Grand Time

WONDERMENT:  MPA is on a field trip to America's Southwest. First stop was Vegas, baby! We flew in Tuesday midday, and got to see Rick and Rachel's new place and visit our favorite Dobermans, Pretzel and Strudel. But more about that later, as it's late we're oh-so-tired, a little sunburned and totally impressed by what we saw today: The Grand Canyon.

Naturally, we've seen photos and videos and know it's one of the seven wonders of the natural world, but it's impossible to appreciate it for all it is until you're there, on the ledge, looking out and over it. 

Trust me, the crappy cell phone photos in this post don't do it justice. With an average depth of one mile and an average width of ten miles (16km). 

 It's stripes and steppes, plateaus and craggy cliffs are so varied and compelling. They tell an ancient story about just how different this blue marble was long ago. 

 We visited the south rim of the canyon, about four hours east-southeast of Vegas. We walked well over three miles in high heat, at an elevation of 7000 or so feet, and in sometimes high winds. 

 We walked from east to west, then caught a shuttle bus back westward to where we parked our car, and then drove further east to where we could get a look back at the canyon for sunset.

More photos and facts to follow when we're better slept and I can get the pictures off my Nikon camera.