The Grand Canyon

Words cannot describe the sheer size of the Canyon nor the colours nor the feeling it gives in your belly when you get to the very edge and look over. It's simply amazing how time and water can carve a structure so deep and wide, and amazing that people can walk along its rim, right at the edge.

Now had this amazing formation been discovered in Australia, the entire rim would be railed and chained/fenced; yet here the 21mile rim walk is mostly paved with a stone knee-high wall (in some parts) or the path is lined with large rocks. Apart from a few bushes and the occasional rock ledge, that was all that separated us from the 2klm drop into the Canyon, pretty amazing. Some people (whom we labelled simply 'dumb') would go beyond the walls and rocks right out onto the ledges; for what reason we are not sure ..... thus the label.

We started our 2-hour walk along the rim at Bright Angel and walked east to the Kobi Museum and lookout. We had made the decision to eat lunch out at the Bright Angel restaurant (rather than going home then coming back out for dinner), so we had a couple of hours in which to enjoy a walk. This walk was only 4klm (out & back), however with multiple information centres, historical centres, photo stops and lookout/information points along the way, the trip out took a while, but was worth every minute. Eighteen years ago, when I last visited I only remember the gift shop and the two lookout points, and how beautiful the Canyon was. Today, it's still beautiful but having the opportunity to walk along the rim allowed us to view the Canyon

from multiple perspectives. Eighteen years ago we also visited in the summer, and I remember wearing shorts and a t-shirt .... today it is cold, but the sun is out and while a little wind, our walk was quite pleasant.

The Kobi lookout point housed a little building with large glass windows, so essentially the view was right out on a ledge of the Canyon - pretty spectacular. No this wasn't the new Glass Skywalk .... why anyone would want to walk on glass that sits 2klm above the Canyon is beyond me!!!!! My legs were wobbly anytime we stopped for a photo and I had to leave the path and hop onto a ledge that was 4mts away from the actual edge. Poor Miranda had to listen to me non-stop "Miranda slow down; Miranda be careful; Miranda watch out" .... and she was even on the National Park side, not the rim !!!! Helicopter parent!!!!!!!

It's amazing how the colours in the rocks change with the movement of the sun. So as the day progressed and the shadows moved, the Canyon took on a different appearance. After a very large and indulging lunch which included dessert (yum), we hopped in the car and dove around to the west (rather than walk, as it was another 4klm in one direction to the lookout) to get to Hopi Point Lookout. Being 4 pm, everyone else obviously had the same idea with the sun setting around 5.15 and the temperature dropping. We couldn't get a park anywhere at Hopi Point so kept driving. Just a little further on there was a small stop (the edge walled by knee-high stone only) on the side of the road, and of course, we stopped and being left-hand drive, it meant the edge was on the passenger side (my side). So from my window, there was no wall, just the Canyon ..... it took a lot of courage to actually get out of the car - the view was spectacular.

Further along, the road was another lookout called Mohave Lookout which offered plenty of parking and more spectacular views. It was here that we watched the sunset. What a beautiful and once in a lifetime experience. Back to the hotel before it gets too cold - the temperature dropped 10 degrees in about 3klm. Snow expected on Wednesday, good time to be leaving on Tuesday.