Better known as the Grand Canyon. If you recall my twisted travel tale from last week, or you can read it here to catch up, the mister and I made it to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Barely. We were happy to awaken the next morning to fresh air, blue skies and breakfast. With magnificent views on the side…
Can’t really beat being surrounded by beauty for a morning treat. It made all of the difficulties of the prior day seem a bit less painful.
Even though we had plenty of hours to acclimate to the elevation change, we were still huffing and puffing when we went out to the observation deck to take in the sights and the sun. I had to remind myself of the harshness of this area. The park at the North Rim is closed from October to May due to snow and it can get pretty damn toasty here in the summer. Note the person standing in the observation area center right of the image below.
One segment of our group decided to go on a nature hike and the other took a short driving trip to another location within the park. The mister and I passed on the hike, we were just too tired from the day before, so we piled our group into our new and improved rental car. We went to Imperial Point which at the elevation of 8803 ft. is the highest vista and the biggest drop into the canyon.
To the east is the Colorado River which is hidden from view and some 6000 ft below the vista point or the height of 10 Washington Monuments stacked end to end!
We were on the other side of those cliffs the day before when we were stuck at the LeFevre Overlook!
Mt Hayden at Imperial Point
A wider view. The colors and variations in the rocks are astounding. The air quality wasn’t the best due to several wildfires burning. After a lovely afternoon we grab some lunch and hit the road for the South Rim and El Tovar.
We stopped at a turnout to take a few photos. These are the Vermillion Cliffs that we could see in the distance from Imperial Point. Just to grasp the sheer size of this outcropping, note the bright red semi (bottom right) on the highway below.
It is amazing how quickly the topography and rock formations change!
We stayed the night at the South Rim and enjoyed our hotel despite a few snafus. Next morning we head out to a local airport for a helicopter ride. I wasn’t sure about this since I am not crazy about heights. But it was fine and I loved having the opportunity to view the Grand Canyon from above.
How about another view?
We were actually able to see some rafters on the river as we flew over.
It was a quick flight but a ton of fun! I had a blast taking photos and taking in the scenery. Since I am a flatlander, topography is important to me!
After our flight we jumped in the car and they hopped on their motorcycles and we headed toward Flagstaff, Arizona. We enjoyed a lovely lunch and scooted on down the road to Sedona.
They boast about their javelinas and vortexes but most folks come for the beautiful red rocks and the laid back vibe of the town. Whatever the reason, it is a great place.
The sun was sinking low and the shadows were getting long in Sedona.
The next morning we packed up and were off to ride through great places like Jerome, Arizona and then along Route 66. A stop in Seligman, Arizona is a must for a good burger and a fun time.
It was a long day but the road ended for us in Las Vegas. We had a delicious dinner topped off with a Cirque show and a good night sleep. The next morning we were back on a plane headed home. What a great trip, despite all of the crazy missteps.