Trip Out West

If you’ve ever wondered how to become closer with family or with friends, you obviously have never been in the western United States in a RV with them. Never shall I be able to forget the memorable times that came with that trip. Of course, the canyons will be a part of what is remembered, but the experiences and interactions with one another are essential when describing my trip out west.

Our RV was averaged sized, nothing crazy small or outrageously large. It was able to hold me, my sister, my two older brothers, and my parents. If there had been just one more person that had attended our voyage, they certainly would have had to sleep outside. It fit us just barely. Our three major destinations were Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and The Grand Canyon. Of course, we had lots of down time while driving from one location to another. These countless hours often consisted of sleeping, listening to ipods, watching old western movies, or just getting on one another’s nerves.

When we actually made it to the Canyons, of course we hiked and did all the touristy things that they had to offer, but the times I remember are the ones that almost had nothing to do with these activities. For example, I will never forget how my brothers were hiking Zion Canyon’s most difficult yet most beautiful trail and that one crazy interaction they had with the nature while resting on the trail. They had just finished ascending one of the hardest climbs of that entire hike and so they rested at the top. While catching their breath and looking at the scenery, they decided to pull out their hiking snack, honey nut cheerios. So they were simply enjoying these tasty treats until all of the sudden a large bird of prey swoops down from behind them, snatches the bag of cheerios, and flies off the side of the cliff. This event, yet somewhat annoying at the time, is one of the many events that will always be remembered from that trip.

Another part of the trip that made it so memorable was the triumphs that we had as a group. Whether it was conquering a canyon or clearing the RV toilet tank successfully, those difficult, and sometimes disgusting victories, made our trip unique. One triumph in particular was going up and down the Grand Canyon. Although we only did a part of it, it was just as trying and difficult for me and my father. The glorious four, my two brothers, my father, and I were the ones who took up the challenge of hiking in the one-hundred plus weather. My brothers were both high school students and were in shape, whereas my father and I were not. My dad was forty-six and in no way in his “prime” and I was an overweight eight year old. Reaching the bottom of our trail was one of the happiest moments of the trip. I quickly gobbled down my sandwich and enjoyed the coolness under a tree for what seemed like only a few minutes until I finally realized the horror of climbing back up the path. Once this came to my attention, anxiety and my heart rate shot up. Only to make matters worse, the patrol women notified us that now was the hottest part of the day. My father and I fought to get up that oversized dirt mound, and little by little, we made our way to the top. That glorious triumph of conquering the Grand Canyon no doubt will stick with me the rest of my life.

As in all trips, my family also had our sentimental moments. The greatest of all of them was standing at the top of the Grand Canyon as we watched the sun set with streaks of pink and orange filling the sky. My family bonded during those moments as we peacefully enjoyed the beautiful painting that God had created and set before us. The trip out west will always be one of my favorites and I know that because of the close living quarters and the unplanned occurrences and the fabulous triumphs and the sentimental moments we shared. Of course you can bond and have fun with your family in other vacation spots, but until you’ve visited the Wild West, you will never know nor understand the connections you can have with the ones that you love.