Flagstaff, Arizona to Grand Canyon National Park Monday, 2 July, 2012
We had planned to spend some time at a water park in Flagstaff, but we decide that we would rather get to the Canyon as soon as possible. We made it too the visitors' center at about 12:30 MST. A quick note about time. Arizona does participate in Daylight Savings Time and since it is located in Mountain Standard Time, the whole state is two hours earlier than in Texas.
Checking in took no time at all. We quickly found a parking space and walked over to Mather Point. My first view of the Grand Canyon. This is something I had dreamt about for years. And there it was, spread out at my feet in all of it's magnificent glory. It looked as grand as any picture I ever saw of it. And that was the problem, it is so immense that it does not look real. I looked and looked, pondered, took pictures, and still I could not wrap my mind around what I was seeing. It is just too big and too awesome for a common hack like me to try to convey what the Grand Canyon is. You just have to go and see for yourself.
"It is a hard job to sketch it even in scrawniest outline; and try as I may, not in the least sparing myself, I cannot tell the hundredth part of the wonders of its features--the side-canons, gorges, alcoves, cloisters, and amphitheaters of vast sweep and depth, carved in its magnificent walls; the throng of great architectural rocks it contains resembling castles, cathedrals, temples, and palaces, towered and spired and painted, some of them nearly a mile high, yet beneath one's feet" John Muir The Grand Canyon of the Colorado
If Brother John could not describe it, what hope do I have?
After getting our eyes and spirits filled with the wonder of the Canyon, we grabbed a bite to eat, checked in at the campground, set up camp, and eventually cooked our evening meal. The weather was perfect and the campground was well suited to our needs.
One other thing that took me by surprise was the ecology of the canyon rim. I always pictured it as a desert environment with a few scrubs around. To my great joy it turns out that the South Rim is surrounded by a Pine and Juniper forest. Who knew?
One disappointment, there is a fire restriction. No fire except for gas stoves are allowed. Our dream of a campfire at night is gone
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