DOWN TO THE WIRE

Living, and working at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon these past two summers, has been an experience that ranges in the extremes. Now that it's almost over, my reflections of the good and the bad, tend to be a contrast between the natural world, and the masses of humanity who are drawn to this most unique, and beautiful place.

Our motivation for working in different parts of the country these past 10 years, has been the ability to temporarily live, and experience the surroundings of the diverse geographical locations that we have chosen for our summer adventures. When we sort of retired, after leaving Jamestown Harley-Davidson, during those first two years, we continual traveled around most of the United States, as part of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag race circuit. Then, it was off to Skagway, Alaska, where we spent 4 great summers, living in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Next, we spent a summer in northwest Montana, just outside Glacier National Park, where the Northern Rocky Mountains were truly inspirational.

After a couple of summers of travel around the U.S., including a 12,000 mile loop around the country, we both returned to the work place here at the Grand Canyon. Now that we both have just one more day to work, I think we have mixed emotions about leaving this most beautiful, natural wonder of the world. Getting away from the masses of people who flock to the Grand Canyon will be a welcome change. Dealing with the public, a large percentage from different countries & cultures, has been a much bigger challenge than driving a 40' bus around the narrow roads of the park. After two summers of moving huge numbers of people, I'm beyond ready for a little peace and quiet.

Next summer, and perhaps for many summers to come, working will not be on the agenda, and travel will be the focus of our journey's away from Arizona. We're both looking forward to returning to Alaska next year, where we both have many pleasant memories of living in one of the most unique small towns in America.

As we prepare to leave the Grand Canyon, and start to focus on this winters move from Lake Havasu City, to Tucson, I'll leave with a few images of the Grand Canyon, where we have enjoyed living these past two summers.