A river runs through it

We awoke in Albuquerque to a windless morning. It was just a clear reminder that we couldn't leave this town behind us soon enough. We set course for Williams, Arizona, and hit the road. We stopped at the Arizona Welcome Center for our first photo op. Right next to the welcome center was the first Native American tourist trap of the day. It looked like it was built from leftover plywood, with no windows, and it struck me that one could walk into that place and never walk out again, and no one would ever know what happened. As we continued to drive through the Navajo Nation, we saw a number of crazy statues next to even more of these tourist traps. One depicted a winged snake of some kind, another a two headed lizard with fangs barred. We even saw a dinosaur with a baby in its mouth. I started thinking about 'From Dusk Till Dawn' and John Carpenter's Vampires. The place really creeped me out. I didn't relax until we left the reservation.

The desert landscape has a savage beauty. It appears inviting and unforgiving at the same time. It demands strength from those who wish to tame it, an idea that is as much an illusion as any mirage the heat might create, using only a little distance and light. We were quite taken with it, but still found great comfort in the mountains outside of Williams. The ascent was gradual as we left the desert and soon we were surrounded by pine trees, a warm reminder of home. We stopped in Williams, booked a hotel room, and headed for the canyon.

The Grand Canyon National Park located at the canyon's southern entrance has everything a camper and hiker might want. At the Visitor Center, large displays are available that describe all the hiking trails available, complete with level of difficulty and expected time of travel. The information is invaluable. We checked out the charts and decided that hiking along the rim was our best option, given that we only had an afternoon to spend and we were out of breath after just walking from the parking lot. We chose to walk the Hermit's Rest route, which has multiple observation points, all serviced by a dedicated bus system.

The canyon was, of course, breathtaking, in both its geological splendor and incomprehensible size. I had heard many times that the Grand Canyon was an awesome display of the power of the Colorado River, but after seeing it, I am convinced that this explanation is just an easy way out of saying 'I have no idea what could have done this'. I'm sure the science is right, but it just seems impossible that this canyon exists simply because a river runs through it.

The people we passed along the way were a mix of different nationalities and cultures. And no one was speaking English. The park rangers were outstanding, and the canyon was so inviting I hated we didn't plan a day just to hike into it. I especially wished we could spend some time rafting on the river. The best we could do was stay to watch the sunset. It was worth it. We didn't get back to the hotel until 10 o'clock or so, and we collapsed. What a day.