Down the Road with Jumbo: Hermits Road and Beyond...

We gathered up all our dirty clothes Sunday morning and headed for the laundry. While Larry tended to the wash, I uploaded the photos from the day before onto my laptop. The attendant that day was an older gentleman, and it occurred to me that Larry & I should get jobs at the Grand Canyon and live here permenantly! I could be a laundry attendant or work in a gift shop, Larry could drive a tour bus. With all of his experience driving Jumbo, it would be a piece of cake. Seriously, I think we should look into it!

Our plan for the day was to drive west along the South Rim, down Hermit Road, so we took our clean clothes back to Jumbo and drove back towards Grand Canyon Village. We stopped at Verkamp's Visitor's Center, across the parking lot from the El Tovar Hotel. It used to be the park's oldest souvenir shop. I went inside for a few minutes, and then we walked over to the beautiful stone Hopi House, a historic souvenir shop designed by Mary Jane Colter. It was the Fred Harvey Company that hired the gifted female architect. A perfectionist in a male-dominated profession, Colter’s talent and perseverance were realized in a succession of unique Grand Canyon designs that reflected her vision of natural constructions, often modeled after Native American themes. Among her South Rim Grand Canyon works are the Hopi House, built in 1905. In the park's early days, Hopi Indians lived here, sold crafts and entertained visitors with nightly dances.

It was a little chilly and breezy, so Larry took Duchess back to the car while I wandered around and took some pictures of the historic El Tovar hotel.

The hotel first opened its doors in 1905. It was designed by Charles Whittlesey, Chief Architect for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway. The Chicago architect envisioned the hotel as a cross between a Swiss chalet and a Norwegian Villa. This was done in an effort to appeal to the tastes of the elite from that era, who at the time considered European culture the epitome of refinement. El Tovar was one of a chain of hotels and restaurants owned and operated by the Fred Harvey Company in conjunction with the Santa Fe Railway. The hotel was built from local limestone and Oregon pine. It cost $250,000 to build, and many considered it the most elegant hotel west of the Mississippi River. In 1987 the Hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark.

I planned on getting some better shots when we came back Sunday evening for cocktails and appetizers!

Off we went down Hermits Road. Our first stop was Trailview Overlook, where you can see hikers making their way down the snaking switchbacks of Bright Angel Trail.

Our next stop was Maricopa Point...

Next was Powell Point where a memorial is located honoring John Wesley Powell, who led the first recorded journey through the canyon down the Colorado River in 1869.

Next stop... Hopi Point. This overlook juts further out into the canyon than any other viewpoint on the South Rim. The Colorado River comes into view to the west.

Then on to Mohave Point, with an outstanding view of the Colorado River 5,000 feet below. Here you can see the river in two directions. It was a quiet day and we were able to hear Hermit Rapids.

At this point, Larry had to go to the bathroom, so we drove straight to the end of the road, to Hermits Rest, which was named for Louis Boucher, a prospector who came to the canyon in the 1890s and was known as the Hermit. The log and stone building, designed by Mary Jane Colter and built in 1914, has been a resting and gathering place for more than 100 years. She imagined the setting as a prospector's lair carved into the hillside.

Larry was going to wait outside with Duchess while I explored the inside...

when a lovely woman poked her head out the door and asked, "Would you like to bring your dog inside? She is a service dog, isn't she?" Of course we would! Not only did she welcome Duchess inside this beautiful place, but she gave her a biscuit! It was truly a treat to be able to experience the craftsmanship of the incredible Mary Colter. The details were amazing...

We loved the fireplace. And it felt really good, since the day was a bit chilly.

We reluctantly left Hermits Rest and headed back towards Grand Canyon Village. We were all incredibly tired. My poor knee wasn't doing too well, and Larry's ankle was bothering him, but we still wanted to see Kolb Studio and Lookout Studio, so we were determined to persevere.

We parked in the Bright Angel Lodge parking lot and wandered around until we came upon Kolb Studio. It was originally built in 1904 and was the studio of Grand Canyon photographers and adventurers, Ellsworth and Emery Kolb. The brothers arrived at the Grand Canyon in 1902 and made a living photographing parties going down the Bright Angel Trail. Because there was not enough water on the rim to process the film, they had to run 4.5 miles down the trail to a spring at Indian Garden, develop the film and race back up in order to have the pictures ready when the party returned. Eventually, they built a small studio on the edge of the rim, which has since been expanded and now holds a bookstore and gallery.

We walked up the hill to Lookout Studio, also designed my Mary Colter, a little stacked-stone watch house that seems to be an extension of the rim itself. The lookout was built in 1914 to provide a comfortable place from which visitors could gaze at and photograph the canyon. Early 20th Century visitors to the park could view the inner canyon and trails from large telescopes set up along the porches of the building. During these years, most travelers ventured into the canyon by mule and from Lookout Studio, they could relive their mule rides into the canyon or get a glimpse of what they were missing if they did not make the trip. The studio also provided a social space for tourists to warm up on cold days, sit and enjoy a good book, or just relax and chat with other park visitors. In the evenings visitors returned to the studio to enjoy the fireplace, good conversation, and star-gazing with telescopes.

We hobbled back to the car, drove back to Jumbo to rest up a little before our big night at El Tovar. I deliberated over what kind of a drink to order, and then remembered reading somewhere that they had Prickly Pear Margaritas - perfect! We changed our clothes and were off...