We saw the Grand Canyon at sunset a few days ago, so it only made sense to make our second visit at sunrise. Unfortunately, with our campsite more than 50 miles from the park that meant we had to leave at 4:00 am and drive in the dark. We had plenty of company on the highway with the same plan and when we reached the canyon rim we found there was a surprisingly large crowd. I think a lot of people find the sunrise to be a moving or maybe even a spiritual experience.
We drove right past the Mather Point parking lot (where most people stop) and went straight to the Yavapai Point lot hoping for a smaller crowd. It paid off, but it wasn't long before the crowd grew.
5:17am
The light changes rapidly with the rising sun and the same features look markedly different.
5:22am
The sun finally peeked over the East rim and the cameras started clicking.
5:23am
5:26am
5:39am
Once the sun cleared the canyon rim and we had taken our first few hundred pictures, we walked along the Rim Trail to the Grand Canyon Village. The trail was level and paved with beautiful, expansive views every step along the length of its 1.3 miles. Our average pace was pretty slow as we stopped along the way for a few hundred more pictures.
6:02am
6:27am
"Trail of Time" is part of the Rim Trail that runs between the Yavapai Museum and the Grand Canyon Village.
6:35am
6:40am
6:48am
6:56am
7:00am
7:05am
7:21am
7:49am
7:57am
Walking back to the car took a lot less time because we were in "picture overload." Of course, we had already captured the canyon in the best light for the day. We drove to the village and found a front row parking spot by the Verkamp's Visitor Center. The buildings at the Grand Canyon Village were all around 100 years old. Below is the El Tovar Hotel. While it was interesting, it was no match for the beauty of the canyon.
8:51am
9:59am
10:11am
The Hopi House was an interesting mix of store and art gallery. We managed to find a beautiful piece of pottery that will serve as a reminder of our visit when we again have a home base to display it.
11:39am
More than 20 miles east of the Canyon Village was the Desert View Watchtower. It was an architectural work of art. Designed by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, the structure was inspired by the architecture of the ancestral Puebloan people of the Colorado Plateau.
Fred Kabotie, a Hopi Indian from Second Mesa, AZ, painted the murals that represent the physical and spiritual origins of Hopi life.
Being further east, the canyon was not as deep and the Colorado River was much more visible. We will have to come back again at sunrise to fully experience the color in the canyon walls.
1:32pm
This is the view from the top of the tower.
This is the view from the top of the tower.
I probably shouldn't have been sitting on this wall, but in my defense, Joani made me do it.
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