For the next 6 months, the girls are enrolled in the “School of Life”. They are doing some maths online but the rest of their schooling is based around our travels. We’ll find teachers and classes whenever and wherever we can. The girls have been diligently learning new things and whenever they have some quiet, they journal and scrapbook in their diaries.
The Grand Canyon classroom: L, A , and FF getting some work done beside Desert View Tower.
It’s one thing to marvel at the scenery, flora, and fauna at the Grand Canyon but there was much to learn about geology, archaeology, meteorology, climate change, Native American art and history. We visited the park’s galleries, museums, and joined their Ranger Programs.
The Desert View Tower decorated with Native American artwork.
Hiking below the rim at Bright Angel Trail for some different views.
There’s been plenty of PE class time. In the last few weeks, we’ve been averaging over 10,000 steps a day even though we have had some long driving days. By day, we hiked all around Grand Canyon National Park, along the rim, and below the rim. The views of the canyon never ceased to amaze us. But the park comes alive at night with a dark skies program, and we became galactic hunters chasing the stars. We took a tour of the northern hemisphere stars. We looked through a telescope to see M13, a cluster of over 100,000 stars, hiding amongst Hercules. We learnt how important the big dipper and polaris were to the slaves to find north.
On a walk with Ranger Kim we learnt how fossils are formed and walked out to fossil beds where we became fossil hunters of sea life from long ago.
A Sponge and a Meekella brachiopod fossil
We met with Kim again in the visitor centre where she checked off the girls activity books, swore them in as Junior Rangers of the park, and awarded them badges.
We were excited to see Kim a third time when she was giving an evening talk about water. It was so much more than about water. She told us about her connection to water chasing storms when she was at college studying climate and meteorology, how Native Americans are connected to the Colorado river, and what the river means to California as a food bowl for America. Her offical job is as an “Interpreter” of the park for the people. She interprets the landscape, environment, history, flora and fauna. She felt more like a friend rather than an ambassador of the park. When she saw the girls’ JPL (NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab) caps, she remarked that she once dreamed of working at JPL. She was inspired by a professor who worked there, but now she’s a Grand Canyon Ranger. It means living full time in the national park, and like every job, it has ups and downs. On down days, she goes to Mathers Point, where she’ll watch people seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time.
There is something extraordinary about seeing the canyon for the first time, but when it might be the last time, there is an ache in your heart that longs for more. As we drove away L said,
Next time I come, I am going to hike rim to rim.
And I am sure she will.
Grand Canyon at Mathers Point