The Grand Canyon
Categories: holidays
Date: 04 January 2009 05:02:54
The Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park are the two places I have most wanted to see in the US; and what a blessing it was to be able to see them both. And to see them both in winter was something exceptional. I do not know what it is, I cannot describe it, but a layer of snow makes the landscape simply magical. It is the only word I can think of.
I spent two nights in a cabin with partial rim views of the Canyon. Inside the cabin was rather nice -- and very warm. A great place to retreat to after spending some time in the cold.
Due to the weather, my two tours ended up being cancelled; which was no bad thing as I got to see a lot of other things I may not have [and it gives me an excuse to try and get back again!] The Village at the South Rim [PDF], where I stayed, is run by Xanterra and there is plenty to see and do: and with free shuttle buses every 15 minutes you can get around in comfort. There are walks to do, of which I did a few; there are plenty of dining options from fast food to restaurants; and there is a General Store, Post Office and Bank. A real self-contained community. The food servings, as it seems everywhere in the US, are rather large compared to here: especially given the relative cheapness of what everything cost for me. Here was a morning breakfast. Three huge pancakes! I think I managed one-and-a-half. Also on the menus were the ever-present warnings I found in the US about eating undercooked food.
The dining areas, and in fact all of the buildings at the Village, were superb and all seemed to fit into the surrounds. From the Bright Angel Lodge to Hopi House to the very-posh El Tovar Hotel to the first-building built, in 1890, the Buckey O'Neill Cabin, they all have own charm. And inside they are just as beautiful, if not moreso:
But I was here to see the Canyon. And when I first did my mouth did drop. Yes, I have seen it in photos and on TV, but seeing it in person; seeing the sheer vastness of it, really made me just stand there with my mouth open. And it is so beautiful. Whether the snow added to this I do not know, perhaps it did a bit, but the cliffs, the trees and the snow, together with the clouds, made the only response a hymn of praise to God for His Creation. As can be seen from the PDF map linked above, there are a great number of places from which you can view the Canyon -- and it does look very different from each place. The view also changes depending on the weather. When I arrived I had the most glorious view:
The next day the fog set in and it was like this [I did love the creativity of the person who made the sign in the snow]:
And in the afternoon it cleared, with clouds hovering above, to reveal this:
And from wherever I viewed the Canyon, be it from Mather Point looking out or down
or at the fog-shrouded-when-I-visited Yaki Point where the Canyon could only
be glimpsed as the clouds parted momentarily
to the Bright Angel Trail, which takes you down to the Canyon, along the Canyon Walls
giving further stunning views I never tired of seeing the Canyon as it was always different.
And who could ever tire of walking along paths like this?
A special delight was also seeing several animals, mule deer, so-named because of their long, mule-like ears, and a number of birds. I also passed by mules which take people down the Canyon. I was also taken aback by some of the trees and plants, perhaps again because of their snow-covered tops, but also because of their lush greeness; many native trees here are brown, khaki or a dry and light green -- the trees I saw here that still had their leaves had leaves of the most wonderful deep green. Even the deciduous trees, bare without their leaves, had a beauty, a difference from what I usually see here in Oz surrounded by mainly evergreens.
In fact everywhere and at anytime I looked something caught my eye. From icicles to the lights at dusk while snow fell to the wondrously apt pictorial display on a Coca-Cola Vending Machine it was a most superb few days. Days spent away from every care and concern and days spent in an environment and place I had always wanted to visit -- and a place I could not have guessed in my wildest imagingings how special and fascinating it would be.