Day 13 - Horseshoe Bend & Grand Canyon

We truly have been blessed with great AirBnB experiences! Nomes did a great job hunting down value deals and comfy places. Our Page, AZ stay had lovely & accommodating hosts and a beautiful space for us for the past two days.

Once we headed out, we realized we were only 10 min from Horseshoe Bend which was a must for Cilla. Another photographer's dream! Just 3km round trip hike for the view point up and a hill (feeling like chump change compared to some we've done), we soaked in the sight of the Colorado River 500 ft below us. It makes a sharp U turn here, creating the eponymous bend. There were many kayaks and boats navigating the river far below and the turquoise water looked so inviting. After numerous photos (and taking others' for them) and some sitting and pondering, we made our way back to the car park.

Initially we were going to head to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and do a longer hike, but the driving route was way out of our way. We opted for the shorter route via the South Rim, shorter hikes and being able to cut down afterwards to "get our kicks on Route 66".

The Grand Canyon. Almost a decade ago I did a three day hike with friends down into the canyon at Havasupai Falls and back, avoiding the more touristy places. This timr we hit all the more popular stops along the South Rim but thankfully (with it being later in the afternoon and season) the number of people wasn't oppressive. We even found a lovely little gift shop and market at our first stop at the Desert View Watchtower that no one else seemed to notice!

Mary Jane Colter designed this tower with much attention to detail to give it an ancient character (her words: 'you wouldn't believe how much it costs to make it look this old'!) Unfortunately we couldn't climb it, but the impressive architecture made a great subject in landscape photos.

We proceeded to various lookouts along Desert View Drive, and Cilla saw her first Elk on our way to Mather Point. At the point we see the canyon. Truly grand: a mile deep and up to 14 miles wide. The Colorado River has cut through the layers of rock down to the bedrock and apparently can cut no further!

At Mather Point we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets to date on this trip. While the canyon faced away from the setting sun, the plethora of pinks and purples in the clouds were certainly awesome. I scrambled onto some rocks to get the last glimpse of a huge magenta sun sinking below the horizon through the trees (the pink colour was apparently caused by the smoke from CA wildfires). Cilla stayed at the point a while longer to capture the colourful sky while Nomes and I prepared a camp supper in the parking lot. Rehydrated Pad Thai and Kung Pao Chicken, mmm (actually ;))

We had planned on camping, however when we arrived at the free campsite location, our minds were changed. Broken glass was scattered all over the ground (the nearby highway had been noticeably more littered too which was sad). Our solution was for Cilla and Nomes to sleep on the mattress in the back of Olaf, and I'd sleep in my hammock. Next minute, we see lightning off to the side, Nomes spots a tarantula and we hear coyotes yipping not too far away. Umm, we're going to look for a room with 4 solid walls methinks.

Cilla and Nomes used their research skills and in less than 10 minutes had found a good value, non-sketchy looking motel in nearby Seligman. Instead of booking online, I figured I'd be able to negotiate an even better price in person. The key is being willing to walk away :) The room was perfect with some characteristic Route 66 memorabilia without being too over the top. Another hugely successful day and we are again thankful to God for the blessing of eyes to see, hearts to appreciate, and safety in our travels.

Still another week ahead of us!
- Becky (& Nomes)Read more