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Desert View Drive
It was Kurt’s turn to drive, and he was relieved that they were finally nearing the goal for which they had braved the interminable stretches of Interstate 40 across northern New Mexico and Arizona: Grand Canyon National Park. It had taken some convincing by his husband and even his dad to get him to agree to this detour, rather than taking a more direct southern route. Kurt had insisted that the ‘grand hole in the ground’ could be appreciated via the plethora of videos, photographs, paintings, and even a symphony. But his dad had finally said, “Kiddo, ya just gotta see it to believe it.” And that had pretty much clinched it.
In retrospect, some of the side trips had been…interesting. And now they were finally, finally almost there.
They had decided to come in via the east entrance to the south rim so they could sightsee along the way to their lodgings in Grand Canyon Village. Their research had shown that almost five million people visit the park each year, but they were still surprised to find a line of cars waiting to enter. Fortunately the queue moved quickly; they paid the entry fee, accepted the handouts and instructions, and were on their way.
Soon after leaving the entrance, they followed the signs towards the ‘Desert View Historic Watchtower’ until they came to a parking lot, apparently in the middle of nowhere. Still unimpressed, but eager to get out of the car and stretch his legs, Kurt linked hands with his husband as they walked along a paved path. Blinking in the bright Arizona sun, he grumbled good-naturedly, “Okay, so when will we get to actually see this grand hole in the ground? Do we hike or…” Kurt gasped, then whispered, “Oh…” as he stopped in astonishment, trying to take in the sight before him.
“Oh my god, Blaine…”
Above: Desert View Overlook
Hand-in-hand, they stood in awed silence for a long moment. Kurt was surprised to find his eyes moist with tears; Blaine automatically moved closer, and they put their arms around each other’s waists. There was so much…it was impossible to absorb it all…not just the immensity of it, but the feelings…more than any art, more than any music, more than…anything.
Blaine dropped his arm from Kurt’s waist and, taking his hand again, moved slowly along the path. As they walked, they quietly shared their observations with each other—interesting formations, shifting shadows, striations of color—but mostly just holding hands and looking and feeling. There was so much to take in.
“I’m not sure Dad was right,” Kurt murmured after another long silence.
“Mmm?
“He said I’d have to see it to believe it. I’m seeing it, but I’m still not sure I believe it. It’s just so…”
“Yes,” Blaine agreed quietly, “…it is.”
This first stop turned out to be a good choice because, in addition to the unbelievable view, it included the Desert View Watchtower and visitor center. They spent some time perusing the exhibits, interior architecture, and artwork—not to mention the scenes through the windows and telescope.
Above: Desert View Watchtower and Visitor Center
After some time, they returned to their vehicle to continue towards their destination for the next two nights, Grand Canyon Village. It soon became very obvious that this route, called Desert View Drive, was much more than the mere facts they had found on the nps.gov map.
They were constantly surprised by the changes as they drove from one incredible viewpoint to the next. Their next stop was Navajo Point. Clouds had rolled in, and the transformation was intensely dramatic. The feeling of being small, yet part of something so much more remained the same, however.
Above: Navajo Point Overlook
Above: Lipan Point with distant storms
When they stopped at Lipan Point, they could actually see storms far off in the distance. They had heard about the ‘monsoons’ that Arizona experienced in the late summer months, and the quickly moving clouds and distant storms certainly proved that the weather was indeed unpredictable.
The remarkable panoramas continued to amaze them as they traveled—shapes softened by distance, with crags and crevasses closer in—and always the Colorado River running in the depths. They passed several smaller pull-outs, but they couldn’t resist stopping at the larger ones.
Above: Moran Point
Above: Grandview Point
Above: Yaki Point (with views of Bright Angel Trail and South Kaibab Trail)
At their final stop they spent long, quiet moments, still trying to internalize all they had seen and experienced. As the angle of the sun changed, the colors and shadows transformed as well, and the clouds’ shadows cast surprising shapes that constantly shifted and flowed, making the Canyon feel almost alive. Gradually the men began to understand a little of what they had read regarding the ‘moods’ of the Canyon. Blaine murmured, “I know there’s a massive amount of science and history involved here, but it almost makes me feel as if there’s something ethereal, too.”
Above: Clouds & Shadows (author's photo; please do not use without permission)
“I know what you mean,” Kurt replied quietly and somewhat pensively. Everything about this place made them want to talk in hushed whispers. It felt personal and private, despite the presence of other tourists. After watching the changing light and cloud patterns a while longer, they joined hands again and headed back to their vehicle.
Never had twenty-five miles seemed so impactful.
Grand Canyon Village
This was one part of their trip they had reserved far in advance because lodging in the Park was usually booked months ahead of time. They had discussed the choices available—less expensive accommodations away from the rim or two more expensive choices at the Canyon’s edge, Bright Angel Lodge and El Tovar Hotel.
While El Tovar was touted to be the luxury hotel on the South Rim, they had decided only to make dinner reservations there and reserve a Bright Angel Lodge rim cabin. Because they had planned so far in advance, they were fortunate enough to reserve one of the few cabins with an actual view of the Canyon.
Above: Sitting Area outside one of the Rim Cabins
After they unpacked, they freshened up and changed for dinner. Soon they were walking along the path between the Bright Angel and El Tovar, looking at the ever-changing vista and talking about their day.
El Tovar was impressive from the outside, and the interior reflected the historical origins of the hotel. As they were seated at a table near a window, Kurt said with a smile, “I’m glad we made our reservations so far in advance; not all the tables have views. Even without a view, though, this restaurant would be special. I’m glad we checked out the menu online; it’s definitely changing my opinion of ‘the wild, wild west.’”
“I’m just glad we checked about a dress code,” Blaine said. “I thought everywhere in Arizona would be really casual, but apparently not.”
Kurt looked at him fondly. “You know you didn’t have to dress up quite so much. They just specified that ‘shorts and flip-flops are discouraged.’”
Blaine grinned at his impeccably attired husband. “You’re one to talk. Besides, this gives me a chance to wear my ‘hot’ bow tie!” He laughed as Kurt lightly face-palmed and shook his head.
After dinner, the husbands strolled back to their cabin. As they walked along the path that followed the edge of the Canyon, shadows slowly filled the great chasm as the sun set on the horizon.
Above: Sunset at the Grand Canyon
“It just keeps changing. It’s never the same,” Blaine mused quietly.
“I know. I’m still having difficulty absorbing it all. And I can’t believe how beautiful it is. Look at how the colors are fading. It’s as if the bottom of the Canyon is filled with mist and shadows; it all just crept in, and now it’s almost nothing but….” His voice trailed off.
They stood arm-in-arm, watching quietly as the sun disappeared, and the Canyon was swallowed in complete darkness.
“Blaine…” Kurt whispered.
Above: Night Sky over the Grand Canyon
At first there was no response; then Blaine murmured, “I thought we had starry skies in Ohio…but I’ve never seen anything like this! And the Canyon…it’s uncanny. I can’t even see it, but I can almost feel the emptiness of it. At the same time, it feels full somehow…almost like a presence.”
“This is either intensely moving or just a little creepy,” Kurt replied.
“Let’s go for ‘moving’. I prefer not to get creeped out,” Blaine said. “It could also be intensely romantic, you know,” he added a little suggestively.
Kurt leaned closer and lightly kissed the corner of his husband’s mouth. “Yes. Yes, it—HOLY SH—!” He smacked a hand to his mouth and clutched at Blaine as a great shape lumbered out of the darkness.
“Shh!” Blaine whispered urgently. “Don’t make any sudden moves! It’s an elk! Remember that video we saw? Just let it go on its way. Keep an eye on it, and don’t spook it.”
Above: Bull Elk near El Tovar
“Right,” Kurt whispered. “Don’t spook it. Isn’t there some kind of rule about it not spooking us? I almost jumped out of my skin, Blaine! It’s huge,” he rasped.
They slowly turned to watch as the elk continued past them. Then two more elk followed, coming out of the darkness into the lamplight on the path. Neither man said a word, and they breathed sighs of relief as the animals ambled farther away.
“Okay. That pretty much clinches it for me,” Kurt said. “Definitely time to leave the wilderness for the safety of our little cabin.”
“C’mon, Kurt,” Blaine teased. “It’s not exactly the wilderness. The hotel’s only a few hundred feet back thataway, and the path is mostly lit.”
“‘Thataway,’ Blaine? Vocabulary aside…fine. You stay and make friends with the beasties. I’m headed back to the cabin…that is, if you’ll stop gripping my hand like someone who’s just been spooked,” he added smugly.
“Nope. Not letting go. You need someone to protect you from all the big bad wolves that might be lurking…thisaway.”
“Uh huh.” Kurt smiled and started walking, husband in tow. “Might I point out that I’m actually bigger than you, and—“
“—Yep. Makes it easier for me to hide behind you if danger comes.” Blaine was following half a step behind and couldn’t resist; he reached down and—
“Blaine!” Kurt jumped as Blaine grabbed at his butt.
“Well, talking about ‘behind’…I just couldn’t resist yours.”
“Idiot.”
“Yep.”
Both men were glad to get back to their cabin without meeting any other denizens of the dark, but they did catch a whiff of skunk on the night air. That was one encounter they were very glad to have avoided.
Although pleasantly tired from their long day, they spent some time going over their guidebooks and the brochure they had downloaded from the Grand Canyon website. There was just so much to do and so little time in which to do it. Some things they had eliminated when first planning the trip simply because of cost or time involved.
The Grand Canyon Skywalk was tempting at first. However, it was several hours away; so they scratched it off the list.
Sightseeing flights via helicopter or small plane were eliminated because of the cost and time. Besides, they’d heard about how the air currents could result in some intense up-and-down drafts, and neither of them wanted to be using upchuck bags on this trip.
They had discussed whether to try river rafting, but time and cost again were issues. And, of course, Kurt wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of getting soaking wet—although his eyes did light up when they watched a video of one particularly thrilling ride down the Colorado River.
They also had discussed signing up for one of the mule rides; there were a number of options, from half day trips to overnighters. However, the rides usually were filled months in advance; they hadn’t made reservations, and chances of last-minute cancellations were slim.
Since they’d come in from the east, exploring the western part of the rim via shuttles was tempting, but they agreed to save those for later and get in some hiking the next morning.
Hiking all the way to the bottom of the Canyon was ruled out for a number of reasons—not only because of the time involved, but also because the reports they had read described how grueling or even life-threatening it could be, especially in summer. While the temperatures on the rim tended to be in the 80s, it would be much hotter at the bottom of the canyon, usually reaching over 100 degrees. That type of hike would require a great deal more planning and preparation.
Above: Bright Angel Trail Switchbacks (part of one possible hike to—and from—the bottom of the Canyon)
On the other hand, there were several shorter hikes they had researched, and the ability to turn back at any time was a plus. There was one video in particular that made them aware of how welcome that flexibility might be.
“I think we should get an early start while it’s still cool,” Blaine suggested. “Even if we’re only going partway, the temperatures will increase the farther down we go.”
Kurt agreed. “I think we should begin with a hearty breakfast; the Bright Angel Restaurant opens at six, and the menu has good selections.” He thought for a moment and added, “And we probably should hit the market to make sure we’ve got everything we need before heading into the Canyon. I kind of wish we’d taken care of all this earlier.” He shrugged and continued, “Lucky for us, places around here tend to open early.”
“I know we’ve had to pre-plan quite a bit on this leg of the trip,” Blaine replied, “but we can play it by ear a little as long as we use foresight and not hindsight when it comes to the important things like staying safe. At least we were smart enough to break in our hiking gear ahead of time; we definitely don’t want any blisters…or chafing.”
“I know. I think we’ve done pretty well for a couple of small town boys turned city slickers, don’t you?” Kurt smiled as his husband grinned at him. “Speaking of foresight, though, I just realized—we’ll probably be hiking and sightseeing most of the day tomorrow, and we didn’t make reservations for dinner tomorrow night. Do you want to try for reservations at El Tovar again or go somewhere else?”
“El Tovar was fantastic, but I think I want to try somewhere else. What do you think about the Arizona Room at the Bright Angel Lodge? It’s touristy, it’s historical, and it’s gastronomical!” he intoned in a singsong voice, grinning as Kurt looked askance at him. “Here, I’ll pull up the menu.”
“It does look intriguing—lots of ‘wild west’ dishes. Hmm…I wonder what ‘Arizona style cheesecake with prickly pear drizzle’ is.” He tossed a smile towards his husband. “Will you wear your ‘hot’ bow tie?”
“Excuse me? This from the man who won’t wear the same apparel item twice in one week?” Blaine teased. “Actually, it’s casual if we want to go that route. The only problem is they don’t take reservations; so we’ll have to take our chances with a possible wait time.”
“Well, it’s not like there’s nothing to do while we’re waiting. We haven’t even been inside the Lookout Studio yet, or the Hopi House, or….”
Above: Lookout Studio
Kurt thought about all the shopping opportunities and continued, “Anyway, we can gift-shop or watch another unbelievable sunset—”
“—or elk watch—”
“Feel free, Sweetheart. I’ve more than filled my quota for ‘close encounters’ this trip.”
Blaine grinned and shut down his tablet. He approached his husband, wrapped his arms around him and whispered, “All close encounters?”
Kurt tugged him in closer. “Definitely not all.” Then, pulling back a bit, he sighed. “Unfortunately, if we’re going to get an early start tomorrow, we need to finish prepping tonight.”
Blaine grinned and waggled his eyebrows.
“That’s not what I mean, Blaine!”
Laughing, Blaine gave him a ‘mwah’ kiss, holding his husband’s face in his hands just for the joy of it before releasing him with a heartfelt sigh.
Both men focused on getting their gear together and then prepared for bed. Blaine had his phone connected to a small bluetooth speaker for some Grand Canyon mood music as Kurt completed his customary skin care routine, incorporating a little additional care because of the dryness of the Arizona climate.
Kurt tossed the lotion to Blaine, commenting, “I know you have pores that are on ‘autopilot’ and keep you moist, but it won’t hurt to add a bit before bedtime. And tomorrow, we’re both SPF-ing ourselves to the max before starting our hike,” he added in his ‘I’m not kidding around’ voice.
By this time, Blaine was already in bed, but he caught the bottle with a smirk and a lilted “Yes, Dear.” He didn’t apply the lotion, however, waiting until Kurt had joined him. He held it out to him with a sleepy smile and a “pleeeeze?” Kurt gave his signature eye roll but smiled as he took the lotion and, lying propped on one elbow, gently started massaging it into his husband’s face and neck.
“Mmm…feels good. I could fall asleep just like this.”
“Don’t you dare!” Kurt warned. “You know our agreement, and you almost weaseled out of it the last time I drove.”
Blaine gave an exaggerated sigh, quirked his lips and replied, “Not gonna work this time, either, huh?”
Kurt just looked at him.
“Okay, okay,” Blaine playfully grumbled. “Lose the pajama top and turn over.”
Kurt did as instructed, placing a pillow under his upper torso and turning his head sideways. “I just happen to have the massage oil right here.”
“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Blaine muttered good-naturedly as he straddled Kurt’s hips and started massaging his back, working out the knots that inevitably developed from driving for long periods of time. Blaine had a hunch where this was headed, and it wasn’t where he might have anticipated when their day began. What with the long drive, the altitude and fresh air, and the emotional swings of the day…
Yep, he thought to himself as Kurt’s breathing evened out and deepened. He stroked more and more lightly as Kurt fell into a heavier sleep and, with a smile and a soft kiss to his husband’s shoulder, he gently rolled off, turned off the music and bedside lamp, and crawled under the covers. He pulled the blanket over them and snuggled in.
The quiet of the Canyon night was broken only by the soft susurration of his husband’s breathing. Blaine thought briefly about how wonderful this trip had been so far and how fantastic tomorrow would be. His breaths began to keep time with his husband’s as he joined him in slumber, dreaming of all their tomorrows.
Above: Rainbow Dreams