The story of how a dream vacation quickly became a reality
by Carl Trudel
Sunday June 17:
After yesterday’s busy day I can truly say that we all slept rather soundly; especially when you consider the time change, as well. We woke up to find a beautiful day awaiting us, and as we anxiously prepared to go out and hit the links, I thought to myself how great it was spending Fathers’ Day golfing with the boys. We had a tee time of 10:32 am at a course called The Duke, which is located in the town of Maricopa, about thirty miles southwest of Phoenix. The drive there seemed a little long. Perhaps it was due to the fact that we were in unfamiliar terrain. I remember the desert being just unending, seemingly like we were literally in the middle of nowhere and t was as if all that was missing was the vultures circling above us. The desert eventually gave way to a nice little town and its’ beautiful golf course awaiting us. The farther we advanced into Maricopa the more developed it became. It was like God had just decided to literally drop a town into the middle of nowhere. With such amenities as shopping centers, schools, churches, fire stations, and what seemed to be housing developments of all income levels, this place appeared to have it all. That was all most impressive, but our target was The Duke. Our navigation system instructed us to turn left, at one point, which brought us into this development of incredibly beautiful homes. As we made our way in through the streets we began noticing the golf course in the distance.
After checking in for our tee time twenty minutes early, we looked around the pro shop area and the snack bar. We managed to grab a quick snack, and before we knew it we were in our carts and ready to hit the links. Because of the heat, golf carts are equipped with mini coolers, and are filled with ice by the attendants in order for golfers to keep their drinks cold. For an additional charge, one could rent an air conditioned cart, but with enough cold water we didn’t see the need. Besides, the heat, while in the high nineties or low hundreds, was dry and there was no humidity.
Before we headed out to play, the starter went over the dos and don’ts of the course. We were encouraged to bring enough spare balls, because any that wound up out of bounds were not always easy to find or retrieve. We were told that unless a ball is readily reachable, we should stay in the immediate area of the course. He also said we should use clubs to reach under plants and bushes, because this was a ’living desert’ and creatures of all kinds could be living in them.
The first hole was upon us and it took on a very different flavor than the traditional ones we often play. Grass was only in areas such as tee boxes, fairways, and green areas. All other areas on the course was desert terrain, and I mean just the way you would find it if you were lost in the desert. All I could think of while I stared down range ahead of me was hitting the ball far enough to make the fairway. After a while I just got used to it. I guess the secret is concentrating on the fairway and wiping everything else out of your mind.
We did experience a strange if not bizarre incident on one of the holes. Another party caught up to us and an older individual in the group began shouting at us to speed up our game. He couldn’t understand why we hadn’t teed off for the next hole yet. We managed to stay focused on our game, and at the next hole, we reported this creature’s rude behavior to the course attendant, who quickly took matters into his own hands and made sure we weren’t harassed by his presence the rest of the way. Other than that incident, our visit to Maricopa and The Duke was a great one.
It was now time to head home and get some relief from the one hundred degree plus heat by jumping in the pool located just outside our door. Believe me, that thing turned out to be our best friend throughout the week. Once cooled off and cleaned up, we headed into downtown Phoenix for dinner. We checked the local listings in search of an eating establishment, and found one. It really wasn’t anything significant, other than it featured seafood. However it turned out to be one of those places where you place your order at the counter and pick it up when your number is called. The name escapes me at the moment, and I’m sure if you were to ask either of the boys, they wouldn’t remember it either. I do remember that the word lobster was in the name, but we failed to find any on the menu.
Ever since we arrived in Arizona, Matt & Brian had talked about going to the greyhound park to watch the dog races. So we took our well fed bodies and headed for the Phoenix Greyhound Park, which is located not far from downtown, just beyond the airport. While it was their first visit to the dog races, I had gone many years before. It’s simply amazing how those creatures can run. The boys enjoyed themselves immensely, despite losing a few bucks between the two of them. Not being a bettor, I simply sat and enjoyed watching and taking pictures.
Needless to say, by the end of the evening we were all worn out, and looked forward to the pillows awaiting us. I will always look back on this Fathers’ Day with great fondness and many wonderful memories. The fact that this special day didn’t seem to buy me any breaks from either of my ultra-competitive opponents, and it was every man for himself as usual; turned out to be more fun than I could describe or ever hope for.
Monday June 18:
Today we embark on the mother of sightseeing trips on our itinerary; The Grand Canyon. When planning our trip, both Brian and I listed The Grand Canyon at the top of our want to see list. Matt, however, wasn’t so keen about it, but as usual, Brian talked him into it. Matt referred to it as a hole in the ground, to which Brian quickly shot back “It’s not just any hole, it’s “THE HOLE!!!” Our journey today would bring us up Interstate 17 to US route 89, and eventually on Arizona State Highway 64, which runs along the south rim of the canyon.
After the usual water check and sun screen coatings, we departed around 10AM; making our snack food stop along the way. Unlike Matt and me, Brian isn’t a breakfast person, so the official food intake period into his body doesn’t officially begin until lunch time. Still, I sort of looked forward to the three and a half hour ride and the chance to see what the northern part of the state looked like. As usual, we had mapped out some places we thought would be interesting to see on a time permitting basis.
As we traveled north, we couldn’t help but notice the changing terrain. The desert appearance slowly gave way to very rocky plains the farther north we went. The highway ran by and cut through majestic mountains as they began revealing cliffs and canyons around every turn. As the cactus began to slowly disappear they were replaced with brush.
One of the attractions on the way which we were encouraged to visit was the town of Sedona; but time wasn’t on our side on this one. We continued through Flagstaff and onto US 89 north. Along the way we came across a Navajo Indian roadside stand where their hand made jewelry and artifacts were sold. The natives selling these art pieces resided in the nearby reservations. I noticed as I was looking over the scenery that in order to go onto the reservation, these people had to literally descend a stairway down the face of the cliffs that were just behind their display tables.
Eventually we reached the town of Cameron and turned onto Arizona Route 64 where we began the final thirty miles of our journey. This state road was a windy two way traffic highway, and the closer we got to the canyon, the more scenic it became. At one point we came to the actual entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. I don’t actually remember what the admission price was, but it was somewhere around $25 and was good for more than one day. From there we continued and found that there were several scenic overlooks along the road leading up to the town of Grand Canyon, which was our intended destination.
Having made a couple of stops at the scenic overlooks, we finally arrived in the town of Grand Canyon around 12 noon. Cameras in hand and legs needing stretching from a long ride, we followed the crowds towards what seemed to be the main attraction of this section. As we advanced down the walk, we noticed a stone tower in the distance. As we closed in on it, we discovered it was a gift shop and a lookout point. It was at this site that we got our first full fledged glimpse of The Grand Canyon and its’ overwhelming splendor. As Brian simply put it ‘no camera can do it justice’.
We all just stood there in awe when realizing that this was actually a product of nature and not man. The depth of the Grand Canyon at its’ deepest point is six thousand feet. I overheard a tour guide say that the oldest rock in the canyon was located at the bottom and believed to be around six billion years old. As we looked directly across to the north rim, the distance was about ten miles, but the driving distance from our location would be 215 miles. Throughout the day the sun reflects off the canyon wall at various angles thus producing many different color variations. Many people would set up their cameras on tripods and stay all day shooting the different colors. While not staying all day, we managed to get some nice shots that we found impressive.
We managed to work our way into the gift shop and hunted down souvenirs to bring home as mementos of our visit. I managed to buy some Grand Canyon t-shirts, while Matt and Brian picked up some picture post cards. I did manage to find a very nice Christmas tree ornament which was part brass and part stained glass. I knew Sharon would love it. After eating lunch at a cafeteria just across the street from the gift shop, we agreed that having spent about an hour and a half at The Grand Canyon it was time to start heading back to Phoenix.
The drive back seemed shorter for some reason. Maybe the familiarity with the route from having recently traveled it made it seem that way. Along the way Brian remembered a road sign for a town named Bumble Bee and made sure he was well prepared to capture it with his camera. Matt, in the meantime managed to catch up with some sleep, as did Brian on occasions. The choice to visit The Grand Canyon was a good one, as all of us seemed impressed in one fashion or another. Even Matt enjoyed his visit once he was there. One particular recollection that stuck with me was how many people we saw there with foreign accents. Seeing the canyon was definitely a high point on the trip for me.
Once safely back at the resort, we took the time to dive into the pool and escape the local heat. Being relatively early in the evening, we decided to drive to nearby Scottsdale to do a little sightseeing and have dinner. After driving around and taking in a few sights, we started seeking a place to eat. The Elephant Bar and Restaurant became our final destination. It was getting a little late, and this place just seemed to cross our path at the right moment. Whether it was the name that caught our eye, or our curiosity about the menu, we ventured in and were not disappointed one iota. Despite the African décor, the menu featured normal selections such as burgers, fries, steaks, etc, and all of us fully enjoyed our meals.
At about 10:30 PM, we left the restaurant and headed back to the condo. Another day of golf awaited us in about ten hours or so, and a little sleep seemed, at that point, to be just what the doctor ordered.
by Carl Trudel
Sunday June 17:
After yesterday’s busy day I can truly say that we all slept rather soundly; especially when you consider the time change, as well. We woke up to find a beautiful day awaiting us, and as we anxiously prepared to go out and hit the links, I thought to myself how great it was spending Fathers’ Day golfing with the boys. We had a tee time of 10:32 am at a course called The Duke, which is located in the town of Maricopa, about thirty miles southwest of Phoenix. The drive there seemed a little long. Perhaps it was due to the fact that we were in unfamiliar terrain. I remember the desert being just unending, seemingly like we were literally in the middle of nowhere and t was as if all that was missing was the vultures circling above us. The desert eventually gave way to a nice little town and its’ beautiful golf course awaiting us. The farther we advanced into Maricopa the more developed it became. It was like God had just decided to literally drop a town into the middle of nowhere. With such amenities as shopping centers, schools, churches, fire stations, and what seemed to be housing developments of all income levels, this place appeared to have it all. That was all most impressive, but our target was The Duke. Our navigation system instructed us to turn left, at one point, which brought us into this development of incredibly beautiful homes. As we made our way in through the streets we began noticing the golf course in the distance.
After checking in for our tee time twenty minutes early, we looked around the pro shop area and the snack bar. We managed to grab a quick snack, and before we knew it we were in our carts and ready to hit the links. Because of the heat, golf carts are equipped with mini coolers, and are filled with ice by the attendants in order for golfers to keep their drinks cold. For an additional charge, one could rent an air conditioned cart, but with enough cold water we didn’t see the need. Besides, the heat, while in the high nineties or low hundreds, was dry and there was no humidity.
Before we headed out to play, the starter went over the dos and don’ts of the course. We were encouraged to bring enough spare balls, because any that wound up out of bounds were not always easy to find or retrieve. We were told that unless a ball is readily reachable, we should stay in the immediate area of the course. He also said we should use clubs to reach under plants and bushes, because this was a ’living desert’ and creatures of all kinds could be living in them.
The first hole was upon us and it took on a very different flavor than the traditional ones we often play. Grass was only in areas such as tee boxes, fairways, and green areas. All other areas on the course was desert terrain, and I mean just the way you would find it if you were lost in the desert. All I could think of while I stared down range ahead of me was hitting the ball far enough to make the fairway. After a while I just got used to it. I guess the secret is concentrating on the fairway and wiping everything else out of your mind.
We did experience a strange if not bizarre incident on one of the holes. Another party caught up to us and an older individual in the group began shouting at us to speed up our game. He couldn’t understand why we hadn’t teed off for the next hole yet. We managed to stay focused on our game, and at the next hole, we reported this creature’s rude behavior to the course attendant, who quickly took matters into his own hands and made sure we weren’t harassed by his presence the rest of the way. Other than that incident, our visit to Maricopa and The Duke was a great one.
It was now time to head home and get some relief from the one hundred degree plus heat by jumping in the pool located just outside our door. Believe me, that thing turned out to be our best friend throughout the week. Once cooled off and cleaned up, we headed into downtown Phoenix for dinner. We checked the local listings in search of an eating establishment, and found one. It really wasn’t anything significant, other than it featured seafood. However it turned out to be one of those places where you place your order at the counter and pick it up when your number is called. The name escapes me at the moment, and I’m sure if you were to ask either of the boys, they wouldn’t remember it either. I do remember that the word lobster was in the name, but we failed to find any on the menu.
Ever since we arrived in Arizona, Matt & Brian had talked about going to the greyhound park to watch the dog races. So we took our well fed bodies and headed for the Phoenix Greyhound Park, which is located not far from downtown, just beyond the airport. While it was their first visit to the dog races, I had gone many years before. It’s simply amazing how those creatures can run. The boys enjoyed themselves immensely, despite losing a few bucks between the two of them. Not being a bettor, I simply sat and enjoyed watching and taking pictures.
Needless to say, by the end of the evening we were all worn out, and looked forward to the pillows awaiting us. I will always look back on this Fathers’ Day with great fondness and many wonderful memories. The fact that this special day didn’t seem to buy me any breaks from either of my ultra-competitive opponents, and it was every man for himself as usual; turned out to be more fun than I could describe or ever hope for.
Monday June 18:
Today we embark on the mother of sightseeing trips on our itinerary; The Grand Canyon. When planning our trip, both Brian and I listed The Grand Canyon at the top of our want to see list. Matt, however, wasn’t so keen about it, but as usual, Brian talked him into it. Matt referred to it as a hole in the ground, to which Brian quickly shot back “It’s not just any hole, it’s “THE HOLE!!!” Our journey today would bring us up Interstate 17 to US route 89, and eventually on Arizona State Highway 64, which runs along the south rim of the canyon.
After the usual water check and sun screen coatings, we departed around 10AM; making our snack food stop along the way. Unlike Matt and me, Brian isn’t a breakfast person, so the official food intake period into his body doesn’t officially begin until lunch time. Still, I sort of looked forward to the three and a half hour ride and the chance to see what the northern part of the state looked like. As usual, we had mapped out some places we thought would be interesting to see on a time permitting basis.
As we traveled north, we couldn’t help but notice the changing terrain. The desert appearance slowly gave way to very rocky plains the farther north we went. The highway ran by and cut through majestic mountains as they began revealing cliffs and canyons around every turn. As the cactus began to slowly disappear they were replaced with brush.
One of the attractions on the way which we were encouraged to visit was the town of Sedona; but time wasn’t on our side on this one. We continued through Flagstaff and onto US 89 north. Along the way we came across a Navajo Indian roadside stand where their hand made jewelry and artifacts were sold. The natives selling these art pieces resided in the nearby reservations. I noticed as I was looking over the scenery that in order to go onto the reservation, these people had to literally descend a stairway down the face of the cliffs that were just behind their display tables.
Eventually we reached the town of Cameron and turned onto Arizona Route 64 where we began the final thirty miles of our journey. This state road was a windy two way traffic highway, and the closer we got to the canyon, the more scenic it became. At one point we came to the actual entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. I don’t actually remember what the admission price was, but it was somewhere around $25 and was good for more than one day. From there we continued and found that there were several scenic overlooks along the road leading up to the town of Grand Canyon, which was our intended destination.
Having made a couple of stops at the scenic overlooks, we finally arrived in the town of Grand Canyon around 12 noon. Cameras in hand and legs needing stretching from a long ride, we followed the crowds towards what seemed to be the main attraction of this section. As we advanced down the walk, we noticed a stone tower in the distance. As we closed in on it, we discovered it was a gift shop and a lookout point. It was at this site that we got our first full fledged glimpse of The Grand Canyon and its’ overwhelming splendor. As Brian simply put it ‘no camera can do it justice’.
We all just stood there in awe when realizing that this was actually a product of nature and not man. The depth of the Grand Canyon at its’ deepest point is six thousand feet. I overheard a tour guide say that the oldest rock in the canyon was located at the bottom and believed to be around six billion years old. As we looked directly across to the north rim, the distance was about ten miles, but the driving distance from our location would be 215 miles. Throughout the day the sun reflects off the canyon wall at various angles thus producing many different color variations. Many people would set up their cameras on tripods and stay all day shooting the different colors. While not staying all day, we managed to get some nice shots that we found impressive.
We managed to work our way into the gift shop and hunted down souvenirs to bring home as mementos of our visit. I managed to buy some Grand Canyon t-shirts, while Matt and Brian picked up some picture post cards. I did manage to find a very nice Christmas tree ornament which was part brass and part stained glass. I knew Sharon would love it. After eating lunch at a cafeteria just across the street from the gift shop, we agreed that having spent about an hour and a half at The Grand Canyon it was time to start heading back to Phoenix.
The drive back seemed shorter for some reason. Maybe the familiarity with the route from having recently traveled it made it seem that way. Along the way Brian remembered a road sign for a town named Bumble Bee and made sure he was well prepared to capture it with his camera. Matt, in the meantime managed to catch up with some sleep, as did Brian on occasions. The choice to visit The Grand Canyon was a good one, as all of us seemed impressed in one fashion or another. Even Matt enjoyed his visit once he was there. One particular recollection that stuck with me was how many people we saw there with foreign accents. Seeing the canyon was definitely a high point on the trip for me.
Once safely back at the resort, we took the time to dive into the pool and escape the local heat. Being relatively early in the evening, we decided to drive to nearby Scottsdale to do a little sightseeing and have dinner. After driving around and taking in a few sights, we started seeking a place to eat. The Elephant Bar and Restaurant became our final destination. It was getting a little late, and this place just seemed to cross our path at the right moment. Whether it was the name that caught our eye, or our curiosity about the menu, we ventured in and were not disappointed one iota. Despite the African décor, the menu featured normal selections such as burgers, fries, steaks, etc, and all of us fully enjoyed our meals.
At about 10:30 PM, we left the restaurant and headed back to the condo. Another day of golf awaited us in about ten hours or so, and a little sleep seemed, at that point, to be just what the doctor ordered.
<-to be continued->
No comments:
Post a Comment