USA Fam Trip Day 4: 17th November 2015

Today produced 2 of my favourite ever pictures: unfortunately I didn't take either of them but am in both of them! We were up VERY early this morning and there were a lot of whispers and complaints about the cold and the wind chill definitely made it a lot colder but none of us would have missed it for the world...

Paul drove us back over the road and into the visitor centre area of The View Hotel. Now, in the pitch dark there wasn't a lot to see and it was bitterly cold (coming from a Northerner, that's saying something) but as the sun started to rise, the magic started to happen...

So still and quiet, it was beautiful to watch - even though it was freezing! The first of my favourite pictures is this one, which Curtis took whilst I lay on the floor taking photos between the railings...

I really want to get it put on a canvas, I love it! We headed back to Goulding's for a brief site inspection - we looked at the new units they're building a little further down from the Lodge. Really lovely, I wouldn't hesitate to come and stay in one and the views across the valley are beautiful. Paul then took us on a little detour and I got THE most amazing pictures as well as my second favourite...

This is the road to a place called Mexican Hat, named after a Mexican hat shaped rock and with a population of around 30! This stretch of road was made famous by Tom Hanks in the film Forrest Gump, it's where Forrest finally stopped running...

We spent some time making sure everyone had their picture taken and larking about while poor Paul was on traffic duty! I love this one of all of us, I think it really shows just how well we all got on...

We finally piled back into the van and moved on passed Black Mesa to our next stop - the Elephant Feet...

These huge formations are literally at the side of the road - there's nothing else there! We carried on through the Hopi Reservation and just outside Tuba City came across hand painted signs for dinosaur tracks. It's believed that a Dilophosaurus walked this area around 193 million years ago (waaaaaaaaaay before the T-Rex which is what some people try to tell you made these tracks!) They've been viewed and identified by paleontologists, however, due to being on sacred land they've not been studied in any great detail which is a shame...

About half an hour or so down the road we came to Cameron Trading Post where we stopped for lunch and a bit of shopping. A very atmospheric dining room with a pressed tin ceiling and huge open fire was very welcoming after our busy morning. We ate delicious (huge portions) of American/Mexican/Navajo food surrounded by traditional weavings, cabinets, carvings and baskets before wandering through the Aladdin's cave of a store. It was fascinating watching a lady weaving a beautiful rug. They're so expensive but when you take into consideration how long they take to make and how long they will last it's fair. I must admit I spent a small fortune on earrings and other paraphernalia - you know what I'm like for mementoes! A year later and I still love my mug and people always comment on my turquoise Native American Indian bear earrings. We left with full tummies and empty wallets and the next stop on our tour was the Little Colorado River Gorge. One of the largest tributaries of the Grand Canyon, Little Colorado River carves it's way for 45 miles through the Navajo Indian Reservation. We stopped at the main viewpoint which offers a view of about a quarter of mile of narrow and very deep gorge. The viewpoint we stopped at had a few stalls set up with locals selling bits and bobs and a short walk to a breathtaking view...

Half an hour further down the road and we entered the Grand Canyon National Park and a view none of us was quite prepared for...

No words can describe it - it's simply mindblowing. 270 miles long, 18 miles wide at it's widest point and a mile deep - and completely natural. The first inhabitants arrived 12,000 years ago. Paul took us along to a Moran Point, a very popular spot on the rim which obviously provides endless photo opportunities for the 5 million+ visitors it receives each year. There seems to be a bit of confusion over which Moran brother the point was named after, but more theories name Thomas rather than Peter. Either way, we had good fun paying with the perspective of various pictures as well as trying to take in what lay before us...

From here we headed into Grand Canyon Village and carried out a site inspection at the El Tovar Lodge. Early in the 1800's the US Government sent out trappers and expeditions of the area began to map the Canyon. The area was given Federal protection in 1893 as a Forest Reserve before being upgraded to a National Monument and finally in 1919 it was awarded National Park status. The stage coaches brought the first tourists to the Canyon, quickly followed in 1901 by the railway and the first major structure to be built was El Tovar which was financed by the Santa Fe Railroad. When it opened in 1905 it was considered to be one of the "fanciest hotels west of the Mississippi". Little has changed since then and it really is like stepping back in time, yes it's a bit tired here and there and the carpets are wearing thin but it has a very unique atmosphere and a wonderful dining room. We checked into our rooms further in the village at Maswick Lodge but returned to El Tovar for dinner and were treated like royalty.