We just finished dinner at the restaurant here at the “lodge” and now we are back in the room hanging out hoping to get to bed early. I for one am pretty tired. I just took my meds and temp things seem to be ok. Sore throat is still here mostly though at times it seems to go away.
I have struggled with what to say about our accommodations because I do not want to sound like I’m negative. I think my lack of appreciation for this place is a product of a few things. First, we have been away from any city of any kind since Monday and that is not something I am used to, and I have confirmed that is something I do not like. Second, the place is just not nice at all. Between the West Indies and sleeping in trundle beds with my face 4” from the ceiling of an RV at Deer Camp I’ve stayed in some pretty awful places. This one…well it is right up there. I certainly understand that its location and proximity to out of the way places is the attraction and not the accommodations. I also know what I enjoy and what makes something a good experience for me. Getting a good night’s sleep is a big part of that. Third, mostly through work travel, I have been exposed to places that, because of their location and the type of person they want to attract, have a different idea behind hospitality. Either way this was a means to an end, an end that so far has been worth it.
We left this morning for the North Rim around 8:30 AM or so. We headed North out of the Vermillion Cliffs on what I found to be an unexpected drive. Out here you are either driving into a valley or out of one. I figured we had gone about as far down as we were going to go. I was wrong. About 10 miles into the drive the road we crested a ridge and we saw the next 20 miles of our drive: a straight line that was heading into a valley at the base of the North Rim. As we headed into the valley I gulped each time we passed signs saying 7,000 feet, 6,000 feet, 5,000 feet and finally 4,000 feet. When we reached the bottom the red Vermillion cliffs to our east dove into the prairie almost echoing our decent.
According to maps provided by the park service the North Rim trails were at 8,300 feet. We had a lot of climbing to do. The road ran right into the side of the North Rim and turned left. The Speed limit slowed to 35 and a sign warning of steep grades ahead next 8 miles. We inched our way up through several switch backs along the side of the rim. No guard rails and a sheer edge for a shoulder. 8 miles later we reached a sign that said “6,000 feet.” I couldn’t believe. That’s IT!? It felt like a 10,000 feet. The road wound its way up more gradually through some cuts and then we arrived on the Kaibab Plateau and a burnt out pine forest. We continued for 20 minutes or more through a completely antithetical forest. Instead of green trees and under brush reaching skyward there were black charred skeletons and then some whose bark had been burned off and the exposed wood bleached white, all the limbs dropping towards the ground. The small trees almost seemed to be bowing towards each other sometimes crossing. Eventually I remarked to Jeremy “enough burnt trees already.” If this was the fantastic North Rim drive, forget it.
We emerged from the burnt forest and reached a little town at a cross roads called Jacob. The town consists of two buildings. One is a restaurant and gas station. The other is a lodge. We turned right and began heading West again towards the North Rim. Shortly after we left Jacob we saw what people were talking about. Walls of pine trees stacked like a choir on either side of us. Amongst the pines were aspens whose leaves were all turning shades of bright orange, nearly yellow. The contrast is breath taking. I thought to myself that scenes like this are what make people want to paint. Somehow I had gotten the idea that places like this in America were gone. But here we were. We would climb for a bit with the trees right up to the road on either side of us with the white bark of the aspens leaping out at us from the forrest of pine. At some point after the climb we would arrive in a large meadow with the trees spreading away from the road for a different type of view. This pattern repeated several times even after we went through the park gate. You only pay once for 7 days at the Grand Canyon, and that pass gets you in at either rim. We arrived at the North Rim Lodge and found it much smaller, quieter and rustic. Charming is the word that comes to mind. There was only one parking area and it had many empty spaces. The main feature of the area and the only lodging on the North Rim is the historic Grand Canyon Lodge built in 1928 on the edge of the rim. The lodge is surrounded by dozens of small cabins, some that look over the canyon and others that are set back. The lodge is amazing. As you walk in through the lobby there is an auditorium/ballroom on your left, dining room on your right and a great room filled with plush leather sofas a fire place and three huge windows that look out onto the canyon. Off each side of the great room are two sun porches with rocking chairs, love seats and tables. Off either side of the lodge you can walk out to these viewing points. We took pictures at both then decided to tackle the Bright Angel Trail before lunch. Only ¼ mile in length this trail is the most traveled. Even with its short length it is still challenging and left me huffing and puffing. The trail follows a ridge which grows narrower and narrower until each side of the trail is nothing but shear drop-off. Some people refused to cross the narrowest part. Jeremy and I marched on being passed up by people over 2 times our age. Once you reach the end you find yourself standing on the point of one of the many fingers that extend out into the canyon. You can look back and see the lodge in the distance and you also can see into the canyon much more than when you on the rim. Below you can faintly hear the roaring of springs over a mile away at the bottom of the canyon. Soon my famous rumbling stomach reminded us both that we should consider lunch so we headed back up to the lodge for a mediocre lunch with a magnificent view.
After lunch we decided to drive out to two points within the North Rim but not close enough to hike to. More narrow roads boarded on both sides by trees breaking away occasionally to remind us that we were at the Grand Canyon. When we reached the first stop “Cape Final” we were found an awe-inspiring perspective. We could see the canyon, and then across the South Rim and the plateau leading away from it. I was amazed. Looking further you could see the Vermillion cliffs and Marble Canyon where we had driven 1.5 hours from earlier that day. We headed off to the next point and after three stops at scenic overlooks we decided we were canyon’d out. We headed back out of the park down the rim and to Cliff Dwellers, arriving about 4:00 in the afternoon. I went to medicate and rest a bit and Jeremy drove down the road to the Colorado River bridge and took some pictures. Besides driving back across the east end of the canyon again tomorrow morning on our way to flagstaff this really ends the Grand Canyon part of the tour.
At this point I would like to consider what I would do differently or when I come back.
1. I would fly to either Phoenix or Las Vegas. It takes along time to get here from Houston by car. Saving two days of hotels and drive time would be worth it to me. As I said in my last posting, I’m not upset that I drove. I just do not see the need to do it again. Driving from Phoenix, that part is fun. If you leave from Vegas then you get to go past the Hoover Damn and see the other half of the canyon.
2. I would find some way to go into the canyon, either by burrow, or day boat trip. You can only see so much from the Rim before it all starts to look the same. I think that going into the canyon would give you a different perspective.
3. I would plan much farther in advance. We had most of our reservations made by the end of July, however, it seems that a year out may be the rule.
4. I would not stay at Cliff Dwellers.
What would I do the same?
1. I would drive Rim to Rim again. The majority of people do not do this and I do not know why. The South Rim is deffinately set up more like an attraction. Cars, vans, kids, trains, busses. It is awesome to see and a great way to experience the canyon for the first time, but you tire of it quickly. The North Rim is much more rustic and charming and getting there is at least half the fun. Also, again the perspective thing. Driving from Rim to Rim helped me frame the canyon in my mind. Pine forests on the north and south with a dessert and red cliffs to the east.
2. I would take the helicopter ride.
3. I would go when we did. The North Rim is closing in two weeks and the South Rim was mostly void of kids.
All circumstances considered I have enjoyed this trip. It has been stressful at times, very difficult at others but the enjoyment I have gotten from so many new experiences has been worth it. I now think that vacations also do something else for me. They remind me of the value of my every day routine. I am ready again for what was mundane before. I look forward to being able to go somewhere without consulting a map, figuring out arrival times and gas stations. At last look we had put 1,947 miles on the Prius since I left Houston on Saturday. That’s an average of 388/ day. We have been driving somewhere every day of this trip. Tomorrow we head off for our 8 hour drive to Santa Fe (I think it will be more like 7 or so). We are getting into town in time for the VP debate if all goes well. Then Friday we are mostly staying around Santa Fe.
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