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Published: April 9th 2010
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Sunset Crater Volcano
On the way to Grand Canyon, route 89 Grand Canyon
Monday, April 5th, we are on our way to Grand Canyon National Park, traveling Route 64 into the Park from Flagstaff. It is cold and dangerous wind warnings are up! Paul is driving, both hands on the wheel, I am catching glimpses of immense structures and deep fissures to the right side of my window when I dare to look at anything other than the uphill battle in front of us. Joey and Connor, riding with us think this is a great deal of fun... Joe and Stacey, following behind, are watching the RV sway back and forth. We reach the park safely - Whew! Trailer village in the Park itself is a lovely campground and shuttle buses take you wherever you want to go. We had dinner and breakfast in the Bright Angel Lodge; it was very good and very reasonable. Stacey and Joe stayed in the Yavapai Lodge and Joey and Connor slept soundly in the RV with Grandma and PopPop. They loved lounging in their sleeping bags like little sausages in the mornings until mom and dad arrived to roust them out of bed and onto the hiking trails.
Theodore Roosevelt once said that
every American should see the Grand Canyon; I agree. Having seen photographs and thought how beautiful ,watched I -Max presentations and seen the amazing scenery in 360 degrees, I was prepared to be impressed. But, photographs and film, regardless of how well done, fail to adequately portray the vastness, the colors (purple, black and red shadows) and the depth of the Grand Canyon’s visual impact
It is frightening in its awesomeness. I always hesitate to use that awesomely over-used word, but in this case it applies. Looking out over the edge, I feel how I imagine an ant standing on the edge of a box seat in the Metropolitan Opera might feel; totally out of its element, exposed and in imminent danger. I retreated to a rock to sit and contemplate from a distance. Around every corner in Grand Canyon National Park is a new visual assault on your sense of credibility. Every time you turn your head there is a deeper cleft, a darker cave, a rockier series of cliffs, more interesting shadow shapes, a broader view of the Colorado River which appears like a narrow ribbon winding between rocks over a mile below. I find it
Road to Nowhere
Navajo Nation Reservation through desert disorientating and I wonder if the locals ever grow accustom to the beauty and take it for granted like Paul and I do the warm tropical, sandy, sea level Florida.
That Arizona is as different from Florida as cactus is from orchids continues to be demonstrated as we leave the Grand Canyon area today and travel north on route 87 from Winslow through the Navajo Nation Reservation on our way to Gallup. The only thing of color in the desert landscape is the gray blue of the sky, everything else blurs into subtle shades of brown, gray or rouge. The horizon is obscured by blowing dust. The houses and lodges, few and far between, are some shade of adobe brown. I appreciate the uniqueness, but I would never call it warm or inviting
As visual person, being hugely affected by colors, I find the monotones of the eastern edges of the “Painted Desert” are painted with a very boring pallet. This is due, of course, to the scarcity of water. As we turn east of 264 through the reservation we begin to climb and the Arizona Cyprus, sage brush and even a waterhole surrounded by Cottonwood trees
Sunset Crater Volcano
On the way to Grand Canyon appear near the village of Jeddito going toward Steamboat Springs. The road leads up and down long high hills. We are on our way to Ganado; home to the Hubbell trading post which began operation in the 1890’s and continues operating today. This area, around Window Rock, was the ancestral home of the Navajo.
It is a world of camouflage with few distinguishing features. My brother John and Susan always tease me about wanting to buy a house in all of the new places I see; a villa in Italy, a home in the keys, a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Well, John, not here - we will pass this way but once. I am now more appreciative of my azure blue Gulf of Mexico and the Kaleidoscope colors of wonderful warm Florida.
It is beautiful, yes, majestic, yes, awesome (there I go again) yes; and every person should see its grandeur in person. Looking out over this vista will surely make you appreciate the ruggedness, resilience, determinedness and creativeness of our “westward ho” pioneers and the adaptability and culture of the Native Americans who made this challenging land their home.
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Jacqueline
non-member comment
Majestic !
WOW...... THE PICTURES OF THE GRAND CANYON LEAVE ME BREATHLESS...TOTALLY ENJOYING YOUR TRAVEL BLOG. WELL WRITTEN.