I have been to the canyon (both the north rim and the south rim) a half a dozen times or so and always find something new to see and explore and leave with a greater appreciation for why it is one of the "Seven Natural Wonders of the World." As I made my list of "100 Things in Arizona" I included two places at the Grand Canyon that I had not yet explored: El Tovar Hotel (#28) and Shoshone Point (#21) - both of which made the original list printed in the Arizona Republic in October, 2011.
On this trip, we spent two nights at the Grand Canyon and stayed at the El Tovar Hotel which is located about 40 feet from the south rim of the canyon. We arrived late afternoon, a spectacular time to view the canyon.
The air grew chillier as the sun began its descent to the horizon.
In fact, sunset during any season is one of my favorite times to quietly gaze at the ever-changing canvas of colors. I soak in the serenity and contemplate life as I behold the vastness of the canyon.
"There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them."
~ JoWalton (author)
"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the Creator."
~ Mahatma Gandhi
"They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy."
~ Psalm 65:8 (NASB)
As night settled over the canyon, sparkly stars began to peak out. By about 8:00 we needed a flashlight to maneuver along the walkways. It can be a bit annoying, especially if you forget your flashlight - of course, that's when cell phones, even those without great reception, come in handy!! But when we stopped and looked up, the star-filled sky was absolutely breath-taking!
"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name."
~ Psalm 147:4 (NIV)
After feasts for both our eyes (sunset at the canyon) and our stomachs (a scrumptious dinner in the El Tovar restaurant), it was time to check out the El Tovar Hotel (#28). At the turn of the 20th century the Santa Fe Railroad finally reached the Grand Canyon and brought thousands of visitors each year. Construction was immediately begun on a first-class hotel to accommodate these wealthy travelers. El Tovar Hotel opened in January, 1905 and was run by the Fred Harvey Company, the same company that operated the LaPosada Resort in Winslow (see that blog post here). You may remember that Fred Harvey was a visionary who saw the need for quality lodging for travelers heading west. He worked with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in opening his "Harvey Houses" at major stops along the way giving travel-weary guests a comfortable place to stay. It was quite logical that his company would run El Tovar Hotel and they did until 1968 when the Amfac Corporation acquired the company. In 2002, Amfac changed their name to Xanterra Parks and Resorts. Ownership may have changed but Harvey's legacy continues as Amfac/Xanterra retained his standards and vision.
El Tovar Hotel was designed by Charles Whittlesey and was a style that would eventually evolve into National Park Service Rustic architecture that would be used at most other national parks. Originally the hotel had 103 guest rooms and 21 guest bathrooms but was later remodeled and currently has 78 guest rooms, each with a private bathroom.
The tradition of using Spanish names for Harvey hotels was continued with this new hotel. García López de Cárdenas is credited with the first European discovery of the Grand Canyon but Fred Harvey had already used his name for one of his hotels in Trinidad, Colorado (Cardenas Hotel). However, Pedro de Tobar (or de Tovar) had reported rumors of a large river in the area inspiring Cárdenas' expedition and subsequent "discovery" of the canyon - so his name was used and El Tovar was born.
Our guest room was quite comfortable with a quaint mixture of traditional furnishings and modern conveniences (a coffee maker, for example). Not surprisingly, all of the artwork depicted aspects of the canyon.
There is nothing like watching sunrise at the Grand Canyon! It is a much quieter, much less crowded experience than sunset. And much colder! We were on the rim picking our spot and setting up the tripod about 20 minutes before sunrise. The real-feel temperature was 20 degrees. I was most thankful for the hot coffee the hotel provides for its guests.
A wisp of cloud settled in the canyon just as the sun was peaking over the horizon.
About ten minutes later the canyon walls were starting to light up. The Earth's shadow (blue band - Earth casts its shadow on the atmosphere) and the Belt of Venus (pink band - and has nothing to do with the planet. It's the Earth's upper atmosphere being illuminated by the rising sun) beautifully extend the vastness of the canyon.
And about ten minutes after that, the light show on the canyon walls began. Watching the sun rise always fills me with a sense of wonder and awe. It reminds my of my finiteness and of God's infiniteness.
We rode the tram to view points along the rim, did a couple of short hikes and just generally basked in the beauty and grandeur of the Grand Canyon. Things we have done on other trips to the canyon - and well-worth doing again and again. On our last day, we ventured to a new spot, Shoshone Point (#21), that was described as "remote" and "quiet."
We drove to the "parking area," a wide spot on a dirt road off of Easr Rim Drive (SR 64). There were two other parked cars but no one in sight as we gathered our water and jackets and headed off down the dirt road through a Ponderosa pine forest. The air was fresh-smelling, kind of like Pine-Sol, with a gentle breeze blowing through trees - a perfect day for a hike.
The trail is actually the dirt road which is closed to traffic at the parking area. The only way to reach Shoshone Point is to hike or in winter, to ski, which I'm sure keeps it less crowded.
About half way we passed another couple and a little ways later a family with two young children, all of whom encouraged us to keep going, that the view was more than worth the hike. It's an easy hike and only about a mile or so to the end so we had no intention of giving up.
After passing a picnic area with a large ramada and restrooms, we came to the end of the dirt road and picked up a much smaller, rockier trail for a short distance before seeing a finger of land sticking out into the canyon. We made it!
Near the end of the peninsula stands a very tall pillar of stone.
The peninsula is about 20-feet wide (the flat top is about 8-10 feet wide) and extends out about 100 feet.
The completely natural stone pillar looks like it could have been an ancient monument of some kind. It reminded me of Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt when she looked back to Sodom.
It looks like the peninsula ends at the pillar but it actually extends another eight to ten feet. There are a couple of rocks that make an ideal place to sit a spell and enjoy the 210-degree panoramic vista all by yourself.
Looking west, the trail at the bottom right is the South Kaibab Trail as it snakes its way through Skeleton Point.
From here we could see the North Rim about 8 miles across from us.
Although it doesn't show well in the photo, we could see snippets of the river far below snaking its way through the canyon.
We sat on our rock and quietly enjoyed the view for about 20 minutes before we heard voices on the trail. We relinquished our spot so they could have a private viewing, too, and headed back down the trail to the car. While Shoshone Point is "remote" and "quiet," I would describe it as "breath-taking" and "unique" - something not to be missed!
Thumb Up or Down: UP!!!
Miles Round Trip: 521.7 miles
Miles To Date: 11,332.2 miles
Percent Of List Completed: 99%
Date of This Trip: November 23-25, 2012
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