The Grand Canyon-October 29, 2011



Of all the sights we have seen so far, and there have been many, this is absolutely, hands-down, the most spectacular. We rode the train to the rim and we all got up the 47 steps within minutes of each other. There was not a word spoken. It was so beautiful that not one of several hundred riders could speak. We all just stood. The first view bordered on being emotional. About every 20-30 feet we walked the landscape changed. As the sun moved the colors changed, too. It is not possible to see the Colorado River from this spot and we knew that ahead of time. At some point in the future we'd like to see the top as viewed from the bottom. The weather was absolutely perfect today. We did not even need jackets. I'm not going to spend this entire blog trying to think of words to describe this scenic wonder. You must see it for yourself. I want to spend a few words on the train ride. Each car has an attendent who puts out the food and soft drinks and coffee. He also trys to see to it that everybody is happy and having fun. He locks the train when everybody gets off at the top. Then he is there when we all board again. The rest of the time was spent riding and looking at scenery. It's a 65 mile trip, one way, and takes about 2 hours. It all starts with a wild west shoot-out, the kind you see everywhere. It was so corny we did not stick around. On the way up we had a nice young man who traveled between cars singing country songs. He sang very softly. He is what Simon Cowell would call a lounge singer. Coming back this afternoon we had a harmonica player/accordian player/comic. He was just way too funny. We were all so tired we needed the singer so we could fall asleep. A little farther down the tracks we had to stop the train to allow 3 train robbers to board. As it turned out they were the ones who had done the wild west shoot-out this morning. And the Marshall (clearly stated he was not a sheriff) followed and chased them off the train. He was also a comic. So, it was quite a day with lots of different activities. We walked for 3 hours while at the top. At the rate we are going we will need a 3rd pair of tennis shoes before this summer is over! Today was another reminder that "God's handiwork is the embroidery of the earth".  I also want to share that Derrick arrived safely home this afternoon. He is tired and suffering from jet lag but I suspect he is glad to be home. He only lost one tree in the snow storm and it was one that needed to be cut down anyway. All is well.