The Grandest Adventure

 The Grand Canyon

We made it! The item that is probably on every American's bucket list! The Grand Canyon has been a must-see of mine since grade school when we learned about the US states. My little sister, Debbie, got to see it before I did, when my almost-empty-nest parents took her on trip West, once we other 3 siblings had left for college or the work force. (No hard feelings, Deb. We all know you were the favorite. After me, of course.)

Words that describe this geologic wonder include grandeur, magnificent, awesome, inspiring, massive, beautiful, rocky, colorful, amazing, magical, enormous, spiritual, and wondrous. It is all these, and more. It leaves you speechless.

 All of these photos were taken at various stopping points on the South Rim.

 

I enjoyed discovering the bowl-like feature at the left of the photo.

 

Dave took this fabulous shot, even though he had trouble seeing the colors.

 
Cream, green, rust, pink, and grey combine to make an interesting image.

Dave called this one "The Spire."

I love the colors in this shot!


Our first glimpse of the muddy Colorado River.
It's in the middle of the picture just below the
dark green area.

Hard to find words to describe this beauty.

Another shot of the Colorado River.

This was taken at Desert View, one of
the eastern-most areas in the drive-able park.
 

I love this shot. It looks like the path
goes right over the edge.

Desert View Watchtower
designed by Mary Colter


The Boys at the South Rim


We took the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, AZ to the south rim of the canyon. Along the way we saw Pronghorn deer, prairie dogs, and oh, yeah, cows. Free range, grass-fed cows. The engineer had to stop at one point due to an alleged cow on the track. I personally didn't see this, so it may have been part of the railroad lore. We also were stopped by the Cataract Creek Gang, who robbed us (their way of getting a gratuity from the pre-boarding Wild West Show.) All in all it was a fun trip, with a knowledgeable "passenger assistant" who told stories of locals who settled in the area, a lantern-carrying ghost, and even a tale about the train and crew helping a snowbound off-grid resident get medical help. 

 

We both enjoyed our trip from Williams, AZ to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Why is that tourist in my photograph?
No, not the one in blue, the other one. 


We rode the Grand Canyon Railway.
Makes me think of the truck on the Harrowing Narrowing.

 Our plan for Friday was to go back to the canyon for a sunset shot. Unfortunately, the day turned out to be cloudy, windy (23 degree wind chill!) and a chance of 3" of snow. We decided to stay close to the camper and tidy up, refresh supplies at the Safeway, and read. And blog.

For my book club buds, I will finish High Achiever today. It's hard to put down. I'm at the part where... oh, no spoilers, right?

 Have the grandest day, y'all!

Mary Colter's Lookout Studio

On the wall of the studio where Mary Colter
designed 6 additional buildings at the Grand Canyon.



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