Across Covid America - Tour of National Parks - Day 20

Day 20

15881 mileage

7:00 A.M.

11498 steps

$35 All Access Card Savings

Today we drive to the Grand Canyon. G has been here as a kid, but I have never been able to make it out to this National Park. We've gotten close, but it is rather out of the way and not easy to get to. Which we can attest to as our route was supposed to take us on Hwy. 64 through the park and then down into Tusayan where our hotel was. Turning on to 64 there was a road construction sign saying that the road had been closed 25 miles ahead. 

We figured out it was because the road ran through Havasupai Reservation land. The tribe was locking down this route to reduce exposure to Covoid-19. I completely understand their reasoning. We had to back out and take an hour detour down into Flagstaff and then over to Tusayan. 

We had intended to include the North Rim on our National Parks Tour 2020 but were denied that due to massive wildfires in that area. We could actually see the smoky haze blanketing the area starting in Kanab. 

Another stop on the way was outside of Page, Arizona. Here we crossed a cool bridge near the 700 foot tall Glen Canyon arch-gravity dam. We finally saw where all the folks with water crafts were headed. In all of the other bodies of water we've passed hardly any boats were present. 

After dropping stuff off at the hotel, we drove the thirty minutes into the park and stopped at the South Rim Visitor's Center. I practically ran to Mather's Point and got my first look at what a little water can do to a landscape. It was fascinating. We started walking the South Rim trail out towards the Geology Museum, which was closed by the way. G had to keep pulling me back from the edge. On the trail there are more spots to fall off from than there are with railings. 

They have this interesting feature on the path where they show you the passage of time with gold colored disks set into the ground. It goes back over 2 million years. 

There are several great promontories to go right out and feel like you're on top of the world. It wasn't the Golden Hour where the setting sun bathes the land with its glow and it was hazy from the smoke drifting over from the North Rim, so the colors were rather muted, but it didn't take away from the beauty of the land.