Rita, it would be difficult to choose a clear winner from among your other superb blog postings, but

This blog showcases my fascination with travel into the heart of America. Each blog post will transport readers from behind their screens and into the realm of the American experience. My goal is to inspire people with tales of travel and discovery and to motivate them to explore the world beyond their doorsteps.
North Rim or South Rim? The choice is yours when visiting Grand Canyon National Park . Most visitors hotels in cabo san lucas enter from the south, passing through the gateway town of Tusayan which offers all the amenities an airport, shops, hotels, even an IMAX theater. During an autumn visit several years ago Tim and I chose the quieter north entrance and encountered a herd of bison grazing a meadow on the Kaibab Plateau .
Indoor lodging on the North Rim is limited to the Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim . We checked into our Western Cabin, then booked dinner reservations for the lodge s dining room. From the lodge we drove along the rim, stopping at two lookout points Cape Royal and Point Imperial along the way. Cape Royal offers hotels in cabo san lucas a half mile trail to the point. We walked through stands hotels in cabo san lucas of pinyon pine, enjoying hotels in cabo san lucas the canyon views. The trail passes through Walhalla Ruins, an old settlement hotels in cabo san lucas of ancient Pueblo Indians. I wondered: Did the Pueblos pick this spot for its scenic beauty, or as a strategic place to escape predators and other tribes? We ll never know.
After photographing the canyon we drove through the only full-service campground on the North Rim. Families were checking in, setting up camp, busying themselves around their campsites, and I was reminded of all the campgrounds I ve stayed in over the years. And, unlike most people at the North Rim who are probably thinking Thank goodness hotels in cabo san lucas I m staying hotels in cabo san lucas in the lodge , I found myself watching the happy campers and thinking: Isn t this wonderful; how great to be staying and sleeping outdoors on a pristine October day.
Back at our cabin we relaxed and read (Bram Stoker s Dracula for me), and then walked to the main lodge for dinner. Seated by large picture windows, we watched the setting sun pour its light over millions of years of rock layers in the canyon. We couldn t have asked for better seats for dinner. And the food was great too; I enjoyed salmon pasta and Tim feasted on pork with mushroom and green salsa sauce. For dessert, hotels in cabo san lucas we shared chocolate cake with mint chocolate chip ice cream.
In the morning I woke early to photograph hotels in cabo san lucas sunrise in the canyon. Bright Angel Trail, a three minute walk from the cabin, provides unparalleled canyon vistas. As the sun peaked through the clouds ravens flew overhead, heralding a glorious hotels in cabo san lucas start to the new day.
Today s plan: hiking in the park. After breakfast we found the Widforss trailhead, named for Gunnar Widforss an early 20th century artist hotels in cabo san lucas who lived in and painted the Grand Canyon. The trail winds for five miles along the canyon rim and through a spruce and fir forest. At mile 2.5 we heard the piercing cry of a Redtail Hawk and were treated to the sight of two hawks circling overhead.
We turned hotels in cabo san lucas around at that point and decided to hike partway on the Kaibab trail which descends into the canyon. The Kaibab is the trail into the Grand Canyon on it you can walk rim-to-rim from the north to the south, or vice versa. Tim and I only hiked 3/4 of a mile to the Coconcino overlook, a ledge affording sweeping views of the trail down-canyon. Mule riders, out for a four-hour afternoon trail ride, passed by on their way down. Looks like fun, but it s an activity that will have to wait for our next visit.
Rita, it would be difficult to choose a clear winner from among your other superb blog postings, but this one certainly ranks as one of your most stunning postings to date! Your photos are truly beyond awesome, hotels in cabo san lucas and your accompanying narrative makes me want to pack my bags and head off for a visit to the Grand Canyon. You had certainly beautiful weather, and your overnight accommodations sound like something both Cheri and I would thoroughly hotels in cabo san lucas enjoy. From what little time I ve spent in Western USA (many, many years ago), I know that distances between places are what I d term as significant . Do you and Tim drive to most (or all) of the locations you visit in the West, or is air travel sometimes involved? John Reply Delete Replies Rita Wechter November 30, 2012 2:32 PM
Hi John, Glad to hear that you re inspired to visit the Grand Canyon, one of the most stunning sights on earth. You re right that distances between places are significant in the west. However, for any destination of 500 miles or less we usually drive. The travel time to the Grand Tetons (north) and to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (south) hotels in cabo san lucas from our house is about 5-6 hours. We also drive when visiting other intermountain west states. Here in the west a 5-6 hour drive is not the ordeal it can be in the east! The roads are usually lightly traveled and the miles fly by. Air travel was our mode of transportation, hotels in cabo san lucas however, for trips to the California, Oregon and Washington coasts. Thanks as always for your kind comments! Delete Reply Vickie Bates November 30, 2012 7:01 PM
Hi Rita, Amazing timing for this post. I just heard a story on NPR about a controversy among geologists, one of whom (described as a young whippersnapper !) is questioning established wisdom that the Grand Canyon is less than 6 million years old by suggesting that it may be as old as 70 million years! I m just the geek for this kind of story! I was fascinated by your post, as well. The views are a bit different - maybe it s the trees - than some of the standards images of the Canyon, which I ve only had the joy of seeing from the air. I can see why October would be so spectacular a time to visit. With crisp days, I imagine the vistas are clear and gorgeous. Plus, the foliage is lovely too. Based on your experience, I d vote for the low-traffic North Rim experience every time! Thanks hotels in cabo san lucas for sharing this secret with us. Reply Delete Rita Wechter December 1, 2012 5:03 PM
Hi Vickie, I heard the same story about questioning the age of the canyon and am looking forward to finding out the answer! hotels in cabo san lucas I ve been to both rims of the Grand Canyon and agree that the views are quite different from the North Rim; it s more heavily forested than the South Rim and you re right the fall foliage is spectacular. I m with you in a vote for the less crowded North Rim. I ve never see the canyon from the air, but would have to imagine that it s a grand spectacle from any angle! Thanks for reading and commenting! Reply Delete Add comment Load more...
I have always enjoyed traveling and vacationing. During childhood my parents packed us kids into the car every summer and we explored a state or region within a day s drive of our home in Pennsylvania; I credit them with planting those first seeds of yearning, of wanting to explore and to learn about the world beyond my doorstep. During hotels in cabo san lucas those early years Dad took only one week s vacation, and so we never ventured beyond the Mississippi. Finally, the summer after my first year of graduate school, my dream of touring the west came true. With a roommate, an old car and a cheap orange tent I traveled the country from Pennsylvania to California and from that first cross-country trip I ve been hooked on the joy of discovery. Come along with me on this journey. hotels in cabo san lucas We ll travel from national hotels in cabo san lucas parks to national historic sites, from primitive campgrounds to luxury B B s, from fields and streams to cities and towns. I ll share both descriptions of and opinions about the places we ll go. You ll have a chance to learn of a new hidden treasure or to re-visit cherished locales. I welcome your comments. Where will you go today? America hotels in cabo san lucas is waiting......