Third Day At The Grand Canyon

4 October 2014

Weather: 23C and Sunny

We had an even earlier start this morning at 5:30am to get ready and make our way to Mather Point for sunrise.  I was disappointed with the sunrises and sunsets as it doesn't seem to change the colour of the Canyon.  It appears to create shadows or remove them.

Me at Mather Point during a sunrise

Sunrise at Mather Point

Mather Point at Sunrise

We had breakfast at the Yavapai Canyon Cafe then got the bus to Hermits Transfer to start the Bright Angel Trail.  We walked for about one hour as they say it takes double the time to return.  We had wished to walk further and if we ever get to return, plan to walk more or do the mule ride to the bottom. 

Justin on the Bright Angel Trail

Bright Angel Trail

Turkey Vulture seen from Bright Angel Trail

We had the decided to turn back so we could go to the Kolb Studio before the Condor talk.  We also took the opportunity to have peanut butter and espresso ice-creams.  

Kolb Studio seen from Bright Angel Trail

We attended the Ranger led activity – Condors, at the Lookout Studio as well as taking time to visit the studio.

Condor Talk near Lookout Studio

Inside Lookout Studio

Squirrel wanting its photo taken at Lookout Studio

Then we took the bus to Hermits Rest and onto Pima Point for more photos of the Canyon. 

Grand Canyon from Pima Point

Then we headed back to the Arizona Room Restaurant at Bright Angel Lodge.  Here we had lunch, mine was the Black Bean Soup and Justin had the Angus Burger.

Bright Angel Lodge

After lunch we got the bus back to the Yavapai Lodge where we checked our emails.  Once we had our technology hit we went in search of woodpeckers at McKee Amphitheatre.  We saw some birds tapping at the trees but they were smaller than the one seen the previous day.  We also say a chipmunk and a rabbit before walking to our room for a little relaxation before dinner.

Maybe a Downy Woodpecker

Rabbit

We had dinner at the Yavapai Canyon Café, I had the Cheese Ravioli with Tomato Sauce and Justin had the Chicken Pot Pie.  With full stomachs we retired to our room for the evening.

Second Day At The Grand Canyon

3 October 2014

Weather: Sunny and 22C

It was an early morning for us again as we had to be at the Yavapai Lodge Office by 6:50am for a 7:00am departure.  I had prebooked a train trip for us and we were the only people that day going on the train from the Grand Canyon.  Everyone else was staying in Williams and doing a day trip to the Grand Canyon.  The Railway Express Tour and be booked via this link www.grandcanyonlodges.com/things-to-do/motorcoach-railway-tours .  We were driven to Williams Train Station were our driver collected our tickets for the train.  We had a buffet breakfast at the restaurant next door - The Depot Cafe within the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel.  After enjoying our large breakfast we went to watch the cowboy shot out behind the station before boarding the train back to the Grand Canyon.  We had an amusing carriage guide who told jokes and told us everything we needed to know.  One interesting fact was that the train trip helps to offer employment for the town’s 400 residents.  So it is great to see a rural community kept alive by this tourist attraction.  We had a violinist entertain us followed by getting our photos taken.  We looked for wildlife out the windows and saw pronghorn, horses, cattle and a set used in winter as the "North Pole" for the Polar Express.  The holdup of the train occurs in the afternoon on the return trip so if you want that, stay in Williams and do the return train trip.  

Set for the Cowboy Shot Out - Williams, Arizona

Railway Express Tour from Williams to the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon Train Depot

Once the train arrived at the Grand Canyon Depot we caught the free shuttle bus to Yaki Point to arrive just in time for the Ranger Program about Raptors.  For Ranger led activities checkout the National Parks Website www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/ranger-program.htm  .  This talk was very informative and you learn the difference between a raptor and birds of prey, as well as the difference between a Turkey Vulture and a Californian Condor.  Attend the talk to learn these things and to look for raptors.

Once the talk finished we bused it to Yavapai Geology Museum to attend the Ranger led talk about the geology of the Grand Canyon, explained as DUDE but I don't won’t to give it away as these talks are informative and worth attending.  After the second talk of the day we looked through the museum and walked to Mather Point.

Grand Canyon from Mather Point

Justin at Mather Point

Me at Mather Point

From there we continued onto the Trail of Time detouring through the forest to the McKee Amphitheatre.  While sitting quietly on the seats at the Amphitheatre we heard a Woodpecker and so went in search to find in it the surrounding trees.  When we walked along the foot path back to our room a Blue Jay flew straight pass us. 

Can you see the Woodpecker in the tree?

McKee Amphitheatre

We had some time to get ready for our night activities - Sunset at Hopi Point and dinner at the El Tovar Dining Room.

Sunset are Hopi Point

Sunset are Hopi Point

Sunset are Hopi Point

For dinner I had a Stuffed Portobello Mushroom and Justin had the New York Strip Steak. For dessert we shared a nice Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake.  After a delicious meal we caught the free shuttle bus back to Yavapai Lodge to call it a night.

New York Strip Steak

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom

First Day At The Grand Canyon

2 October 2014

Weather: Sunny and 20C

Justin and I got up at the crack of dawn (6:00am) to get ready for the day.  We packed the Jeep and I had photographs taken with Heather, mum's third cousin.  

Heather's house in Tucson

Me and Heather

The view across the street from Heather's house

We said our goodbyes and drove off towards the Grand Canyon.  Stopping along the way to take photos of the cactus that grow in the hills near the highway, I think it was within the Agua Fria National Monument area.

Justin being a cactus

There is cactus' in those hills!

Traveling north pass Flagstaff we turned off for the Grand Canyon via Desert View Drive.  Stopping at Desert View Watchtower, an interesting structure built in 1932 and was designed by Mary Colter.  The building is in a Pueblo Indian style and at the top is an observation deck.  There is a National Parks gift shop as well and of course plenty of views of the Grand Canyon. This was our first view of the Canyon and the building added just another interest.

Justin at the entrance to the Grand Canyon

Dessert View Watchtower

Inside the
Desert View Watchtower

Observation Deck at the Desert View Watchtower

Me posing at the Grand Canyon

We stopped at the lookouts between the Desert View Watchtower and the Tusayan Museum and Ruins.  Again this historic site and museum added another dimension to your visit to the Grand Canyon and it is interesting to learn how the local Indian's lived in such a harsh environment.  The National Parks Service has a great website outlining the buildings to see when you visit www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm .

Tusayan Ruins

We continued west as the day was getting late and we needed to check into our accommodation before sunset as I wanted to try to get as many sunsets and sunrises in as possible during our stay.  We checked into our room at 4:00pm at the Yavapai Lodge, the room was in East Yavapai, I had wanted to stay somewhere on the rim but that accommodation booked out too fast and this was all that was left for the dates we needed. The room was nicely decorated and I was glad that we managed to get somewhere in the Grand Canyon National Park at all.  

Our room at East Yavapai at the Yavapai Lodge

Having unloaded our luggage we drove to Yavapai Lookout to watch the sunset, but I found it to be very disappointing as the sun sets behind a large solid rock wall which is part of the Canyon so there was no casting of orange or pink glows across the Canyon like I expected.  Maybe this was because we were blessed with a beautiful clear day with no clouds.  Often sunsets look amazing as the colours are reflected in the clouds but during our stay there was little to no clouds.

Sunset at Yavapai Lookout

Sunset at Yavapai Lookout

Sunset at Yavapai Lookout

Sunset at Yavapai Lookout

After watching the sunset we had dined at the Yavapai Cafe where I had a Chicken Pot Pie and Justin had the 1/4 Chicken with jacket potato, rice and gravy.  For dessert Justin had the Chocolate mousse cake topped with ice-cream and I had the Peach slices in orange and pomegranate juice.  On the way back to our room we spied some Mule deer on the side of the road.  The evening was spent watching television in our room and was relaxing.

Mule deer