Our road trip is turning into one of switchbacks and roundabouts. We originally wanted to go first to the Grand Canyon, then continue north to Boise to visit our son John, finally returning home via the Bay Area. Unfortunately, John's plans changed and he was going to be out of town the week we were planning to be in Boise. So now we're going to AZ first, then the Bay Area, and then Boise. Whew! Rather circuitous, but that's life. Especially our life lately.
We will eventually end up in Boise, ID.
But first, the Grand Canyon:
Wow, for anyone who hasn't visited the Grand Canyon, it truly is grand. Impossibly deep, incredibly wide, implausibly beautiful and a bit terrifying. Here is a short video and a few photos that are inadequate to its actual grandeur.
This is the terrifying part. Some people like to get dangerously close to the edge. In fact, the day we were there, a woman fell off the edge. Fortunately her fall was broken by a tree about 50 feet down. She survived albeit with a broken leg.
Our second day there, we walked down into the canyon about 2 1/2 miles. Very easy going down, extremely difficult climbing back up. Luckily for us, the temperature was in our favor, only about 75 with a cool breeze. But we had reckoned without the altitude (about 8000 feet.) What started as a sprightly gambol became a lung-busting slog which would have been accompanied by much cursing had we been able to spare the breath. Once we recovered, we both pantingly agreed the views were well worth the effort (All pictures of us in recovery mode have been destroyed.)
Our last stop in the Grand Canyon was the Desert View Watchtower on the eastern side of the park. Climbing up 70 feet we enjoyed an unobstructed view of the canyon including the Colorado River far below. When this tower was built in the 1930's, a local Navajo artist was commissioned to paint the inside walls.
There is a spiral staircase that is full of native images.
This is a view of the ceiling of the tower.
And one more image.
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