Wow!

We arrived at the Grand Canyon just a little before 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 8, and drove to Trailer Village. We didn’t have to be concerned about not having a reservation – there were plenty of spots available. I didn't know that the Grand Canyon was famous for its Ravens. We had one greet us as soon as we arrived!

We registered for two nights, parked Jumbo, and headed for the Visitor Center parking lot.  We walked to Mather Point for our first view of the Canyon. Actually, Larry had been here before, but it was my very first time. As we were walking along, he said, “You should have brought a notebook along so that you could record your first impressions of the view.” I didn’t have to worry about forgetting my first words when I came upon it – “Wow!” That’s all I had to say. Simply “Wow!”  

 

 

 We wandered along that part of the trail for a bit, and then went back to the car to drive along Desert View Drive.  We stopped at Pipe Creek Vista...

I came upon another gorgeous Raven. Native North American tribes saw the raven as the bringer of light.  Southwestern tribes (Hopi, Navajo, Zuni) felt the raven  flew out from the dark womb of the cosmos, and with it brought the light of the sun (dawning of understanding). Consequently, the raven is considered a venerated bird of creation, for without the raven, humans would forever live in darkness.

We then decided to drive to the end of the drive to the Desert View Watchtower, and stop at the other view points on our way back. 

The Watchtower was one of the main things I wanted to see on our visit. Designed by architect Mary Jane Colter and built in 1932, it is the highest vantage point on the South Rim.   

Neither Larry nor I have knees or ankles quite up to walking the steps leading to the upper levels, but I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the outside of the tower.  I was fascinated by all the details.

Larry stayed outside with Duchess while I went into the gift shop where I found a little Acoma pot for my dollhouse. And it was only $5.50. I’m always looking for little things on my travels, and I was thrilled to find something like this.

The view from the watchtower grounds...

We left the watchtower and stopped at Navajo Point, where we had some great view of the Colorado River far below, and Lipan Point, for more views of the river and the changing colors of Palisades of the Desert cliffs. It was amazing how the colors would change as the light shifted.  

Unkar Rapids of the Colorado River, over half a mile below.

Next stop... Moran Point-

 

 From there we stopped at Grandview Point...

 A nice couple from Chicago shared an orange with us that they had picked from a tree in Phoenix that morning. They must have been able to tell that we were starving! We had neglected to bring along any snacks, and it had been a long time since our breakfast in Williams that morning.

When we got back from our drive, we stopped at the Camper Services Building near Mather Campground to see how much the showers were. Larry ran in and found that they closed at 6. The attendant had given him $10 worth of quarters, we hurried back to Jumbo to get our shampoo, etc. and rushed back in plenty of time for a nice, warm shower. It felt SO good! Our showers had been few and far between, and we have had to make do with sponging-offs in the sink on most days. We didn’t want to fill our water tank until we were finished with our journey, and our shower in Jumbo is filled with miscellaneous stuff that hasn’t found a home yet. We had hoped to shower at the Pilot travel centers where we’ve spent a couple of nights, but they charge $12! Maybe truckers can afford those prices, but we’re on a budget!