March 29
The last day of our trip began with another big breakfast at the Grand Depot Cafe, after which we loaded up the car and headed for Bearizona. Bearizona is on the outskirts of Williams (if a town that small has “outskirts”). It is a combination of a wild animal park and a zoo. We first drove the dirt road loop through the woods and fields and saw Rocky Mountain goats, Dall sheep, wolves and bison of different varieties, and of course bears, including some quite active ones climbing into and out of their soaking tub. Then we walked around the zoo-type area and saw porcupines, river otters, juvenile bears, bobcats, and adorable, tiny, baby bear cubs.
After another delicious lunch of PB&J sandwiches, it was time to leave Bearizona for the Flagstaff airport and our flights back to California. We had a great Spring Break, and are very happy the girls talked us into doing something new and special for their last one!
March 28
This morning was a first in
Derian family history: all five of us were up before dawn, on purpose! We emerged from our cabins very early to
watch the sun come up over the Grand Canyon.
We voluntarily set our alarms and left the cozy comfort of our warm beds
to come out in the dark in temperatures that were below freezing. Our resolve was rewarded, however. The sun gradually started illuminating the
top layers of the canyon walls and slowly crept down. We took pictures of the sunlight moving down
the canyon and of our sleepy selves.
After we were sure the sun was up, four of us went to breakfast at the
Bright Angel Restaurant, and one of us went back to bed.
Having viewed the canyon from the
rim for several miles in either direction the day before, today we planned to
go into the canyon. After packing up and
checking out from our lodgings, we headed to the trailhead for the South Kaibab
trail. Descriptions of this trail promised
that it would reward us with fabulous views from a relatively short hike, plus
it was less crowded than the very popular and easily accessible Bright Angel
trail.
We started down. The trail was wide, not too steep and very
scenic. We followed it past Ooh Aah
Point and on to Cedar Ridge, which was our destination. The trail continues all the way across the
floor of the canyon and up the other side, but due to our time limitations, we
had decided to stop at Cedar Ridge for lunch and then turn around. It took us close to an hour to reach it. There, we found a nice rock, sat down and
enjoyed our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the middle of one of the
seven natural wonders of the world.
The hike back up was, not
surprisingly, a little more strenuous than the way down, but not bad. We actually covered it in about the same
amount of time, maybe because we weren’t stopping to take pictures so
frequently, or maybe because we had promised ourselves ice cream when we were
done. There were plenty of other hikers
on the trail, although it was far from crowded.
A group of mules and riders coming up the trail had reached Cedar Ridge while
we were having lunch. Staying ahead of
them may have been another incentive for us to keep going steadily toward the
top.
Back on top, we treated ourselves
to ice cream at the Bright Angel Fountain, wandered through the history room at
the Bright Angel Lodge, and enjoyed our last views of the Grand Canyon before
boarding the train back to Williams. The
train ride was peaceful, except for the mock holdup staged en route by the same
bad guys who had had the shootout the day before.
That evening, we thought we would
relax in the jacuzzi at the hotel.
However, both the pool and the jacuzzi were packed with kids, so we
opted for the fitness room next door, which we had completely to
ourselves. Later that evening, after
another limitless repast in the Grand Depot Cafe, we all struggled to stay
awake through “Galaxy Quest,” one of our all-time favorite movies.
Sunrise
South Kaibab Trail
Train Robbers!
March 27
The breakfast spread at the Grand
Depot Cafe was every bit as extensive as dinner the night before. We ate heartily and then walked down to the
end of the train platform to our car.
Before we boarded, we watched the “shoot-out,” a little Wild West skit
put on for the entertainment of the passengers.
It was mildly entertaining, but apparently a little too realistic for
one young child who shrieked and sobbed when Slim got shot the first time. He later revived sufficiently to get shot
twice more, so one child’s theatrical education is now a bit more complete.
We arrived at the South Rim of
the Grand Canyon shortly before noon.
Another extra for our AAA package was a bus tour, which took us west
along the edge of the canyon, as far as Mohave Point, about 3-4 miles west of
the Village. We were awed by the splendor
of the views at this stop and several others on the way back. This part of our package ended with a late
lunch at one of the lodges, after which we were on our own until we had to catch the train the next afternoon for our ride back to Williams.
Following lunch, we made our way
along the canyon rim to the Bright Angel Lodge, where we had booked a couple of
cabins. Our bags had already been
delivered to our rooms (yes, another service included in our great AAA
package), so all we had to do was check in and pick up our keys. Our cabins were perfect! Rustic but very comfortable and completely
charming. The two "cabins" were actually
adjoining rooms in our own private structure, just steps from the rim of the
canyon. We even had partial views of the
canyon from our windows! These cabins
were built in the 1930s but have been renovated with modern bathrooms and
furnishings.
After we had unpacked and rested
a bit, we set out to explore. This time,
we walked several miles east, passing first the historic El Tovar Hotel and continuing
along the rim all the way to Mather Point.
The “trail” is level and paved, but extremely scenic. Part of the area we covered is called the “Trail
of Time.” It has samples of all the
types of rock layers in the Grand Canyon, beginning with the oldest igneous
rock layers (1.7 billion years!) and progressing upward through the more “recent”
sedimentary rock layers to today. The
views were stupendous along the way. We
had timed our walk to catch the sunset, and the late afternoon light and
shadows threw all the formations below into high relief. We also saw some of the local wildlife,
including a big flock of turkey vultures (we think) wheeling slowly overhead, and a young elk (we think) that seemed completely oblivious to us.
The Trail of Time ended at a little geology museum at Yavapai Point, but
since it was growing late, we didn’t check it out. Instead, we continued on to Mather Point,
where we caught a free shuttle bus back to our cabins, where we uncorked a bottle
of wine, opened some crackers and cheese, and enjoyed a brief
happy hour.
Soon, it was time to walk back
over to the El Tovar Hotel for dinner.
The El Tovar opened in 1905, right after the railroad started bringing
tourists to the Grand Canyon. It aimed to attract a wealthy clientele and was modeled after luxurious European
hunting lodges popular at the time. No
expense was spared – the hotel even had its own greenhouses to grow fresh
fruits and vegetables for its guests! It
is still the premier (and most expensive) place to stay on the South Rim. Its dining room is also the only place where
you can make a dinner reservation, which is one reason we had planned to eat
there. We had a lovely dinner, enjoying
the ambiance of the old building as well as the delicious food.
Walking back along the rim to our
cabins after dinner, we were dazzled by the moon and stars, which were much
brighter and clearer that we usually see them.
The chilly night air was refreshing.
We turned in fairly early that night, as we had an early start planned
for the next day.
All Aboard!
First Impressions
Bright Angel Cabins
Evening Rim Walk
Inside El Tovar
