Very Grand indeed!

I had never been to the Grand Canyon and it is one of those places that has to be experienced to be believed. I have seen the wonderful photographs and watched the NatGeo specials about this place which makes the list of geographic miracles along with Mount Everest and Victoria Falls, but they do not do it justice. I probably never will see either Everest or the African falls, but I have now been fortunate enough to visit at least one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World.

We arrived late in the afternoon at the canyon village and headed straight for the edge. I will never forget that moment. My first thought was that what my eyes were seeing was not possible. How could something like this happen? Oh, this took 6 million years, now I get it! We walked along the rim until darkness took over. The canyon looks different every few steps you take and you find yourself just standing in awe. People are talking all around you, but somehow the silence is what you hear. The light keeps changing as the day moves along, making the colors of the rocks change. A photographers' paradise. We started the next day walking the rim in the opposite direction for several hours, and by then felt too tired to attempt a short trek on Bright Angel Trail which leads to the canyon floor. Those who begin such a walk take the entire day to go all the way down.

It has unexpectedly turned out to be a good time of year to travel, in that the grey hairs and home-schooled children make for small and tame crowds and the temps are perfect. We had planned to take this trip in July after finishing up teaching in Mexico, but we now know July would not be the best time to be in the Grand Canyon because of large crowds and heat. Our next stop is Mesa Verde, Colorado.