Vacation - Part 4

It was easy to see that we were in for another great day when we woke up on the morning of day 4 in Page, Arizona. Just look at that sunrise!

These next four pictures show the countryside that lies between Page and Flagstaff, Arizona.

Our morning coffee break was at The Cameron Trading Post in Cameron, Arizona.

This was a large shop and many souvenirs were purchased here.

As we headed out of Cameron, the terrain began to change again and it was clear that we were getting closer to the Grand Canyon. http://www.nps.gov/grca/

And then we arrived at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

This is the Watchtower at Desert View on the Grand Canyon's south rim.

The Watchtower was built in 1932. Primarily an observation station and convenient rest stop for Grand Canyon visitors, it was also intended to bring about a better understanding of the American Indian and his life in past and present.

The Watchtower is a re-creation of the strange prehistoric towers found scattered over large areas of the Southwest. The ancient towers were used for the storage of food and for protection in times of war. By way of an inside ladder, the tribe could climb up to the several landings and, by removing the ladder, foil attempts to storm the citadel. Attackers were forced to replace the ladder and to climb single-file through the small floor openings--while the defenders waited, tomahawk in hand. This is a view outside one of the windows on the top floor of the Watchtower.

This is a picture of my parents standing on the edge of the south rim of the Grand Canyon. My parents started this same tour last year. Because of health issues, my parents' trip was cut short last year and they had to return home. This was one of the reasons for taking the tour this year. Last year, there was so much snow on the road leading up to the Grand Canyon that no one was able to see the Grand Canyon. My Dad was disappointed that he missed seeing the Grand Canyon last year. Seeing the Grand Canyon this year was at the top of both my Dad's and my list. We were all so thrilled to be standing in this spot admiring the magnificent view!

This is my Dad in front of one of the many Pinyon-Junipers that are plentiful in the area surrounding the canyon.

And of course these pictures are what we all came for......the magnificent view! Pictures and words will never come close to capturing how we felt when we saw this.

The brochure I picked up at one of my stops says that, the "Grand Canyon--one of Earth's most powerful inspiring landscapes--overwhelms our senses." Truer words were never written.

The Grand Canyon is 277 river miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep.