American Southwest Day 7 (AM): The Masterpiece of Arizona is not the Grand Canyon

---

Zion Supplanted

Zion has been our favorite until today - so good is the usurper that I have devoted one entire entry to it's glory. We woke up early, around 6AM (thanks especially to the fact that Arizona does not follow DST), and headed out of Page about an hour after that. Scattered clouds in the sky, a cool 45 degrees, we knew it was a good idea to get to the Grand Canyon early. As we drove south on US89 just outside of Page, I saw the typical reddish-brown sign indicating a site worth visiting. I remained fearful as ever that I may miss a great place as I had the day before with the Coral Sand Dunes. So we pulled off and followed a short dusty red dirt road up to the base of a large mound, only one car parked in the lot.

We clambered up the hill only to realize when we reached the top that what we had just done was not the quarter mile the sign indicated to the viewpoint so we clambered down the other side, a winding gash in the ground in the foreground and the Vermilion Cliffs in the background spotted here and there with brillian morning sunlight illuminating their rainbow of colors. We were stymied for a bit as an invasion of shiny black insects about an inch long blocked our path, they looked like a mutation between a roach and a grasshopper, but as they were apparently not intent on invading us, we pressed on. Just as we approached the rim of the canyon the couple with the car in the parking lot was leaving.

The Gracious Curve of a Paintbrush

The Horseshoe Bend, what an AMAZING sight to see - a curve in the Colorado as you could only believe could be drawn by a hand - and we had it to ourselves. As we can attest from our time later in the day, half the battle is the number of tourists you have to share the site with and the amount of facilities designed to accommodate them and protect them. Here there was none of that, and on its own this setting is the most beautiful on our trip. Sometimes all things come together for the right experience - this morning they did - thank God for the scattered clouds, as if masking a piece here and exposing one there - creating a moving masterpiece on the backdrop of the desert landscape; thank God for the crisp, cool, placid morning air - creating a quiet solitude. Our pictures should speak for themselves.

---

Photos

View from the Top of the Mound
Vermilion Cliffs in the background, the winding Colorado in the foreground.

Natural Liberty
The way nature is meant to be enjoyed, a drop to the Colorado about 600 feet below.

The Horseshoe Bend
A few minutes of patience for the right lighting.

On the Edge
Thank God for cell phone reception, right? Jennifer describing the sight to Bob.

Another View, Another Angle
Couldn't take enough pictures!

Downriver . . .
. . . and the Vermilion Cliffs peeking in the background, caressed gently by the cloud cover.

Just to prove . . .
. . . we were there!