“Where do you want to go?” I ask Mo.

“Flag,” she says. And so we do.

We arrive in Flag. “Where do you want to go?” I ask.

“South Kaibab,” she says.

And that’s how we ended up at the canyon, which really is quite grand, even when roadwork makes the driving slower than the hiking. Wrong shoes, no packs, a couple of discarded bottles we found in the back of the car. Crazy hot, impossibly fun, spectacular views. We remember for the millionth time how lucky we are to have the world’s most beautiful place within an easy day trip.

Some days are better than others.