Day 3

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Canada Day! Got a later start on the day today after Iain got sick last night after a questionable meal at Pizza Hut, but he still was able to travel although we missed his insightful commentary as we travelled through some very scenic terrain. From Richfield we drove south through Mount Carmel & Kanab Utah before entering Arizona. As we approached The Grand Canyon we drove up onto the Kaibab Plateau which rises up to a high point over 8800 feet in elevation. It's neat to be in the middle of the desert then quickly climb (4000+ feet in 45 minutes) and then drive through a forest not unlike the foothills in Alberta before reaching the edge of the Canyon. The Grand Canyon Lodge is the only place in the Grand Canyon National Park that you can stay at the rim of the Canyon. The main lodge building is a magnificent stone and timber structure originally built in 1923 and rebuilt in 1936 after a fire. It has a lounge area with large windows over looking the canyon along with an outdoor patio. The dining room also faces the Canyon and we enjoyed a great dinner there. It's the only place I've seen prime rib on the kids menu which Iain ordered and for $10 and the size of the cut I wish I could have ordered it. Because of the elevation the temperature was much more comfortable around 85 and cooler in the evening which was nice because our cabin wasn't air conditioned. We did some short hikes on some of the trails that go out to some lookout points. They're a little scary in spots as they have some fairly sharp drop offs right next to the trail; no place to feel faint. Our log cabin is small but comfortable and close enough that you can see the canyon through the trees. The elevation definitely has an effect on the oxygen level and even a light hike has you gasping for air. Overall it's a breathtaking place in more ways then one.

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Comments

[Sylvia]

Hey Iwaasa Family Looking at your pictures and reading your blog sounds like you guys are having a great trip.