We left the hotel at 6:13 a.m. knowing it would take about an hour to get to the Grand Canyon. The temperature was 36*. We arrived at the Grand Canyon parking lot at Mather Point at 7:20 and the temperature was up to 58*. We walked the trail here and the view was awesome. Since I can't say exactly where all these pictures were taken along the 26-mile drive along the Desert View Drive, east of Grand Canyon Village. I can say that we liked the view better from the North Rim in 2006 but this one was pretty fantastic too.
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
Mather Point
The Colorado River races 1,400 miles from its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to its end at the Gulf of California. Twenty percent of its course (277 miles) winds through the Grand Canyon.
Mather Point - you can see the
Colorado River below
Close-up of the Colorado River
This bridge on the Bright Angel Trail at the bottom
of the Grand Canyon. I had to zoom in to be able
to even see the bridge!
The rock sticking up is called "Duck on a rock".
Conrad loved all the trees!
The Tusayan Ruin is one of more than 4,000 archaeological sites recorded within Grand Canyon National Park. Tree ring dates indicate that people began construction of Tusayan Pueblo around A.D. 1185. They style of buildings and artifacts is typical of the ancestral Puebloan culture. At any one time, sixteen to twenty people likely lived in this community.
Tusayan Ruins and Museum
Tusayan Ruins
Tusayan Ruins
A kiva, a ceremonial chamber, is one of the cultural signatures of the ancestral Puebloan people. Notice the banquette (bench) that encircles slightly more than half of the interior. Posts placed along this bench supported the upper structure. A covering of brush and mud made the walls and roof of the kiva. A ventilated fire pit heated the room. The small hole between the banquette and fire pit, the sipapu, symbolizes the point of emergence and reminds people from where they came. The Hopi believe that the actual place of emergence, the Sipapuni, is located deep within the Grand Canyon.
Tusayan Ruins - Large Kiva
Tusayan Ruins
Tusayan Ruins
Tusayan Ruins
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
Desert View Watchtower is an unusual stone tower in the style of Ancestral Puebloan towers. You can see the Colorado River turning north and the Painted Desert extending towards Navajo and Hopi Indian lands.
Desert View Watchtower
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
Leaving the Grand Canyon
Little Colorado River Gorge
Just north of Flagstaff, we stopped at the Sunset Crater Volcano. Roughly 900 years ago, the eruption of this volcano reshaped the surrounding landscape, forever changing the lives of people, plants and animals. We were able to drive right up to the cinder fields and hills and get out and walk around. There was an interesting Visitor Center also.
Sunset Crater Volcano
Sunset Crater Volcano
Sunset Crater Volcano
Sunset Crater Volcano
Sunset Crater Volcano
Sunset Crater Volcano
Sunset Crater Volcano - He even loves the dead trees.
Sunset Crater Volcano
Sunset Crater Volcano
Sunset Crater Volcano
From here, we headed on in to Flagstaff where we had a reservation at the Quality Inn. The cost was $103.85. We only drove 180 miles today but saw some really awesome scenery!
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