Grand Canyon

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We hired a car when we arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona, a nice comfy silver nissen automatic, so so easy to drive. It was about a 2 hour drive to the Grand Canyon where we were spending 3 nights with Daniel, our host in Grand Canyon Villege. I don't think we were at all prepared for what we were about to experience. What an amazing place, the Canyon stretched as far as you could see and it was just WOW every time you looked at it, it left us both speachless. We would turn away from the Canyon for a second and then look back and have the surprise as if we were seeing it for the first time all over again. We got up at 6am to see the sunrise before taking a hike into the Canyon with a ranger, so much hard work (for Kerry).
Some facts for you: 4/5 million visitors a year, only 5% hike into the Canyon and only 1% hike to the river, not much really. South Rim of the Canyon 7000 feet above sea level, North Rim 8000 feet, the base of the Canyon where the Colorado River runs 2400 feet above sea level, 6am in the morning really really cold at the top of south rim !!
The hike into the Canyon was a 3 mile round trip and dropped us 1500 feet. The majority of the people on the hike into the Canyon were retirees, all of which pretty much over took us on the way back up, not embarressing at all!. We also got to see the sunset which wasn't as good as the sunrise but was still unbelievable. We took a drive north to Page to see the Horse-shoe bend of the River and drove through Mounument Valley which was so beautiful and very red (all I kept thinking about was when Forest Gump was running through it) and then got to stand in 4 states at once at 4 corners monument while on the way to Cortez to stay with our host Donna and her lovely dogs.
While up in Cortez, Colorado we visited Mesa Verde National Park, which is a really interesting place. We got to take a tour into the Cliff dwellings there that were built in the 1200's by native Americans and then abandoned in 1300 but not discoved until 1889. Nobody knows what reason the dwellings were abandoned but we got to listen to why people think they left and how they used to live. 80% of the Park had been burnt and that burnt area would take 400 years to become green again. At least the Park fires were natural and had been started by lightening, the park itself gets hit by lightening on average 10 times a day, a lot yeah.
Sending love
Matt & Kerry

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Comments

[Sis]

Horse shoe bend
My god one of the most amazing pictures I've ever seen x

[Mammy]

Fantastic photos!
Great photos - love them - especially like the Horse-shoe bend, looks great. Lovely sunrise and sunset, something you'll remember for ever. Brightens my day to read your blog and see your lovely faces........................aww................... Love you both, take care xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[teresa]

just WOW :)

[BRENDA JARDINE]

GRAND CANYON
HI HOPE YOU ARE BOTH HAVEING A FAB TIME . ME AND TRACY ARE STAYING IN FLAGSTAFF FOR TWO DAYS .ON ROOT TO GRAND OO CANYON WEC ARE GOING TO THE SOUTH RIM .DO WE NEED WINTER COATS ARE T SHIRTS ON?? AND O YES SHORTS OR LEGGINS BYE FAB PHOTOS.