To Grand Canyon and evening sunset. Friday

We leave Kayenta for our drive to the Grand Canyon. We soon come across a roadwork area where we are delayed for nearly an hour. Our guide tells us that as we are still in Navajo Country the roads are the responsibility of the Navajo. Unfortunately they struggle to manage the flow of traffic as one direction is stopped for very long periods of time

We pass the Little Colorado River, which is a tributary of the Colorado rive which eventually flows into the Grand Canyon and stop at Cameron Junction which has a store selling Navajo merchandise. This is also our picnic lunch stop in a nice shaded area to shelter us from the hot desert sun. We post what will probably be the last postcards home. Will we get there before them!

Facts about the Grand Canyon:
One of the 7 natural wonders of the world.
Widest point 18 miles - 29km
Highest Depth 6000 ft - 1900 metres
Elevation at the rim - 7250 feet
Elevation on the valley floor - 5000 feet
Temperature variation from the rim to the floor of the canyon - + 20 degrees, because of the higher elevation. If it is 29 degrees - which it was - on the rim or top of the canyon, then it would be 49 degrees in the valley.
The Canyon is an example of one of the bigger erosion cases I the world - becoming bigger and deeper.
The sandstone ridges are rich in Iron content - many colours, soil and rocks rusty because of iron content.
There are many Dormant volcanoes in the canyon.
Wild life - mules - male horse/female donkey cross, deer, massive elk - bull elk serious antlers, squirrels - biggest and fattest,

We enter the park through the north east gate. Our guide had given us bandanas which we first wore in the dust of Monument Valley. He told us to cover our eyes with them and form a line holding hand back and front. We were led a short distance and still blindfolded he lined us up on the edge of the cliff. "Take your blindfolds off".

"Wow....." What a magnificent way to first experience this natural wonder. We were all gasping with awe. This was at a point called Desert View. It is 35 years since I was last here, but that was on a flight from Las Vegas on a day trip and I only saw a minute part of the park then. It is exciting to be back here and looking forward to exploring the canyon with Joanne.

The wide expanse, sheer majesty of the towering rim encircling us from this vantage point, the colours of the sandstone ridges, Ponderosa pines and low lying bushes is a wonder to experience. There is a tall old sandstone brick building like a castle turret at the end of Desert View point which gives a wide panorama of this end of the canyon.

We drive in to the town of Tusayan at 6,540 feet altitude for our 2 overnights at Red Feathers Motel.

Next blog will be our helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon to begin at 4.30pm.