The Ulitmate Abyss

October 2, 2012
 

Today we traveled to the Grand Canyon, however we took a side trip.  Off I-40 were some signs about a meteor impact crater that you can stop and see.  It screamed “Tourist Trap”, but Dan talked Lynn into going there.  It was pretty interesting.  The story is that 50,000 years ago a meteor hit this spot and made a hole 700 feet deep and over 4000 feet across. The land and mineral rights were purchased by Daniel Barringer.  He thought this big hunk of iron lied at the bottom of the crater.  Seems logical, right?  After drilling all over the bottom of the crater, it was a bust.  No meteor, no iron, nothing; it blew up and vaporized on impact.  Since his death, his family set it up as a tourist attraction (trap).  NASA did use it to train astronauts on sampling moon rocks in the 60s. Actually it was pretty interesting.

We did finally make it to Trailer Village in the Grand Canyon Park.  Boy do we have the wildlife here!  Several elk come in morning and night to munch on acorns from the tree on our site, to the point it is sometimes problematic getting in and out of the trailer.

The park utilizes shuttle buses to help people get around the park and we can see why.  It is amazing to see all the people here.  Traffic and parking is nearly impossible.  If this is their slow season, we can only imagine what it would be like during peak season.  The buses are frequently full and require a wait for the next bus.  Although slow going, the bus system works quite well.  Not surprising, but you hear many different languages spoken, as this place is visited by many foreign travelers.

October 3, 2012
 

There are many overlooks of the canyon to see. Additionally, there is a ton of history and geology.  For those reading this, you know what we mean about the Grand Canyon being immense!  You just can’t take it all in.  Its over a mile deep and up to 18 miles across.  Each overlook has a different look, with the lighting angles and colors of the layers.  We picked a few to give you a taste.

The park history centers around the Grand Canyon Village.  People started coming to the Grand Canyon in the late 1880s by stagecoach. It was expensive to get here and the accommodations were really bad. Even way back then people wanted an “adventure”. The railroad and automobile really opened it up.  The Village finally got cleaned up in the 1920s.  Hotel rooms range from just under $200 to over $400 per night, so camping is the cheap way to stay here.

One tidbit we found interesting.  Two brothers, named Ellsworth and Emery Kolb made a business out of photographing the Grand Canyon.  Then they came up with an idea, photograph the Dudes as they begin their hike into the Caanyon, develop them, then sell the pictures to tourists when they return to the rim. Seems as though the Kolb brothers started a common sales gimmick still in use today. They also shot movies, mostly of people doing dumb things. The studio houses a small museum and gallery, and of course, a gift shop.



The next picture is from the "lobby" at Hermit's Hermit's Rest.  A waystation of sorts that allowed visitors in the Grand Canyon to come in and relax, while enjoying food and beverage.

  

October 4, 2012
 

Today is our last day here, so we decided to head toward the Desertview Watchtower at the eastern end of the park.  This is a must see in our opinion.  The views are actually much better here and not as crowded, although that is relative.  You see a much wider expanse of the canyon with more colors, and a better view of the Colorado River.  In fact, we both feel that if you are camping, and do not mind dry camping a couple of days, this is The part of the park to visit.  The Watchtower has all sorts of Indian paintings inside that you can look at as you ascend to the top.

Tomorrow we head to Boulder City to see the Hoover Dam and Las Vegas.  We have enjoyed our stay at the Grand Canyon, but are happy to be leaving it and the mob of people.  A tip we learned last year at the parks we visited.  Get an early start, before 8AM.  There are less people, better light for pictures, and cooler temperatures.