Yes, but not before forcing the kids to descend a mile into the Grand Canyon, once again it brought back childhood memories, this time of the terrifying variety. As Mae whimpered and cried about being scared, wanting to turn back before we had even really begun. I remembered family walks up the cliffs at Duckpool, I am sure i recall ending up on my Dads shoulders for much the same reason, like mother, like daughter.

It was then quite literally upwards, from the Grand Canyon, we took a fabulous drive along the Desert Highway, sighting Californian Condors in the early morning thermals and then up, up, up to Bryce Canyon. Originally a bit of an after-thought on our itinerary, but what a find. Bill set the stakes high with the promise of Champagne and sweets (the former for me, latter for the kids) for anyone spotting a mountain lion or a rattlesnake,  I am still waiting for my champagne!

Then did the most amazing walk through the weird landscape of the hoodoos, descending the barren undulating terrain into the base of the canyon, where hoodoos (strange shaped pillars, some aptly named like Thor’s Hammer) surrounded our vision, before ascending again up through a steep, narrow canyon, Joe was sustained through the hot climb with the promise of sweets and many repetitions of the “Grand old duke of York”. The evening was topped off by a Rodeo, what a laugh, there was a child literally half the size of Joe, completely kitted out in hat and chaps, being thrown around on a sheep for the junior version of the bucking bronco, I have never seen anything so brave and terrifying.