (We just got a text that part of the railroad washed out so they will be busing us 13 of the 45 mile trip - one-way!)  I'll tell you more about that one in next months blog.  In the meantime, everybody keep up the barefoot running and enjoy this beautiful summer we've been blessed with.

Happy Barefooting,

Barefoot Dan

July Mileage = 230 miles