Grand Canyon, AZ Oct 9-11, 2010

GRAND CANYON, AZ

Our next stop on our trip back to Texas was the Grand Canyon. Camping in Williams, AZ, a quaint little western town, the drive to the canyon was about 50 miles. On our first day at the canyon, we opted to take the park shuttle bus which travels the 8 mile Hermit Road and Rim Trail and includes 8 main viewpoints. You can get off and on whenever you want and a couple of the stops we decided to walk the rim trail to the next stop.

Here is a glimpse of the Colorado River that traverses the canyon floor 4000 feet below. The average width of the canyon is 10 miles.

Our second day at the canyon, we drove to the east entrance on the 23 mile Desert View Drive. The 70 foot Watchtower was designed by Mary Colter in 1932 as a re-creation of the ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) towers found in the Four Corners region and preserved at the Hovenweep National Monument. Despite the name, it is not clear whether the peaceable ancestral Puebloans employed these structures as enemy lookouts.

The inside of the tower itself, painted by Hopi artist Fred Green, depicts various aspects of Hopi mythology and religious ceremonies. You can take the stairs to the very top and - what a view. The Watchtower was built to provide the widest view of the Grand Canyon and it is breathtaking! Colter was a perfectionist and scrutinized every detail down to the placement of nearly every stone.

Just to give you an idea of the enormity of the Grand Canyon, in the lower left of this picture you can see a small portion of the Colorado River. This section of rapids is 1 mile long!

The different colors of the canyon come from layers of shale, limestone, and sandstone.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Kanab, Utah, Oct. 2010

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, located at Angel Canyon in the Golden Circle of southern Utah, is home, on any given day, to about 1,700 dogs, cats, and other animals from all over the country. Many of them need just a few weeks of special care before they're ready to go to good new homes. Others, who are older or sicker, or who have suffered extra trauma, find a home and a haven here, and are given loving care for the rest of their lives.

The Best Friends Wishing Garden, outside the welcome center provides a quiet place dedicated to the animals. Best Friends reaches across the nation and around the world, helping local communities to rescue animals in distress and to set up spay/neuter, shelter, foster, and adoption programs in their own neighborhoods. Best Friends employees over 400 people, from administration, to veterinarians, trainers, groomers, caregivers, maintenance, and tour guides, and hundreds of volunteers, many who spend their vacations here to help any way they can.

Their rapid response team brings rescue and relief to people and pets in times of crisis and disaster. Their work is supported entirely by donations of their members. They ensure that animals that come into the care of Best Friends will never again be alone, hungry, sick, afraid, or in pain.

If you are interested in donating to this wonderful cause to protect unwanted animals, please visit http://www.bestfriends.org/.

God Bless those who help the animals.......

Bryce Canyon, Oct. 8 2010

On our way back to Texas for the winter, we spent several days in Kanab, Utah. We visited Zion National Park and also Bryce Canyon National Park. Kanab used to be called "Little Hollywood" because of all the western films made here.

We liked Bryce Canyon the best. The scenery was spectacular and the Hoodoos were just awesome. I have never seen such unusual rock formations.

The highlight of our trip to Bryce Canyon was a 2 hour trail ride to the bottom of the canyon. The trail was very narrow and steep in places, but our surefooted horses maneuvered it safely. It was good to be back in the saddle again! This will surely be on my "places to return to" list. Southern Utah is stunningly beautiful!