FOLIO OLIO: GRAND CANYON

Traveling the back roads has its downside. Some times you have to take whatever motel there is to be had. Isn't this the sorriest excuse for a motel you've ever seen...I felt like I was staying in a storage unit.

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The mystery is solved...

The Four Corner Monument marking the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah is about 1,807 feet east of where it should have been placed in 1875.

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At the gate to the Grand Canyon, we had our money in hand when the ranger asked if I was older than 63. I said I was and he told me that for just $10 I could have a lifetime pass AND be able to bring guests. VIVA LA OLD AGE!!

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At one of the semi-busy pull offs at the Canyon, I backed up to the wall, dropped the tailgate and we had a wonderful picnic. This was our view...but I couldn't take my eyes off the tree on the left.

It is now graced with Tag #93. Note that I positioned the tag at a spot where a limb had already been removed, therefore minimal damage to the plant. Now this one tree...out of the millions in the area...is special.

As soon as the screw was seated, I heard a man's voice say, "What's going on here?"

I had already thought of this possibility, but while I was mulling whether to use 'I'm marking trees of historical importance' or 'This is my grandfather's final wish when he died at the age of 97', my wife piped up, "He's a damn artist and he's been putting those tags all over America."

The man, a traveler like myself, found no harm in the venture, therefore I didn't have to kill him to insure silence. He even promised to keep an eye out for other tags as he roamed this great country of ours.

All in all we had a good time, but I didn't stay very long...erosion always depresses me.

Anyway, I got lost and had to rappel to safety and, well, one thing led to another and the rangers kicked us out...after the helicopter rescue.

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I keep finding strange things. At one point in our journey there was a very large sign telling us to turn on our lights in the day or night. Then hundreds of miles later, there was a sign that read: End Day Time Turn on Your Lights. Would somebody please explain that to me?

****BEGIN STUFF THAT MAY BE TRUE, INTERESTING OR FUNNY*****

This is the same actor reading the same newspaper decades apart...

But, that's not all...(you may want to click on this image to enlarge)

Nobody knows exactly where the newspaper comes from. It is assumed that it was made as a royalty-free prop years ago and has become a running gag amongst prop masters on various shows.

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I don't like cute sandcastles, but every once in a while...