My wife will have to be very careful about how she answers questions about her most recent trip to one of the seven wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon. I had been several years ago and was so utterly excited to share with her the magnanimous sight that it is. But after hours at the rim, if my wife is asked if she’s ever been to the Grand Canyon, the answer would surely be yes. If, however, she is asked if she’s ever seen the Grand Canyon, well then the answer would sadly be a resounding no.
Wait, been there but haven’t seen it? One would think it would be hard to hide a hole in the ground that’s literally the size of a mountain range. Indeed one would think it – but not the case. Visiting the Canyon at this time of year can have its challenges. We surely acknowledged the flimsy sign we read as we passed through the admission checkpoint into the national park. It read, “Visibility Limited, no Refunds.” Limited? What could limited actually mean? In the snow and dense fog and cloud cover that we hiked to get to the rim it began to be painfully obvious, for in my recollection, you could already appreciate the breathtaking awe of the hole as you approached it by foot. It wasn’t like something you had to peer over the edge to find – the Canyon is miles wide and over a mile deep! So as we got to the railing, the sadness overwhelmed. The hole was gone! We were staring into a cloud.
They say pictures do not to the Canyon justice. In this case, they will have to suffice at least for my wife. That is, until such time as we can return. How upsetting it was that we would travel so far to get to something many people see only once (if ever) in their life. Just an excuse to return I suppose, with child number two?