More Fun

We left Hoover Dam around lunchtime and headed to the next fun stop, the Grand Canyon.  I think I must have scored the last available room - when I made the reservations, I didn't think about it being Thanksgiving weekend and I'm certainly thankful that we were able to find a room.  We arrived late at night and checked in - we were in Maswik Lodge which is a complex of apartment-like buildings holding the rooms.  Maswik Lodge is actually the central lodge building that holds the cafeteria, pizza pub, gift shop, reservations/check-in area, and the concierge for the various tour and special events that are available.

Up early on Thanksgiving Day to take the hop-on, hop-off bus that goes along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

Strolling along the South Rim - it was freezing - 25 degrees that morning!

The historic El Tovar Hotel where we had Thanksgiving Dinner

Catching the start of the sunset

We woke up on Thanksgiving Day and spent most of the day sightseeing - there are shuttles buses that take you along the South Rim.  We got off at one stop but once we were back on the next bus, we enjoyed the view from the windows.  It was so cold and there was quite a blustery wind.  We got off the bus at the El Tovar Hotel area and walked around, ducking into a few of the museum-like buildings that are there to get out of the cold, and then finally retreated to the lobby of the El Tovar with its giant roaring fire to wait for our name to be called for Thanksgiving Dinner.  We spent the rest of the afternoon walking off the dinner and then headed back to our room to pack and get ready for our departure the next day.

The colors of the Grand Canyon are just amazing - there are a lot of displays along the trails that talk about the various ages and stages of the rock formations, and it's just incredible that nature has made this design.  My limited photography skills caught a few good shots - it's hard not to get a good shot when there is so much beauty at every angle.

Coming tomorrow:  No more fun, just the long, long road to Virginia (with a tough segment and a nice surprise)