Fred Flintstone And The Grand Canyon

Sadly, on Thursday I bid a final goodbye to Seligman, AZ and my beloved Route 66. My melancholy was tempered by the fact I was about to see nature’s greatest miracle… the Grand Canyon. Originally, it wasn’t on my itinerary but at the urging of friends I decided to visit. The drive was a short one ( about 90 minutes from Seligman). However, as has happened often in my travels I was distracted from the ultimate destination by a roadside attraction. On this day it came in the form of arguably mankind’s greatest miracle… Bedrock City.

I was just a couple of miles from Grand Canyon when I spotted an enormous sign that read “Yabba Dabba-Doo Means Welcome To You”. Next to it was a larger than life likeness of Fred Flintstone. Thankfully no one was close behind as I slammed on the brakes and swerved into the parking lot to investigate. The Flintstone’s Campground is a 1960’s era (I presume) complex fulfilling all of one’s Flintstones needs. Weary travelers can park their campers and take advantage of Fred’s Diner, Barney’s Grocery, and Wilma’s Laundry. Looking to kick back and relax? Head over to Buffalo Lodge. They’ve got lounge chairs, foos ball and pool tables, and a juke box (I’m fairly certain it plays only “rock”). The real jewel is Bedrock City. Bedrock City, conveniently located adjacent to Fred’s Diner and directly behind a fully stocked gift shop, is a life sized interpretation of Fred and Co.’s hometown. I was quite impressed with the infrastructure. There is a gas station, post office, medical center, and school. There’s even a theatre continuously showing Flintstones cartoons. I had the good fortune of sitting in Fred and Wilma’s car and even tried on Fred’s clothes (they were a bit baggy… thankfully). Dino was as loving as he was dumb. Saber toothed tigers are frightening at first but are only interested in licking you and playing fetch with Brontosaurus bones. My luck took a turn for the worse when Wilma caught me rifling through her underwear drawer and called the cops. Immediately upon my parole I decided it best to leave Bedrock.

Alright, calling Bedrock City mankind’s greatest miracle may have been overstating things a bit. This was the latest in a long line of unexpected delights. I left Seligman, AZ fully expecting to head straight to Grand Canyon. One lesson I learned during this trip is to embrace the unanticipated. None of us really know what fate has in store. It’s important to get out of the house and position oneself for good fortune…

It was certainly good fortune when I listened to my friends advice and decided to visit Grand Canyon. It would have been an egregious error of the highest order had I opted not to see it. I stopped at the visitor’s center, bought my ticket, and headed to the front gate. The woman taking my ticket called me “bug killer”. I'd driven thousands of miles wiping out countless of their masses. Admittedly the car was rather unsightly from their mangled and obliterated carcasses. Still a bit giddy at my escape from Bedrock (I made off with Wilma’s panties after all… tee hee!) and unprepared for her comment, we both laughed heartily. I breezed towards the parking lot in a carefree and lighthearted mood.

Everything changed when I first looked upon the Grand Canyon.

I was stunned. I stood agape… speechless. It's beauty utterly vast and uncompromising! In my life I’ve encountered great and powerful artistry. I’ve stood on the Great Wall Of China. I’ve beheld Michealangelo’s “David” and the Cistine Chapel in Italy. I’ve been seduced by the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. In Paris and New York I’ve seen paintings by history’s greatest masters. For me, at that moment, beauty was redefined. The Grand Canyon is Nature’s grand brush stroke.

The next stop on my trip was the suburbs of Denver to visit more long time friends... roughly eleven hours away. I decided I would leave Grand Canyon and get a head start on that long drive. I’d travel until tired then find a hotel. By the time I hit the road it was dark and peaceful. For quite some time I moved along in silence… no iPod blaring and no talking aloud (as had become my habit). I was so taken with the mesmerizing power of Grand Canyon that I simply drove quietly, still rapt by it’s images.

Note: Some of these photos contain itty bitty people. It'll give some idea as to the vastness of the canyon...