Friday, June 25, 2010

THE GRAND CANYON IS MORE THAN GRAND
























































Forgive me friends; it has been weeks since my last blog! (a little Catholic humour). I have been enjoying Arizona – it is a wonderful state and I love everything about it.

I finally got to the Grand Canyon. My first view was from the helicopter ride included in the tour. I was speechless and even a little teary eyed. The view is indescribable! I took pictures and even filmed some of the ride on my pocket camcorder but even if I was Steven Spielberg, the film and photos would not do the Canyon justice. To see the Canyon, you know that it was created by earthquakes and volcanoes. But you also know that something even greater was at work making this one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The symmetry of the Canyon is amazing. You can follow the lines in the rock formation and they could not be more perfect. An even area where rock has slid away is symmetrical as the pattern repeats 7, 8 or more times.

After the helicopter ride we went to Tusayan where we had lunch and watched the IMAX film by National Geographic (great experience but still not the real Canyon). We then were driven to the Canyon and went to the far east side of the Canyon (I pointed out to the tour operator that we have been in the van for three hours and other than the helicopter ride, we had not seen the Canyon). All that was about to change.

We stopped at the farthest eastern viewpoint of the Canyon at Desert View which is one of the highest points on the south rim. There is a watchtower that was designed Mary Colter and built in 1932. Mary Colter was an architect and many of the historic park buildings were designed by her. Our next stop was Yavapai Point which is just west of Mather Point which is the most popular viewpoint but only because it is closest to the park entrance. After some time, it was back on the bus and back to Williams. I was even more excited to spend time at the Canyon.

I went back to the Canyon several days later. This time I drove early in the morning a parked the truck in one of the many parking lots. I then got on one of the free shuttles that move people around the park. There are four different routes that loop around various areas of the Canyon. The shuttles are free and you get on and off whenever you want to get a look at the Canyon. It is amazing that one view can change so much if you move 10 feet to one side or the other. These shuttles are new, clean and the drivers tell you about the various areas of the Canyon.

I went to the far west side at Hermits Rest. This area of the park is only accessible by the shuttles. I got some water and climbed up on a large rock and sat and just looked at the view. It was a perfect spot to reflect on how blessed my like is and how very fortunate I am to be living this dream. To make life even more perfect, Lauren is joining me in Vegas on July 6th and we are driving to Bryce Canyon for a week then back to Vegas for a few days before she flies home. Not sure where I am headed after that but Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore and other National Parks are on the agenda.

The main reason for this trip was to see the Grand Canyon and I was right – NO ONE SHOULD DIE UNTIL THEY HAVE SEEN THE GRAND CANYON!

1 comment:

  1. wow Adelle! I'm so envious....awesome pictures...but reading your thoughts about it is what makes it even better!!
    Enjoy your time with Lauren...yikes...Vegas will never be the same!!! wink wink LOL

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