The South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Part 2

 

Like a painting come to life

There were more noticeably more cars on the road going into Grand Canyon National Park on this first day of the three-day Fourth of July holiday weekend. But having seen the overlooks stretching between Mather Point and Hermits Rest the previous day, instead of going straight to the Visitor Center, we left most of these visitors by turning east and driving toward Desert View. Our first stop was the Tusayan Museum and Ruins. While the small museum was closed, we were able to walk around outside and examine the remains of a small ancestral Pueblo village that was built around 1185 CE:

In the distance loomed Humphreys Peak, standing at 12,633 feet (3851 meters):

Continuing our drive, we turned into the parking lot for the Desert View Watchtower, a 70-foot (21 meters)-high stone building completed in 1932. Like the aforementioned museum, the watchtower was not open to visitors, but that didn't prevent us from enjoying the magnificent views from the same location where we had caught the sunset yesterday evening:

From the watchtower, we headed back toward the visitor center, pulling into Navajo Point, Lipan Point, Moran Point, Grandview Point and several other unnamed overlooks along the way to further appreciate nature's handiwork:

Despite the obvious risks, several tourists still ventured out onto rock ledges for closer looks and photo ops. The Chinese-speaking woman below was turning in an Oscar-worthy performance on the difficulty she was having getting down from one boulder and climbing up onto another:

This man appeared to be livestreaming his view:

A resident raven who was none too pleased I didn't have any food to offer:

The first of what would be several elk sightings this Saturday:

Family photos taken at some of the various overlooks:

Due to an upsurge in COVID-19 cases in Coconino County, mask restrictions in the park were tightened starting today:

Lunch at the Yavapai Tavern. That Grand Canyon Prickly Pear Wheat went down so well that my daughter ended up having to drive us back to the hotel:

The Melted Elk:

After lunch we split up. Amber had decided that she couldn't leave the Grand Canyon without buying one of the raven plush toys she had seen at the Hermits Rest gift shop yesterday, so she and Shu-E rode the Red Route shuttle bus to get in that final bit of shopping. I elected to stay behind, first walking over to the Train Depot. The Grand Canyon Railway runs a daily service between the nearby town of Williams and the national park, and I arrived just as the train was getting ready to pull out of the station:

And then I walked the Rim Trail for one last opportunity to take in the grandeur of the Grand Canyon:

I made it back to the Visitor Center about ten minutes before the girls returned from their shopping trip. Amber was fortunate to get one of the two remaining raven plushies at the gift shop:

On the way back from my having eaten elk, we saw several alongside the road:

At this point I should wax eloquently on the beauty and majesty of one of America's most stunning natural features, but alas I lack the literary or poetic skills to do it justice. Suffice it to say, if you have never visited, the Grand Canyon should be included on your bucket list. And with that, tomorrow we bid farewell to Tusayan and plunge back into the southwestern desert. But not before...

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Part 1

 

*insert adjective plus exclamation point here*

It's a hoax. Do you expect me to believe that something 277 miles (446 kilometers) in length, up to 18 miles (29 kilometers) in width, and which plunges to a depth of over one mile (6093 feet/1857 meters) was the result of a puny channeling its way through over millions of years? Oh c'mon! It had to have been created by a divine being just over 6000 years ago, in one of those mysterious acts mere mortals aren't capable of understanding. Or it's a hoax perpetuated by the same liberal elite who want to take our away our guns and murder our unborn children with vaccines.

The truth is the Grand Canyon is unbelievably, indescribably huge. As a friend pointed out, it uses up every adjective you have. I had visited once before as a teenager, way back in the 1970's, on a family vacation. Today I returned, again on a family vacation, only this time taking over my father's role. We began this morning by taking a National Park Service shuttle from the Visitor Center to the Bright Angel Trailhead and the Trailview Overlook. From there we walked to Maricopa Point, Powell Point and Hopi Point. From the latter the walking distances between overlooks grew longer, so we used the hop on/hop off shuttle to take in the views at Mohave Point, the Abyss, Monument Creek Vista and Prima Point (where the sounds of the Colorado River could be heard far down below). Upon returning to the Visitor Center, we walked to Mather Point for one final attempt at taking it all in before returning to our hotel in the middle of the afternoon for a much-welcomed dip in the pool.

Of course I took a lot of photos, both with my Canon and with my phone. As it became impossible to remember at which overlook which pictures were taken, I've organized today's shots into three broad categories. The first grouping is of those photos taken of the Grand Canyon itself; the second is of family members; and the the last is a handful of pics shot later in the day (and in the evening). Enjoy!

1. The South Rim of the Grand Canyon

The free shuttle bus, showing up every 15-20 minutes at the designated stops. I was expecting huge crowds and long lines, but we only had to stand a couple of times. However, as tomorrow kicks off the Fourth of July holiday weekend, I expect the park will get much busier:

 

This squirrel has obviously been fed numerous times by visitors (despite the signs warning not to), and so knew what it took to score free handouts:

A pair of ravens, a common animal in the Grand Canyon. Also common are javelinas, a family of three which we saw from the shuttle this morning:

2. Fun for the whole family

Taking a rest by the monument to John Wesley Powell:

The wife utilized her selfie stick at every opportunity:

Feeling insignificant in the grand geological scheme of things:

Having lunch at Hermits Rest:

3. Later on

Souvenir shopping:

Right after dinner at a Mexican restaurant, we spotted a group of elk acting like they own the damn place as they nonchalantly crossed the main drag in town in search of food:

We made it out to Desert View in time to catch the sunset at 1949 hours:

It's Scottish, it's named after my daughter and it's an Arizona craft beer, and thus checks several boxes:

Tomorrow it's back to the South Rim...