SouthWest Road Trip

We arrived at our hotel in Tusayan, AZ mid afternoon Tuesday. After checking in, we drove into Grand Canyon National Park, left the car in a lot and took the shuttle to Hermit's Rest. The rustic cabin at Hermit's Rest was the first of several Mary Colter designed buildings we visited on our trip.
The shuttle runs along the rim, so we had an outstanding view of the canyon. Myj had visited as a child, but this was Dennis' and the Rice's first visit. Photos barely capture the beauty and massive scale of the canyon. We got off the shuttle bus at Powell Point and made the short hike to Hopi Point. Myj and Tom were able to keep their acrophobia in check. A lot of people had gathered at Hopi Point to watch the sunset, but the crowd was amazingly quiet. It really was an incredible experience to watch the sunset here.
The next morning, we returned to the Park. We explored the Bright Angel Lodge, the Lookout, Hopi House and El Tovar Hotel. All of these buildings were designed by Mary Colter; each is unique. She incorporated local materials and Native designs and architectural features in each. Lunch was in the formal dining room at El Tovar and it was delicious.
We took the shuttle to Kaibob Point to see more of the rim views, checked out the exhibits at the visitor center, then it was time to continue on our journey.Read more