Grand Canyon, AZ

My parents accompanied Bill and I to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on March 22 and we spent 3 jam packed days in awe.
(My 80 something year old parents flew in to Albuquerque from Maine, getting in around dinner time. We left the next morning for a two day trip to GCN Park and got there by late afternoon. They took a nap and Bill and I reconnoitered the park headquarters to get ourselves organized for the visit and then took our first walk along the rim. We're amazed my parents still travel with us but they do and we all enjoy ourselves.)
None of us had been to the Canyon before and all of us would love to go there again. In spite of it being spring break it didn't feel overly crowded and we were even able to find an almost deserted place to enjoy hiking to on our first full day there. The first 3 pictures were taken from Shoshone Point which we reached by hiking down a dirt road through the woods. It was so worth it since most of our time there we were completely alone. We are indebted to the park ranger who recommended the spot to us.

When my father was a pilot stationed in Texas during the war he flew a plane through the Grand Canyon down below the rim. Not exactly kosher but he was a young man and now remembering the excitement and wonder of the experience he tried to figure out which part he had passed through. I don't know if he ever figured it out.

Ono our second day there: The next 6 pictures were taken while walking along the rim between the Yavepai Observation Station walking toward the village of the Grand Canyon... just in case anyone reading this post has been there.

If you look carefully at this shot you can see a couple of boats pulled up on the shore of the Colorado.

On the third and final day at the Canyon we decided to check out the Grand Canyon Village which sits right on the South Rim with its' shops and restaurants, then walk from the village to Hermit's Rest. We ended up taking the free shuttle part of the way out to Hermit's Rest and walked part of the way back to the Village. It's an 8 mile hike to walk out to the Rest and we were already a bit tired from walking around the Village. The next 5 pictures are from this third day.

Riding a mule down to the river is one way to make the trip.

Lookout Studio, designed by Mary Colter, who was an architect for the Santa Fe Railroad from 1905 to 1937. This is one of 7 buildings she designed at the South Rim and her style mimics the architecture of 12th century southwestern peoples and it is designed to blend in with the rock and ledge it sits on so that from the river it is hard to even distinguish it from its' surroundings. I very much appreciated her architecture and was also captivated with the history of the Grand Canyon. It's a wonder that with all the attempts at development over the years that the park is such a rustic and untouched natural place. Mary Colter's building designs are a very integral part of what makes the park so beautiful.

An hour or hour and a half before sunset.

As we left the Grand Canyon driving toward our next destination, Colorado, we stopped at Desert View at the east end of the south rim. Here there is another Mary Colter building, Indian Watchtower. You can walk up its' stairs for a great view of the canyon and visit the gift shop also inside.

Art on the wall inside the Tower.

The Tower

If you've never been to the Grand Canyon we hope you get a chance to go. We can't recommend it enough!