The Grand Canyon is inspiring, not just because of the beauty but also because of it’s massiveness. A short hike out to one of the overlooks and some time spent looking for California Condors was time well spend even if the Condors were not cooperative.
From the North Rim we headed west to Las Vegas for a few nights at Nellis AFB and a show to celebrate our 37th anniversary. We watched the Lion King and the puppetry and the music were everything we had heard. What a great show. Another round of golf for me (46/42 again), a lunch with Angelina Yost, our boss a few years ago at Big Bend and we were back on the road to see the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We camped at another National Forest Campground and spent several days in the area. The views are awesome. We listened to two different Ranger programs – one on geology. We enjoy learning about geology and have developed a real interest in the geological history of the Earth. The second talk was an excellent talk on Condors and right in the middle of the Condor talk one of the huge birds (#33) flew over twice. What an experience. Bird #33 is the last remaining of the original birds released into the wild around 1996. After the talk, and some ice cream, but before leaving for the day, we saw a total of five different condors. With a 9+ foot wingspand they are easy to pick out from the turkey vultures with which they soared.
A hike into the canyon is a must. I hiked a short way on the Kaibab trail to Ooh Aah point and then down to the Cedar Overlook. I wish I had considered a rim-to-rim hike. It would have been an awsome accomplishment. Maybe the next time.
We left the south rim and headed toward Tucson. We get an occassional high coolant temperature warning light when climbing up these mountains. A check with both Caterpillar and Freightliner indicates that we need a good radiator cleaning. We’ll get that done in Tucson sometime before heading out again.
We have made to the Sabino Canyon recreational area and are now set up and have good cell phone coverage as well as a good internet connection. The view from our RV of the mountains to the north and the hills covered with saguaro cactus is awesome. We’ll only be here for a few months before we head off somewhere else.
From the North Rim we headed west to Las Vegas for a few nights at Nellis AFB and a show to celebrate our 37th anniversary. We watched the Lion King and the puppetry and the music were everything we had heard. What a great show. Another round of golf for me (46/42 again), a lunch with Angelina Yost, our boss a few years ago at Big Bend and we were back on the road to see the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We camped at another National Forest Campground and spent several days in the area. The views are awesome. We listened to two different Ranger programs – one on geology. We enjoy learning about geology and have developed a real interest in the geological history of the Earth. The second talk was an excellent talk on Condors and right in the middle of the Condor talk one of the huge birds (#33) flew over twice. What an experience. Bird #33 is the last remaining of the original birds released into the wild around 1996. After the talk, and some ice cream, but before leaving for the day, we saw a total of five different condors. With a 9+ foot wingspand they are easy to pick out from the turkey vultures with which they soared.
A hike into the canyon is a must. I hiked a short way on the Kaibab trail to Ooh Aah point and then down to the Cedar Overlook. I wish I had considered a rim-to-rim hike. It would have been an awsome accomplishment. Maybe the next time.We left the south rim and headed toward Tucson. We get an occassional high coolant temperature warning light when climbing up these mountains. A check with both Caterpillar and Freightliner indicates that we need a good radiator cleaning. We’ll get that done in Tucson sometime before heading out again.
We have made to the Sabino Canyon recreational area and are now set up and have good cell phone coverage as well as a good internet connection. The view from our RV of the mountains to the north and the hills covered with saguaro cactus is awesome. We’ll only be here for a few months before we head off somewhere else.
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