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Monday - 3/13/06 
9:00 pm
Grand Canyon
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"Just Another Day"

Today I went due North up to see the Grand Canyon. 

The drive up was nearly as scenic as the canyon itself. 

(That is the understatement of the century to anyone who's ever seen the canyon)

(I had no idea) 

The route up to the canyon from Flagstaff was 85 miles.
 The road rolled out in front of me in winding curves through pine forest 

and long straight stretches in between valleys. 

Click here or on picture below below to view panoramic image.

After driving a little over an hour I made it to the Grand Canyon.

This was one of the greatest experiences of my life. 

Although I, like you, have seen numerous pictures of the grand canyon over the years

I would have to say all of the pictures I've ever seen put together don't do it justice. 

I strongly urge all of you to try and see it one day. The canyon was sparkling in a veil of newly fallen snow. If you looked into the canyon you could see the green Colorado river snaking through the canyon. Slowly eroding this landscape into the unbelievable and majestic canyon. It's hard to believe that water could have etched this incredible monument with only the power of time and persistence. Click here or on image below to view panoramic image

After eating my lunch I proceeded to try to find an area to set up and play the VSO. I stopped in the ranger station to ask if I could set up and play as I was a psuedo-musician. Much to my amazement, after describing my setup (orchestral VerSiOn) they said it shouldn't be a problem as long as I didn't collect money. Needless to say I was surprised that it wouldn't be a problem so I drove out to the east rim, past a couple roadside scenic spots that had a lot of people, to the far rim. There was no one there. I set up for about 45 minutes and was ready to play the VSO off the grand canyon (off into the crevasse as I was so overwhelmed) this event was probably the greatest experience of my life and I can now cross off one of the major endeavors I had hoped to accomplish with the VSO.

I played improvised sym-phonies at full volume until 
I overloaded the system from drawing too much power. 

I could have rebooted the system, but my feet were getting cold.

I then headed back down to Flagstaff with an 
overpowering feeling of joy, back past  the friendly mountain, 

standing alone

and proceeded to Phoenix, 
where I stayed the night.

Just another night...

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onto-

"the Grande Flogging"

On the way into the park I only had $10 
and I found out that it cost $15 for a VSO-hicle.

I clambered through my change like a 
ravenous muskrat in a bowl of worms.

There was $2 in quarters, $1 in dimes, and 50 cents in nickles in my makeshift change holder. The rest was in pennies. I was short about 22 cents when it was finally my turn at government cashola shakedown when I realized from the little sign in the window they took Visa. 

Much to my delight and dismay that they actually took Credit Cards at a National park, 
I handed him over the plastic and was on my way down the entrance road

The road finally ended and I was left trying to find
the canyon which I couldn't find for the life of me.

You ask- "Greg, how could you not find the largest hole known to man plunked out there in the middle of the desert?" It sounds ridiculous I know but I really couldn't find it after driving around the park for 20 minutes. The surrounding area (at least the touristy part I was in) had pine forest surrounding it like back east. So I had to drive around for 20 minutes to find said ditch. 

First I went in to the ViSitOrs center to
ask where the canyon may be at

This place was completely useless.

All it had to offer was more corporate thievery attempts
in the form of cheap t-shirts and dream catchers.

I was stunned to learn the canyon was man made out of foam. 

The real canyon being locked away in the vaults at the Smithsonian Institution

Actually I'm joking, Actually it was only a model of the grand canyon 
which I marveled at in lieu of being able to fine the actual canyon

After several hours of looking at the model of the canyon, 
I headed out back down the road to find the blasted real canyon

I went back to my truck and drove up the road a bit more
trying to catch my dream of some erosurmania of the eye-candy type.

and I drove

 and I drove

and I drove

and I drove

and I drove

but I still couldn't find it so I asked a couple tourist-tripe cross country skiers. Although quite amicable they were of little use. Except that they were great use in that they told me I was in the hiking section of the park. Ahhh...a clue, I said, and headed back down the road

I then went through a small money
gobbling strip mall which wasn't that grand.

Said mall even included moula-dispensing unit$

(although cleverly hidden behind some local fauna)

Maybe one of these mall-people
knows where I can find the canyon?

They were unable to help as I was unable to ask them.

I'm not sure, but I think I wanted to find it on my own so I drove back out

Actually I lied, after I didn't ask the other
people, I went off to ask at the local ranger station

The trail to the ranger station was quite lovely,

(but it was no canyon in terms of it's scenic power)

I found out he initial problem was that the westerly route was blocked off and I was in the walking trail section. I wanted to drive the rim as I had VSO with me which I will get to in a moment. I ventured into the ranger station where I was met by a couple cuties. I asked them sheepishly if it was alright to play music in the park. They said it shouldn't be a problem and I scurried back down the trail 

When I got back  I couldn't find my truck for the life of me.

I thought it had been rapped-off by some evil can-yo-nlookers

Can someone tell me where my canyonero is??

 anyone?

I finally found it and headed on 
down the road in search of canyon-land.

Where the heck is it??????

I saw some fun-tour buses so figured they must be 
looking at something so I figured I was getting warmer.

then I saw a sign of the delightfully irreverent kind

and I wholeheartedly agreed

I bet these Thomas Train engine tracks go past the canyon

If only I was a train engineer instead of a mechanical engineer

I then saw a spot where there was an unduly conglomeration 
of humanus impressedus and figured I must be drawing near...

and then I FINALLY found it 

and 
OH MY GOD IS IT GRAND, 

Super size #3 grande canyon of the uncontr-hole-able kind

(I had no idea)

these people were way too close to the edge

I tried to rescue them but was met with strong opposition.

I then proceeded to eat my lunch

"I would love to have had some hot water for that pack of hot chocolate
I swiped back at the "intergalactic breakfast buffet" I thought to myself

but this was not Yosemite park, and I had no hot water.

 then looked at my knees, or more the jeans I was wearing
that are just screaming to become cut-off's in LA

Someone had made a gigantic snowman.

Actually it was just a regular snowball-sized 6 inch
snow-dwarf sitting on the ledge right in front of me.

After lunch and knee-watching I ventured to find a spot to play the VSO 

The first place I came to had no power so I moved on

The next spot I came to was no good either

I finally found a nice overlook on the east rim 
to bang out some ViSiOnary symphonic encanterings 

and there isn't much I can say about ranting 
on this experience as it was definitely one of the greatest in my life.

More on the way. I'm off to the beach

(but only to enquire about street performing)

(heh-heh)

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Tuesday - 3/14/06 
5:15 pm
California - Joshua Tree
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Well I finally made it to California. 
I stopped at Joshua Tree National Park for lunch. 

I didn't go too far into the park as the ranger collecting the inevitable fee was out to lunch for an hour and I didn't want to wait. In the meantime the ranger on duty said to check out one of the oasis's at the end of the park I was on. I wasn't charged for the small drive down to the parking area and I left within an hour. Truthfully I was tired and didn't want to stop too long as I just wanted to get to LA. I am glad I stopped and saw what I did at Joshua Tree. It wasn't as overwhelming as the grand canyon but was a nice place nonetheless. 

The small corner of the park I visited had an oasis 
in the middle of the desert fed by an underground spring. 

This spring brought life to a small area in an 
otherwise sparse and barren landscape.

There were birds chirping and lush vegetation within 
the oasis which was all within a 100 yard radius

Click here or on picture above to view panoramic image

The large palm trees near the oasis were amazing

These weren't the Joshua trees but they were impressive nonetheless

After leaving the park I headed due west on I-10 into California toward my destination. I arrived at about 4 pm, just before rush hour and much to my surprise traffic wasn't that bad coming through LA traveling to the west side of the city into Santa Monica. I am glad to have arrived safely and am looking forward to seeing the sights and hitting the beach.

(I was too tired to take any pictures to rant on)

(hey cut me some slack)

(my odometer indicated I had driven some 3,500 miles on my trek)

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Donations welcome
(coming soon)
(I hope)