Grand Canyon
Last month, I was lucky enough to travel to Arizona with my family. It was uncomfortably hot, but the views I witnessed in the northern part of the state were worth it. The first formation I would like to discuss is the famous Grand Canyon. This natural landmark was traversed by pioneers as early as the mid to late 1800s; trails were even built that descended from the Grand Canyon village to the rushing Colorado River thousands of vertical feet down. There is a South Rim (more famous/populated) as well as a North Rim, but initially most of the tourism was in the South Rim. Historical buildings such as the El Tovar Hotel, The Lookout, and Kolb Studio dot the stunning (and arid) landscape; interestingly, many of them were designed by prolific architect Mary Colter. The Bright Angel Trail follows the contour of the Canyon, and there are numerous trails and buildings named “Hermit” after Louis Boucher. Railroad companies (i.e. Santa Fe Railway) cashed in on the tourist potential of the area by constructing tracks through Grand Canyon Village. The breathtaking views that initially draw visitors in aren't overly hyped up or trite; the canyons are beautiful and deserve every title the thousands of American guidebooks have given it. I visited this natural formation in the morning (around 9 a.m.), and it was extremely windy to point of being uncomfortable. However, the scorching heat of the deserts of Arizona and Las Vegas was missing as Grand Canyon is at such a high elevation (around 7,000 feet). The tourists were swarming around like tiny ants on red rock, but the panoramic was stunning. After walking the first cliff side trail, my parents and I took the red line bus that finished the trail all the way to Hermits Rest. The reason for skipping out on seeing the views in the natural air was that it was so windy! However, I was quite content to view Maricopa Point, Hopi Point, Powell Point, and Pima Point in an air conditioned environment.
The second formation that I witnessed was the Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona. Standing at the base of these scarlet giants must be similar to viewing the Grand Canyon from the bottom. These rocks, studded with small green shrubs and cacti, rise up like sturdy fingers in a barren landscape. It cost $5 to walk along the chalky trail to the base of the rocks, and the measly money was well worth it. Again, it was boiling walking down the unshaded path, but the lack of an overhead covering allowed me to see the stunningly azure sky. The clouds cast dark shadows on the rock at times, and the others we met on the path were similarly impressed. The Red Rocks contain a host of interesting birds, and many events are planned at these historic formations as well. The actual town of Sedona (where the location of the rocks straddles) is small and quaint, yet quietly ritzy as well. The houses were brown and organic, and seemed to rise up out of the arid landscape. According to Trulia.com, many of the houses in Sedona cost $500,000 or more. The highlight of the town (besides the Red Rocks serving as a pleasant background) is the shopping complex that has a Wildflower Bread Company (like Panera Bread), numerous art galleries, and a ColdStone Creamery. There was also a few hopping streets that had Native American style cuisine and other “Wild West” kind of stores.
Red Rock Canyon
Look out Red Rock Canyon in the video!
No comments:
Post a Comment