Day 33-34 Grand Canyon South Rim

The weather has continued to be beautiful. The high both yesterday and today was 80 degrees. We have seen a lot of mule deer and one male elk with a very large rack. This is rutting season and the males are busy gathering their harems. We have been warned not to get too close as they are somewhat tempermental and may charge. This male had smaller horns but did not mind having his picture taken.

Of the Seven Natural Wonders, the Grand Canyon is the most visited. It was formed through a combination of uplift from the crust of the earth and millions of years of erosion. It is part of the Colorado Plateau. The average width is 10 miles but at the widest point it is 18 miles wide. At its deepest point it is 5000 ft deep. The Colorado River and its tributaries have caused most of the erosion. The Colorado River is 1450 miles long and 300-400 feet across at the widest points. Annually it carries 100,000 tons of rock debris from the canyon. The south rim has the Rim Trail running the length of the rim. In most areas it is paved and an easy hike. Yesterday morning everyone met for a four hour bus tour of the east end of the south rim of the canyon. We made some stops along the way.

The main focus of the tour was Desert View which is the rim location of the Watch Tower designed by American architect Mary Colter. The tower was completed in 1932 right on the edge of the rim.

The interior has many drawings depicting various petroglyphs found in the area.

View from the top of the tower

We came across some wildlife. Small ~

And large ~

The canyon has a great shuttle system. In the afternoon we went to the Sante Fe Train Depot and the El Tovar hotel. The hotel was built in 1905 by the railroad to attract high end travelers. It is frequented by many famous celebrities including Paul McCartney.

The El Tovar from across a canyon branch.

We walked for a while along the rim trail then stopped at the Bright Angel Lodge for something to drink. I found an amusing sign in the rest room. In case you cannot read it, it says "Caution - Reclaimed Waste Water - Do Not Drink" Fortunately I don't think anyone would be tempted.

Here is a picture of Chig & me followed by some additional canyon pictures -

Tonight was our group farewell dinner. Tomorrow we will have a farewell breakfast. We have really enjoyed this trip and have met so many wonderful RVers from all over the country. The group age varies from 55 to 80. Couples are from the east coast, the south, the midwest and of course California. This has been a fantastic opportunity to see the southwest. There will be one more post for this trip.