we went on a family vacation to phoenix and stopped on the way there in W Texas and saw Big Bend, McDonald Douglas Observatory, then to Phoenix where our church orchestra played at the Southern Baptist Convention. our pastor was president at the time. we then went to Grand Canyon and it was gorgeous.

here are some pics
words and pictures can not truly describe the Grand Canyon

Big Bend
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG04.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG17.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG22.jpg

Observatory
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG12.jpg

Grand Canyon
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG01.jpg

4 to 5000 foot drop at this ledge.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG07.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG08.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG12-1.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG24.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG16.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG21.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG23.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG14.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG15.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG18.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG25.jpg

fox in picture
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j313/cjkrause/Grand%20Canyon/IMG20.jpg

Great pictures CJ...looks like you had a good time...but I can't imagine you not having fun on the road. Thanks for sharing, I know these pictures must be extra special too. :smile:

Very cool! Hopefully we will be seeing some of the Grand Canyon Run pics in a day or so too... This just whets our appetite for more!

Thanks CJ, you always have great pics!

it was made special because it was also the last vacation i had w my son. that was a great trip

the only thing we did not get to see was the petrified forest and the meteor crater.

Hey CJ,

Cool pics and I bet it was an awesome trip:thumb: . I just came back from the Grand Canyon about a week ago. Drove down from Canada with three of my buddies. We camped out in Zion National Park Utah and made a day trip out to the North Rim of the GC:cool: .

I was also out in Big Bend last summer doing a geology field course as part of my degree with the University of Calgary. I love the southern US. Been out there many times on roads trips, camping and hiking. You're lucky to be near such a cool part of the world, it's a long drive for me!:bow:

Here's a pic of my buddies and my loaded down HHR.
http://mikegierach.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album02&id=DSC00042

No picture is showing on my end. :(

i went to the north rim when i was in high school, even better and prettier. and lots more trees from what i can remember. went ther in 68 :lol:

No picture is showing on my end. :(
wow you need to patent that, a picture on your end!!!!! :rof:

:laughabov :rof: :rof: :laughabov

Leave it to you CJ. :p:

Alright,

You would think that a young guy like myself, who has grown up with computers could do this right the first time!! :red:

CJ the North Rim is amazing, lots of tress, awesome green meadows, it's really cool!

The only bad part was that there has recently been a forest fire out there. Very large forest fire at that. The crew's were still out there making sure nothing flared up again. It did have that awesome campfire smell though, but it's a shame that so many trees were burnt.
http://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/files/1/2/4/2/testcar.jpg
http://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/files/1/2/4/2/DSC00095.JPG
http://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/files/1/2/4/2/DSC00030.JPG

that is one packed HHR,,,, did you map that out or just do the stuff it mode?

4 dudes and gear. man try that w just one women in 4 or like our family trip, me, wife and daughter,,,, nuff said,,,, no room at all

i had a 12 in sub in back though to help out taking up the room

that is one packed HHR,,,, did you map that out or just do the stuff it mode?



CJ, all that gear was packed away in my HHR very strategically. It took me about 5 hours and 4 attempts to get everything in there. It was pretty difficult but it all fit. My one friend travels like a woman. He had packed a medium sized suitcase for the trip. Needless to say the suitcase never made it into the back. I had to unpack his stuff and throw it in a bag which could be squeezed into an empty space.

On our way back into Canada we ran into a nasty border control officer. They took my car and searched it (probably becuase they wanted to check out what it was like:lol: ). Anyways the search took around an hour and apparently most of that time was them trying to get everything loaded up again. They did not do a very good job becuase when I got my car back I had to unpack everything again and pack it back up to make everything fit. It was a nightmare!