On the Road with Mallory

by Laurie Friedman

  But Mom just knocked on the door and said, “Time to go, Mallory. Everyone is waiting for you to start the ride.”

  To be honest, this is one ride I’m not looking forward to.

  Mallory

  AT THE LODGE

  Dear Trip Journal,

  We just got to the lodge at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The ride down into the canyon was the scariest thing I’ve ever done!!! It was scarier than going to a haunted house on Halloween, taking a math test you haven’t studied for, and trying to go to sleep when you hear noises outside your window, COMBINED!

  As we started down the path, I was surprised (and not in a good way) at how narrow it was. I kept trying to get Chowder to ride as close to the cliff wall as possible. But Chowder kept walking close to the edge of the cliff (or at least closer than I wanted to walk).

  I told Bob (who was on the mule in front of me) and he said Chowder was walking where he was supposed to be walking. But I didn’t like it. Every time I looked down into the Grand Canyon, I pictured myself falling into it.

  The further down we went, the more scared I got. “Bob, I hate to bother you,” I said. “But I think I need to turn around.”

  “It takes some getting used to,” said Bob. “You’ll be fine.”

  But as Chowder stepped over rocks and kept going downhill, I was getting more scared by the minute.

  “Chowder!” I kept saying his name and trying to get him to stay close to the wall, but it was like Chowder had a mind of his own and didn’t care what I wanted him to do.

  I was hoping Bob would turn around and say something guide-like like, “Sorry, Mallory. Chowder is one bad mule. Don’t worry. I can take you back now.”

  Bob didn’t say anything. He just kept going downhill.

  But someone else said something, and that someone was Kate.

  “Mallory, are you OK?” asked Kate. She was on her mule behind me. I could feel her mule pull up closer to Chowder.

  “I’m scared,” I said. My voice was shaking when I was talking.

  Kate said, “I know riding can be scary when you’re not used to it. But trust your mule. He knows what he’s doing. Try to take some deep breaths.”

  I nodded and took a deep breath.

  But right when I did, we got to a turn in the trail. (Kate told me later that this kind of turn is called a switchback.) When Chowder moved his body around the turn, I felt like I was about to go flying off his back into the canyon and I SCREAMED!

  Bob tried to calm me down, but nothing he said helped.

  “Mallory, relax,” said Max. But I couldn’t relax.

  Then Kate said, “Mallory, it’s normal to be scared when you do something like this for the first time. I was scared like this the first time I rode a horse. But it’s going to be fine. I promise.” Then she said she’d help me the whole way down the canyon. And she did.

  Kate stayed right behind me the whole ride (which was over ten miles) and talked to me as we rode down into the canyon. I can’t remember exactly what she said, but it helped me relax and not feel as scared about the height or the narrow trail or the dust clouds or the wobbly ride.

  And as we got deeper into the canyon, I actually started to enjoy the ride. I was even able to enjoy looking around at the rocks and plants and trees as we rode.

  When we got to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, we crossed over a bridge and then we got to the lodge where we’re spending the night tonight.

  When we got off our mules, the first thing I did (after running to the bathroom because I really had to go!) was thank Kate.

  “I couldn’t have gotten through today without you,” I said. And I meant it. Kate convinced me to trust Chowder, and it made me realize that I wasn’t in any real danger.

  “Yeah,” said Max who had been riding behind Kate all day and had heard the whole thing. “You were amazing.”

  I knew Kate liked the mule ride down into the canyon, but I could tell she liked hearing what Max and I had to say even more.

  Mallory

  STILL AT THE LODGE

  Dear Trip Journal,

  Something surprising happened tonight. Max and Kate and I were on our way to the lodge’s restaurant for dinner. Mom and Dad had gone ahead of us to get a table. We were almost there when Kate said, “I didn’t really send the postcard to Winnie.”

  Max and I looked at each other like we didn’t know what to believe anymore.

  “Then why did you say you sent it?” asked Max.

  Kate kicked a rock as she walked. “I was mad that you told me to shut up. It hurt my feelings that you weren’t interested in any of the information I was trying to give.” She shrugged. “I wanted to get back at you.”

  “Wow!” said Max.

  I wasn’t sure if he was relieved the postcard hadn’t gone to Winnie, or if he couldn’t believe that Kate had made up that whole story just to make him mad.

  She kicked the rock again and then looked at Max. “I’m sorry I said I sent the postcard to Winnie.” Then she looked at me. “And I’m sorry I pretended I took her address from you.” Kate paused. “The truth is that I actually did just write to my parents.”

  Max and I looked at each other, and I could tell neither of us knew what to say. So I just said, “Thanks for apologizing.”

  “Yeah,” added Max. “And I’m glad you didn’t really send a postcard to Winnie.”

  He looked like he was about to say something else, but just then a man in a big cowboy hat and boots walked up to us and said, “Right this way, ladies and gentlemen. Dinner is served!”

  So we stopped talking and started eating!

  Mallory

  A Wrap Session

  BACK AT THE HOTEL SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO WRITE

  Dear Trip Journal,

  I have two important things to write.

  Important Thing #1: Mules and I have something in common. The ride back up the canyon was a whole lot better than the trip down. Bob said the mules prefer it and so do I.

  Important Thing #2: I’m glad Kate came on the trip with us. I’m not just saying that because she practically saved my life on the mule ride. Now that I’ve gotten to know her, I understand her a lot better.

  Tonight when we got back to our room after dinner, Max, Kate, and I had a wrap session. In case you don’t know what that is, I’ll tell you. It’s when you sit around on the floor and wrap Band-Aids on the blisters you got from wearing boots on a mule ride.

  It’s also when you talk about everything that happened on the trip, which is what Max, Kate, and I just did (while we were bandaging our feet.)

  The conversation started when Kate asked Max if he was still mad at her about the postcard thing.

  “No,” said Max. “But I don’t get why you didn’t just accept my apology. You didn’t have to make such a big deal out of it. Pretending like you sent a postcard to Winnie telling her about Sam—that’s kind of over the top.”

  “Well, it was a big deal to me,” said Kate.

  Max shook his head like that didn’t make sense to him. “Mallory and I get annoyed at each other all the time, but we don’t do anything that dramatic.”

  I watched as Kate adjusted a band aid on her big toe. It was easy to see she was stalling. “I told you I was just trying to be helpful and give everyone information,” she said finally.

  I could tell by the look on Max’s face that he was trying to act like he understood. But I knew he didn’t.

  I did, though. I’d thought a lot about it on the mule ride back up the Canyon. And I’d realized that Kate’s “fun facts” weren’t really the issue.

  “I think what Kate is trying to say is that sometimes it’s hard to know how to act when you’re in a new situation.”

  Kate and Max both looked at me so I kept going.

  “I was really scared when I first got on Chowder. I didn’t know what to do because I’ve never ridden a mule before.” I smiled at Kate. “You know so much about horses and if you hadn’t helped me, I never would have made i
t through that ride.”

  Kate smiled back. “I’m glad I could help.”

  I nodded and then kept talking. “Kate is an only child. So for her, getting along with other kids, especially on a trip like this where it’s like we’re all brothers and sisters—that’s a new experience.”

  Max looked like he had no clue what I was talking about, but I could tell by the look on Kate’s face that she was getting what I was saying.

  I kept explaining. “Kate has always gone places with just her parents, and they probably like when she reads them a lot of information.”

  Kate nodded like what I was saying was true.

  “Kate doesn’t know how to be part of a bigger family because she’s never done it. It’s a lot like me not knowing how to ride on the back of a mule down a narrow canyon trail,” I said. “Why should either of us be good at those things? We hadn’t ever done them before.”

  “I get it,” said Max. “I’m kind of in the same boat.”

  “Huh?” Kate looked at me to see if I knew what he was talking about, but I had no idea.

  “With Sam, I mean,” Max added. Then he explained. “Winnie has been my girlfriend for a long time. I just met Sam.” He shrugged. “We’re just friends. But I kind of like her. I guess I’m not really sure what to do.”

  Kate grinned. “Sometimes it’s hard to know how to do new things.”

  “Yeah,” said Max. “I guess it’ll just take time for me to figure it out." He paused, then shrugged. “But that’s why I got so upset when you brought it up. I felt like you were judging me for how I was trying to deal with it.”

  “Sorry if it seemed like I was judging you,” said Kate. “I shouldn’t have. What’s that saying … you can’t judge someone until you’ve walked in his shoes?”

  “In this case, hiking boots,” I said.

  Max and Kate laughed at my joke, but then I got serious. I looked at Kate. “Even though we’re cousins, I feel like I didn’t really know you before this trip. But I’m so glad you came, and not just because I might have ended up at the bottom of the Grand Canyon if you hadn’t. I’m glad we’ve had this chance to get to know each other better.”

  Kate grinned when I said that. “I’m glad I came too,” she said. Then she leaned over and gave me a big hug.

  When Kate finished hugging me, she looked at Max like it was his turn.

  He held his hands up like there was no way he was doing the hugging thing, but then he told Kate he was glad she’d come too.

  I could tell that meant as much to Kate as a hug.

  And on that note, I’m going to bed. Tomorrow is a big day!

  Mallory

  Going with the Flow

  LAST DAY OF THE TRIP

  BEST DAY OF THE TRIP

  Dear Trip Journal,

  I don’t have long to write We just got up and it’s only 6:00 a.m. (which sounds way too early to be doing anything when you’re on vacation), but as soon as we get dressed and eat breakfast, we’re going white-water rafting down the Colorado River. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.

  G.2.G. (Got to go.) G.2.Y. (Got to yawn.) G.2.E.P. (Got to eat pancakes.)

  Then we’re off!

  Mallory

  BACK FROM RAFTING

  Dear Trip Journal,

  Today was AMAZING!!!

  I don’t even mind that I had to get up at 6:00 this morning. (I kind of minded when I got up, but not now.) I’m going to write out every detail of what we did so I’ll always remember this day.

  It started at a lodge that had a pool and a gift shop and a restaurant. When we got there, I said, “Hey Dad, maybe we should just stay and hang out here. This place is pretty cool.”

  Dad smiled and said, “This place is cool, but wait till you see where we’re going.”

  I didn’t have to wait for long because everyone who was going white-water rafting got into jeeps called Canyon Cruisers to ride down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

  The ride down was tons of fun. If I ever come to the Grand Canyon again (which I hope I do) I’m taking a Canyon Cruiser into the Canyon and NOT a mule!

  The driver (who knew even more than Kate) told us lots of interesting things about the Grand Canyon as we drove down into it.

  When we got to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, we met the river guides who would be taking us down the river. They confirmed that the Colorado River is 1,450 miles long.

  “Don’t worry,” said our guide, Mike. “We will only be rafting down a small part of it today!” Then he gave us all lifejackets to put on and waterproof bags. “You should put anything in these that you want to keep dry,” he said.

  “Are we going to get wet?” I asked.

  Mike laughed. “Soaking!” he said.

  He wasn’t kidding. We set out on the river in our pontoon boats, and as soon as we hit the first set of rapids, water from the Colorado River splashed into our boats.

  I was prepared to get wet, but what I didn’t know was that the water would be freezing. Even Kate was surprised.

  Mike told us the water is very cold, even in the summer! But since it was so hot outside, the water actually felt good.

  Going through the rapids was kind of scary at first. But once I got used to the way the boat felt as it moved forward over the rocks, it was more fun than scary. It was another case of getting used to something I’d never done before.

  Mid-morning, we stopped rafting and went for a hike. Kate kept asking Mike where we were going, but all he would tell her is that she’d see.

  Kate was really surprised—and the rest of us were too—when we came to a beautiful waterfall. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. (Even more amazing than when I saw Fashion Fran in person!)

  We even got to go underneath the waterfall! A photographer was there, and he took a picture of Max and Kate and me standing right under it.

  After we left the waterfall, we did more white-water rafting. Then we stopped for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon lazily floating down the river and looking at rock formations.

  There were several reasons I liked floating down the river.

  Reason #1: There’s nothing like it in Fern Falls. Even though I love where I live and all the things I do there, it was really fun to do something I can’t do at home.

  Reason #2: It was really cool think to think that I was so far away from home, but still with the people that I love most. I know that sounds kind of weird, but it was what I was feeling (and journals are for writing down what you’re feeling).

  Reason #3: When we were floating down the river, I could tell everyone was happy. Mom and Dad and Max and Kate and I were all smiling and talking and laughing.

  We weren’t just going with the flow of the river. We were all getting along and having a great time together. It made me wish that we’d gotten along this well during the rest of trip—but also really happy that we were having a great time together now.

  You might think the day couldn’t have gotten any better than that, but it did!

  When it was time to go back up to the top of the Grand Canyon, we didn’t take the jeeps up that we took down. We went back up by helicopter.

  I, Mallory McDonald, flew in a helicopter!!!

  Max was even more excited about it than I was. He said it was the high point of his life.

  Even though the helicopter ride back was short, it was really cool. When we got out of the helicopter, Kate squeezed my hand and said, “I’ll never forget this day.”

  That makes two of us.

  Mallory

  OUR LAST DINNER

  Dear Trip Journal,

  I can’t believe tonight was the last dinner of our trip.

  We ate at a fancy restaurant in a hotel in Grand Canyon Village. Mom, Dad, Max, Kate, and I were all talking and laughing and enjoying the delicious food.

  As I looked around the table, what I was thinking was that it was a perfect family moment, like the kind you see on TV ads but never in real life.

  I guess
I wasn’t the only one who thought it was special. Mom did too. When we finished dessert, she asked a lady at the next table to take our picture.

  When we sat back down, Kate looked at Mom and Dad and said, “Thanks for letting me come on the trip. It turned out to be the best trip I’ve ever been on.”

  I could tell she meant what she was saying (which meant a lot especially since she’s been to some really incredible places), and I could tell Mom and Dad liked hearing it.

  “Yeah, thanks,” said Max. “It was an amazing trip.” Then he looked at me like it was my turn to thank Mom and Dad. I would have thanked them even if he hadn’t looked at me, but I didn’t mind because he did it in a nice big-brotherly kind of way.

  Now we’re back in our room and Dad just said, “Lights out! I want to get an early start on our drive back.”

  I don’t want to get an early start. I’ve had a great time at the Grand Canyon, and I’m not in a hurry to leave. But like Dad says, all good things must come to an end.

  So for now, it’s G.N.G.C. (Good Night Grand Canyon.)

  Tomorrow, F.F.H.W.C. (Fern Falls here we come.)

  Mallory

  Memories

  BACK HOME

  Dear Trip Journal,

  We’re home again, and our trip to the Grand Canyon is over. The drive back felt like it took way less time than the trip there!

  Kate just left to go back to Chicago, and I’m going to miss her. But the good news is that my family is going to Chicago over winter break to stay with Kate and her parents! And we all agreed that we’re not going to waste one moment of that trip not getting along!

  I haven’t been to Chicago since I was five, so I don’t remember much. Kate said there’s so much to do and see, but not to worry because she’ll be our personal tour guide.

  Max told her she will make an excellent tour guide. Kate laughed like Max had made a funny joke, but I know he meant it.