Without Hesitation

We’ve been pounding pavement day after day making our way west hoping to make the Canyon before the weather changes. Moving everyday several hundred miles is exhausting. We decided to break the pace in Amarillo Texas.

There’s not much to see in Amarillo but we did manage to find a privately owned antique car museum that was amazing. Bill’s Backyard Classics had everything from modern type Hot Rods, 1920’s-30’s oldies, and lots of really cool Caddies!

Comparing these to modern-day cars…..I think we’ve truly lost a sense of design!

After 1900 miles, traveling through what seemed like endless road construction, the remnants of a hurricane, and having gotten the coach stuck, we finally park in Williams, AZ. The Grand Canyons’ south rim is still 50 miles away.

We wake up early, pack lunches, and we’re off! The morning air is crisp and the weather forecast for the canyon is a bit iffy but we’re not deterred! This has been a bucket list item for some time!

We get parked and make our way to the visitor center to get the lay of the land. Shuttle schedule, hiking trails, the best picture spots and “what not to miss” suggestions top the agenda for the awaiting park ranger.

Armed with more info than one can remember it’s off to the closest observation point to get our first glimpse. And this is what we see…….

FOG! The entire canyon is fogged in! Visibility is less that a quarter-mile and with the exception of a couple hundred feet down….nothing but white! We’re SO BUMMED! And to add to the enjoyment, (sarcasm intended!) it’s starting to rain. We make it to the gift shop just in time before the sky opens up to a torrential down pour! PERFECT!

Hey wait! The clouds are moving on….Sunshine and blue sky! And no more fog! YES! Now this is more like it!!

You can look at a thousand pictures and until you are standing on the edge and looking down five thousand feet, you just can’t appreciate how magnificent this place is! The vastness, the colors, and depth…This is one serious hole in the ground!

Every now and then I grab the camera away from my bride in order to put her in the shot. Admittedly, she’s the one that adjusts the settings because, well, I haven’t got a clue how to work the thing! This shot almost looks like Susan is standing in front of a back drop!

So many great observation points are along the length of the canyon. And so many photo opportunities. Just click on a pic for a better view.

We were excited to finally see a few Elk. This bull was just standing off the road and seem to pose as the shuttle moved slowly past. The other two were not far from a parking area.

At the far eastern end of the canyon was “Desert View Watchtower”, and observation tower built by and artist/architect and first opened in 1932. This construction exudes the presence of an ancient people who were the canyons earliest inhabitants. At seventy feet tall it offers awe-inspiring views of the canyon. 

 

 

Part of the enjoyment of our travels is meeting great people and sharing our experiences. We had a great time exploring and spending the afternoon with Joe & Nicki from Natchez, LA.

To both of you, our sincere thanks for helping make our afternoon so enjoyable. We  enjoyed your company and are honored to have met you! We hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip.

I mentioned earlier that we were on a fast pace to the canyon in order to beat the winter weather. The day prior to our leaving and moving further south, we woke up to this!