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Riding in style. Grand Canyon Railway 10/19/19
When we were making our plans we had a couple of weeks to fill between our stays in Las Vegas. Looking at a map we realized we were within striking distance of the Grand Canyon so we said, “What the hell” (or words to that effect) and decided to shoot over there for a quick visit. We also decided to splurge a bit, so we made reservations in Williams, AZ, for a week, along with first class seats on the daily train from Williams to the South Rim. What a fun day that was. Riding in style with comfortable seats, morning and afternoon snacks, cash bar and access to the observation car and rear deck. Upon arrival we took a very interesting bus tour of the area, peered over the rim at several locations, and enjoyed a nice lunch at the lodge before re-boarding for the return trip. All in all, it was a nice leisurely day with beautiful sights. It’s hard to take a bad photo in that part of the world.
While in Williams, we made a quick jaunt to the east and visited Meteor Crater. I had wanted to visit this place since I was a small boy (jeez, that was a long time ago) so when I realized it was only an hour or so away it was a no-brainer. Privately owned, it has a very nice visitor center with tours included in the admission price. For obvious safety reasons, access is limited to a small area on the north side of the rim, but that was more than enough to appreciate the magnitude of this hole in the ground and to be thankful we weren’t around when that rock dropped from the sky. If you’re in the area I can recommend this for a quick stop.
Needless to say I took way more photos during our brief Grand Canyon stop then I can show here. It also goes without saying that we’ll be back to this area for a longer stay.
The Grand Canyon from the South Rim 10/19/19
The Grand Canyon from the South Rim 10/19/19
The Grand Canyon from the South Rim 10/19/19
The Grand Canyon from the South Rim 10/19/19
The Grand Canyon from the South Rim 10/19/19
Roughing it. 10/19/19
Meteor Crater Visitor Center 10/23/19
Meteor Crater Visitor Center 10/23/19
Meteor Crater 10/23/19
Meteor Crater 10/23/19
Cape Final, GCNP, 7/27/12
The North Rim marked the beginning of our taking walks (or hikes, depending upon your definition). Our first night at the lodge, Patti crashed early as a result of taking seasickness pills earlier in the day for our tour of Lake Powell. Never one to miss an opportunity, I walked out to Bright Angel Point in order to shoot the sunset. The pictures were completely worth the effort, but what I hadn’t taken into account was that we were at about 8300 feet, which is about 8290 more than I’m used to. The walk back up to the lodge was an eye opener for me. Surprisingly, that was the only time I was significantly out of breath during this trip. Which is not to say the only time I was out of breath.
The next day we got in the car and checked out, in order, Point Imperial, Cape Royal (which includes Angel’s Window) and a nice hike to Cape Final, followed by some cold beers on the lodge veranda. Since our priorities on this road trip were, in no particular order, to see cool stuff, do some walking/hiking, take beautiful pictures, and relax/not knock ourselves out, this day can be marked as a complete success. This was also the first real test of my recently upgraded cardiovascular system which seemed to pass admirably.
When we got home and I started scrubbing the photos we took, I realized that many of them lend themselves to being cropped into panoramas. Here are some from our time at the North Rim. I’m already looking forward to returning to explore more. We only touched the surface on this trip!
Near the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/26/12
Sunset at the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/26/12
View from Cape Final, GCNP, 7/27/12
Sunset at the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/27/12
Sunset at the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/27/12
The World as We See It 