Farewell to the Grand Canyon

This has been our third trip to the Grand Canyon in the past 45 years. Each journey grows more interesting and exciting. The rose colored, rocky canyon walls blend perfectly with the black and green hues of the cliffs and ledges. The treacherous green rapids on the Colorado River at the bottom of the Canyon beckon to us. Then reality sets in, and we elect to safely gaze upon the river from afar. Rafting trips are available.

Yesterday we drove to the canyon accompanied by Tom and Millie. We had a special pass that allowed us to drive to Hermit's Rest. For the most part, autos are not allowed, and trams are the only mode of transportation. We stopped at nearly every viewing area in order to capture photos. We also saw the fabulous I-Max Theatre presentation of the history of the Canyon, which still holds many hidden secrets. Major John Wesley Powell, the one-armed Civil War officer, must have been quite a man. After the War in 1869, he and his small party were the first men to traverse the wild white water rapids that violently churn their way through the canyon.

After lunch, we drove east on scenic Arizona Highway 64, with its magificent multiple canyons, to Cameron, where we shopped at an Indian trading post that dates back to 1916. Then we traveled to Flagstaff and on back to Williams. We must have been exhausted, as this was the first evening that Bridge was not on our agenda.