Our road trip to the Four Corners area is coming to an end, as is Jutta’s journey through the United States. We leave Page, Arizona, under billowy clouds, which take us past the Vermilion Cliffs. As we descend the plateau, Jutta starts to cry in the backseat, and I nudge Caroline to reach out to her, which brings Jutta to even more tears. I stop at the only pullout on this stretch of road. We were listening to “That’s Ohio” from the movie “Beloved,” which only added to the dramatic moment delivered by the expansive landscape. The sense of being overwhelmed by incredible beauty is a well-known feeling for Caroline and me, but to see the emotion pour out of my stoic German mother-in-law, exposing her giant romantic heart, was a moment that should never be forgotten.

In the eleven years I’ve known Jutta, and in her previous visits to America, I’d never seen her shed a tear or show an emotion that let anyone know she was vulnerable. Even writing about this brings a sting to my eye as her tears brought Caroline and me to a similar state of emotion.

A detour out of Flagstaff has us heading east again and then north toward Leupp, Arizona. On a primitive dirt road, we are looking for Wolf Crossing, which will lead us to the Grand Falls Campground next to this spectacular sight: Grand Falls. Believe it or not, the falls here on the Little Colorado River are taller than the more famous Niagara Falls in New York.

Taking selfies looking into the sun is not the brightest of ideas, but that was the only way we were going to punctuate this trip with a rainbow shot!