THE GRAND CANYON – by ourselves – how grand is that? 

Thursday – after the huge disappointment of yesterday – we manage to spend a restful night and wake up thinking today we are Canyoning by ourselves so that has to be a plus and maybe we will get back some enthusiasm for the place.

A leisurely start to the day – we breakfast at 8.30am. Same meal as yesterday – muffins, fruit, juice and coffee.

We still feel flat even after our brekkie and our ‘let’s get some enthusiasm into today’ talks, but we press on and try to lift our spirits by thinking what we will do if we see Ms Gomer.  There are lots of ideas but hopefully we will not have to put them into action.  Cameras in tow we head off for the entrance where the usual photo of the sign is taken.  We plan to start at the same spot that we did yesterday.

Arriving at Yavapai Point the enjoyment for the scenery and the appreciation of this geographical wonder is returning and we know that we will be able to enjoy the canyon more than what we did yesterday because today we can concentrate on the canyon and only the canyon – that has to be a big plus for us!

On the many signs put at strategic intervals we learn about the history and how the Canyon was created – we find out the different type of rock and earth that has formed over millions of years and we even get to wander around from place to place.  Spirits are starting to climb.

Through our camera lenses we spy the Colorado River where there are people rafting; we even see the people on the mule trails heading for the overnight stay at Phantom Ranch.  We see a little squirrel in the tree on the other side of the wall – obviously he hasn’t been made aware of the Park’s Safety Standards!

Our next stop is at the lookout near the El Tovar Lodge.  The boards that tell us the names of the different landmarks like the Cheops Pyramid and the Isis Temple and we can do it on our time and strangely enough we learn a lot more about this place.  Our enthusiasm is returning.

The distance between the South Rim and the North Rim is 17.7km.   There is another big storm brewing on the North Rim – and we even see the occasional lightning flashes but they are not very co-operative when it comes to taking their photo!

We decide to take refuge in the Hopi House to avoid the storm and we wander around admiring all the artefacts once again.  We even do a bit more souvenir shopping and remember to sign the guest book!

Our next stop will be to see the Grand Canyon Express so we decide on a suitable viewing point and wait and wait and wait.

HISTORY LESSON: On 17 Sept 1901 the first passengers arrived at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim aboard a train of – wait for it – The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. I feel a song about to burst forth!  For the coming decades this would remain the preferred route to the canyon but through the years trains gave way to automobiles and in 1968 the passenger service stopped altogether.  In 1989 the legend was reborn and each year over 225,000 passengers travel to the Rim by train from the starting point of Williams Arizona.

The rain begins to pour but not to be undaunted I stand out in it protecting the camera waiting for the appropriate Kodak moment.  The excitement builds as we hear the train whistle and we know that the train is not far away.  Next is the whoosh whoosh of the steam and the chugg chugg chugg of the engine! It is still pouring but I persist on this exercise.  Even the thunder cannot deter me and now we see the smoke of the train  waiting for it come around the corner.

But wait – what horror is this – the train goes around the other bend.  Crap!  We have waited at the wrong spot so we head back to the car.  Kylie is laughing so hard because I stood out in the rain but I have the last laugh; no sooner do we start to move than the train backs down the track and up to where we are. Out we get again – it has stopped raining and before we have time to focus the cameras – the train takes off.

At this point in time Kylie is practically doubled up with laughter and Tyler gives me the ‘you gotta be kidding’ look but before anything else happens the train backs up the track again.  Jeez – what is going on?

It finally pulls to a stop and the sound of the steam train reminds me of when I was a kid – its wonderful.  The rain has not returned thank goodness and there are many tourists out taking photos.  We walk up to the engine so that we can get better views.  The driver and engineers are out checking everything so she must be here for a while.  K & T have had enough so they head back to the car but I snap away as happy as a pig in mud!

It is really great to be able to stand beside this historic  train and just think about all those journeys taken long long ago.

When I decide I have taken enough photos and film I get back into the car and we head off for Mather Point which is named after Stephen Tyng Mather who was an American industrialist and conservationist and who worked tirelessly for the National Park Service.

Here we get to wander around and admire more wonderful views.  It is such a long way to the canyon floor and the barriers are sometimes really close to the edge but we do not test them out and stand back. We get glimpses of the Colorado River again and more storms over the North Rim.

After our big day in the Canyon we decide enough is enough and head off for some food.

Looking at the dining places in the Canyon does not excite us so we head back to Tusayan where we travel from one end of town to the other.

The Yipee-I-O Steakhouse grabs us with that name so we decide to grace them with our presence.

Got to smile at that name! The food and prices look good so we are shown to our table where we are seated and then we wait and wait and wait and wait. No-one has even asked us if we want a drink so we get up and walk out. They just look at us but we put our heads in the air and walk out the door. That’ll show them!!!

WE next decide to give the Café Tusayan a go. This could end up like a pub crawl! No sooner are we shown to our table and seated than we have our orders taken and drinks in our hot little hands. I have ordered a 5oz burger – they sell meat meals here by weight – and it is delicious.

A very impressive serve of everything and we are full and contented. To get back to the comfortable stage we have a little walk around the inside of the National Geographic Centre because the weather has come up again but no matter we are in good spirits.  We then go back to our hotel where we will just relax and look forward to our drive tomorrow to Las Vegas.

Highlight of the day : Doing it ourselves!