Nov 26 (Thanksgiving) & 27, 2020-This Canyon IS Grand!

We’ve spent the last two days on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Here are several quotes found about the Grand Canyon:

“There will never be a photograph of the Grand Canyon that can adequately describe its depth, breadth, and true beauty.”

                                                        -Stefanie Payne

“In the supreme flaming glory of a sunset the whole canyon is transfigured as if the light and life of centuries of sunshine stored up in the rocks was now bringing forth as one glorious fountain, flooding both the earth and sky.”

                                                                -John Muir

On May 6, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt saw the Grand Canyon for the first time and he was speechless. After gathering himself, he said “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it; not a bit. The ages have been at work in it, and man can only mar it.”

About 4.5 years later, on Jan 11, 1908, he said “The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison! Beyond description; Absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world. Let this great work of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity, and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children’s children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight that every American should see.”

It’s hard to follow these quotes about our story of two days there and pictures are inadequate to describe the views.

Okay, yesterday was Thanksgiving and we wanted to have a nice meal at the South Rim. We had tried the online reservation system for an afternoon meal at the El Tovar. NO GO! So we walked into the dining room about 1:30 PM to ask about cancellations and were seated immediately! Here’s a pic of our table looking out the windows of the dining room into the canyon:

It was a wonderful meal with turkey, chestnut dressing, sweet and garlic mashed potatoes, zucchini, and prickly pear Margaritas. The sad thing was that we couldn’t eat it all so Dottie got the leftover turkey!

We hiked 3-4 miles along the Rim Trail and got a number of views into the canyon. Here are just a few of the pics that can’t do justice to the GC:


Today we drove out the Desert Views Drive and saw different views. Here are a couple of those:


Actually, this pic is of the Bright Angel trail near the Village. This is the trail we rode mules down and hiked down AND up!

If you have never seen the Grand Canyon, it’s one of those places that will make you proud to be an American!

It got down to 24 degrees Thursday night and 19 last night. Here’s what we woke up to:



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