What a remarkable day. First, not a cloud in the sky and temperatures ranging from the upper 60s to the 80s depending on altitude – a dry cool front blew through in the night. Then what spectacular scenery we saw today ranging from red mountains in desert terrain to lush green pine forests.
We left Page heading south on highway 89 and a short distance out of town we stopped to see the Horseshoe Bend of the Glen Canyon. High over the Colorado River we had a bird’s eye view of a huge rock where the river curved around it. We continued over the Antelope Pass to Bitter Springs where we turned west on highway 89A. The highway skirts one of the newest US parks called the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, established in 2000.
As the highway crossed the Colorado River near the town of Marble Canyon, we stopped to view the Navajo Bridge Interpretive Center and the old Navajo Bridge. Here we saw a rare sight – two California condors flying right over our heads and not too high. I couldn’t photograph them but through our binoculars we could see their white wing markings well. These condors, nearly extinct, were introduced into the area in 1996 and are doing well. They have 9 foot wing spans, bald heads and a face only a mother could love.
We continued on highway 89A with views for miles that reminded me of the western movies of our childhood. That is if you are my age and watched western movies. After several miles the highway climbed and crossed into the Kaibab National Forest and the scenery changed altogether. From desert with red buttes, creosote bushes, sage brush, and cacti, we started to see forests of tall Ponderosa pines and shimmering aspens, lush green meadows, and a variety of colorful flowers lining the road. As we climbed to 8,000 feet the temperatures dropped too.
At the little town of Jacob Lake we turned south on highway 67 to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Instead of checking into our lodge room we drove the road to Point Imperial - at 8,803 feet the highest point on the Grand Canyon rim. Needless to say the views were outstanding and no matter how many photos you take you can never capture the real feeling of seeing it in person. We drove south to the lookout called Cape Royal and walked out on the narrow rock with a hole in it called Angels Window. We also stopped for photos at Walhalla Overlook, Roosevelt Point and Vista Encantada.
Finally we drove to the Grand Canyon Lodge and checked in. After settling into our room we walked around the Bright Angel area and took more photos before sitting in big chairs on the deck overlooking the Grand Canyon with cold beers in hand. As the sun began to set we relaxed and watched the shadows change on the canyon walls.
We had a nice dinner in the lodge dining room on the canyon’s edge and after dinner we walked back out on the deck and watched a nearly full moon rise in the east. The moon cast its own light on the canyon walls giving it an eerie look. Thus ended our remarkable day.
Friday morning we still had cloudless skies and temperatures in the upper 30s. After breakfast we walked out on a narrow promontory near the lodge and took some additional photos of the Grand Canyon in morning light. One can never have enough Grand Canyon photos. Then we checked out and headed back north. We reversed the scene from green tall forests to desert with red rock buttes once more as we headed west to Freedonia and a re-visit to Kanab across the border in Utah. At a small town named Mt. Carmel Junction we stopped at the Thunderbird Café, home of “ho-made” pies. Actually lunch was good, and the pies weren’t bad either, but we never saw the ho who makes them.
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