This morning, we woke to crisp air at Jacob Lake Inn near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. After a hearty breakfast in the Lodge, we were off to the North Rim. In the 45 minute drive, we were all impressed with the verdant green meadows. So many places we have visited were brown from the severe drought. The clusters of quaking aspen trees were a striking contrast to the dark coniferous forest that surrounded them. The leaves have turned at this higher elevation and gave us quite a show in many different areas of the park.
The sun played peak-a-boo most of the day and probably contributed to some of our best photos. The day was cool and comfortable as we had our picnic lunch at a scenic overlook.
Our first stop was the Grand Canyon Lodge, first built in 1928 for the Union Pacific Railroad. This lodge burned in 1932 and was rebuilt to today’s elegant structure in 1937. Our first view of the canyon is through the floor to ceiling windows in the sunroom which is several steps down from the lobby. It was indeed breathtaking. We spent some time trying to capture the grandeur of the canyon from the lodge, and all decided that our eyes were better than any of our fancy cameras. However, that did not stop us from taking hundreds of pictures anyway. Bob and I had over 400. Lydia and Jerry must also have had that amount. 
This is who they saw.
While the canyon walls and their ever changing colors are what people usually remember from their trip, some of us were also captivated by the myriads of weathered trees standing as sentinels, watching over the canyons. They all seem to tell their own special story. 
Jerry, Joyce and Bob made the 30 minute hike out to Bright Angel Point, along some pretty narrow walkways….no railing. no shoulder, no way! We went anyway and several times were hugging the inside wall for all we were worth. We were rewarded with spectacular views at the point, though, so it was worth the walk.
We returned early afternoon to the lodge which now welcomed us as long time friends, with its comfortable leather seating inside and the many chairs on the outside veranda.
We sat outside for an hour or so and all whipped out our little toys to either read or go to the internet as Lydia and Jerry had access on their I-Pads.
It wasn’t long before we were called in to the dining room for our dining experience. We enjoyed great food and service and finished in time for the most glorious sunset at 6:22. Again, it was impossible to capture the beauty of the sun through the clouds, reflecting on the canyon walls. Our eyes hold tightly the precious memories and hopefully our pictures will share just a bit of this grandeur with our audiences. We all agree that we have spent one of the most spectacular days of our trip. 
On our way back to Jacob Lake Inn, we encountered 9-10 deer, some way too close to our car, and also an owl nearly hit our windshield. He was probably as stunned to see us as we were to see him.
No comments:
Post a Comment