The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon was pretty neat! It’s one of those iconic places I’ve seen on TV and movies my entire life, so I wasn’t sure whether it was also going to be underwhelming, or if it would be incredible! Turns out it was pretty worth the drive to get there!

We got there later in the afternoon and walked around, along the edge at the South Rim, taking photos. Some people were bundled up like it was cold, and I guess there was still snow in the shade in places, but it felt hot to us!

I had to buy a hat though, because my convertible hair was really just not cool looking.

The colours in the canyon were really amazing! We just don’t have the same colours around here, and the fact that you can see all the striations. I wonder if this is what the Yukon River looks like under all the water!

I don’t know what these blue birds are called, but they were really neat. 

We saw our first Arizona wildlife too, with this squirrelly looking creature.

Couple more bird shots. Didn’t bring a zoom lens, but this bird kept hanging out with us, so we wanted his picture!

That night we stayed at the south rim of the canyon, just south of the park the Grand Canyon is in, in the Red Feather Lodge. They looked at us like we were crazy people when we asked if their outdoor pool was open. Turns out this is still winter in Arizona. It might have felt like our July, but there really was frost on the Mustang the next morning, so I guess it wasn’t that hot!

We had a great dinner at a Mexican place, Plaza Bonita.

Their original Margarita was probably the best one I’ve ever had. So I had two. And then understood all the reviews that said there was no way they contained just an ounce of alcohol. I had a good time 🙂

The next morning, we got up early again so we could get back to the canyon for the sunrise. I saw a big elk right on the side of the road in the park. No picture though – too many cars to stop!

The sunrise wasn’t the best. It was a bit cloudy and the sun was well above the horizon by the time it was visible. Still, there were many other earlybirds up, and so many cameras and tripods.

We checked out our maps and brochures and decided it would be totally do-able to drive around the east and north side of the canyon on the way back to Las Vegas.

It turned out to be a great idea. There were far fewer people, and there are some really remarkable forests we drove through.

I tried to go up in this observation tower with Jeff, but I really have a tremendous fear of unusual steps. Have my entire life. Plus a parks guy was sweeping up a bunch of dust inside. Plus it was kinda dark. So Jeff walked up, and I nope’d my way right back outside.

Jeff’s photos from the top of the tower.

Me being a sensible person on flatter ground.

This spot marked a historical landmark/memorial for two planes that crashed over the Grand Canyon in 1956 killing all 128 aboard. You can read about it here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Grand_Canyon_mid-air_collision

Driving through Arizona was really fun, and I definitely want to go back and see more. There really isn’t much prosperity in the area we were in. In fact I’m not even sure how people live there. Dry, no water, dry creek beds everywhere, and all the homes were just small old houses, trailers, or round yurt shaped structures.

But the amazing part for us to see, there were cactuses everywhere!

You know, those things I’ve only ever seen on TV or in a plant shop!

Look at these prickly little buggers!

The only type of farming seemed to be cattle ranching. I have no idea what the cattle ate. Not too much grass to consume, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be biting those prickly plants!

Gotta squeeze the car in, one sec.

That’s better!

The road to the north rim of the canyon was still closed for winter, but the drive around the north was worth the trip anyway. Really nice drive with hardly any traffic until we hit the interstate again.

That’s when we put the top back down and drove back to Vegas in the sunshine!