We arrived a bit late, but we still got to see the Grand Canyon in all its … well, grandeur. It was around freezing, but the air was clear and the sun was bright, making all the colors glow.
We found a great spot to take a group photo (Sonja did have to photoshop us all together):
Then we went and had a picnic because we were all starving after the long drive. We found a table in the sun, but we still had to sit on our gloves to stay warm. After eating we went to the Mather Point overlook:
But that was crowded, so we went further to Yavapai point and walked along the rim where there are no railings. The views were spectacular in every direction.
If I (Andy) understand correctly, the red layer near the top of the canyon (under the white layer) is the same red rock that we saw in Sedona.
Even though the Grand Canyon was the one thing that Leilani asked to see in Arizona, I think she was more entertained by the snow. She looked for all the patches of snow to play in. Fortunately for the people she might want to throw snowballs at, the snow was dry and didn’t stick together.
We got to see the sun set but without the sunlight, the canyon was darker and less colorful. It also got very cold, so we went to see the small geology museum before they closed.
Then we checked into our room at the Bright Angel lodge, a historic hotel right by the canyon. We had snacks and beers in our room with the whole family before they had to drive back to Sedona. Before going to bed, we put on all our warm clothes and walked along the rim of the canyon at night. Of course the canyon was dark and hard to see, but the stars in the sky were beautiful.
