3/27/15 - Grand Canyon NP, South Rim (again)

Back to Grand Canyon National Park--this time with friends who had never been there.  I figure everyone should see it at least once. There were lots of people, but it's definitely not as crowded in March as it is during the summer.

I got a new camera for Christmas.  It has a lens that goes from super-wide to a 600mm telephoto; the Grand Canyon has opportunities for both.

First stop, as usual, was the Visitor Center.  (For a change we didn't watch the movie.)  We were told to take the blue bus to the red bus.  I thought we could handle that, but I took the map anyway.

We got off the blue bus at the Train Depot stop to see Grand Canyon Village. First detour was Hopi House, then outside and behind the building for a look at the canyon.  I could even see the people riding mules down on the trail.  (I'm going to like this camera!)

We had lunch at the El Tovar Hotel, then it was back to the Train Depot.  There was a train in, but we couldn't see the locomotive OR the people, just a string of interesting cars. Maybe next time...

First stop on the Red Train was Trailview Overlook.  From the overlook, you can see Bright Angel Trail, squiggling downhill to the bottom.  It's not quite a mile straight down, and about 10 miles across to the North Rim.  Of course, those are averages...all distances increase exponentially if you hike instead of just look.

Next stop was Powell Point.  

Then Joyce rode the bus to Hopi Point while Gary, George and I walked the Rim Trail.  That overlook faces a different direction and we could see the Colorado River below.  (Or at least I could--this is zoomed quite a bit.)

Last bus stop before we headed back was Mojave Point.  Another viewpoint, another direction, another view.  The Grand Canyon looks a little bit different every time you look.  And friends make it even more special.

I learned some things about my new camera today.  Mostly I learned that the filter I had on wasn't the best one, and that I need to learn a whole lot more about the settings, automatic or not!  I need to dig out the instruction manual again. 

More pictures of the South Rim here:  Grand Canyon South Rim (Revisted) 

We'll be heading out on our 2015 trip by mid-April.  First stop for pictures will be places around Santa Fe, New Mexico.