The Wonder of the Grand Canyon
No matter how many times I've been there it's still a phenomenal geological wonder. This time I rode to the Rim on the Grand Canyon Railway. Sylvia and I found it to be a fantastic trip. The nearby KOA is an excellent place to camp and leave the RV while you slip over to the depot in Williams to prepare for your adventure tour.
GRAND CANYON
STEAM ENGINE
EL TOVAR HOTEL
Eventually we backed into the end of the line at the South Rim of
the Grand Canyon. Passengers and a stream of passengers hurriedly
disembarked full of eagerness to see the great defile of the canyon.
And they are not disappointed. It's a beautiful day and you can see
for miles, each butte and cliff standing so clear you think you could
reach out and touch them.
VISITOR CENTRE
Booking a tour with Fred Harvey will let you follow the rim for miles to the west with lots of opportunities to stop at overlooks to see the fantastic variety that's just around that next bend, and the next. One of the best ways to experience the canyon is to take the shuttle bus to the Visitor Centre and walk back on the rim trail. This trail winds in and out following the promontories and indentations along the rim. There are isolated places where you can stop and listen to the sounds of the wind blowing up out of the canyon, to the song of the birds, and even hear the click and clack of the occasional falling rocks.
TOUR GROUP AT
OVERLOOK
The
Grand Canyon National Park Lodges offer a wide and excellent choice
of accommodations, and great meals. We enjoyed a sumptuous dinner
at the El Tovar Hotel before heading off to our lodgings at The Maswik
Lodge.
By staying overnight at the Rim we had lots of time to explore the
canyon area, and visit the old buildings as well. The return trip
the next day on the train to Williams gave us a chance to relax before
heading back to the RV. There was one hair raising experience when
the train was stopped by armed bandits on horseback, but other than
that it was very peaceful. Although there is camping at the Rim, taking
the train gave us a chance to enjoy a train ride, and let someone
else drive.
HARVEY TOUR BUS
Happy RVing!
For more than four decades James Stoness has travelled
the roads of North America, photographing and writing about what he has
seen. His travel articles and beautiful pictures have been published in
several magazines and newspapers. He is also the author of five western
novels.
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