Day 27 "... every American should see the Grand Canyon." (TR)

Our day started with a special breakfast of Apple Fritters prepared by Master Chef Eddie A. He must be a Master Chef because the fritters that didn't meet his strict quality control standards were thrown into the garbage. From my count, just about one of every two fritters were tossed. That's some high standards!

After breakfast, Marje and Ed pulled up stakes and headed for Sedona. In addition to a weekend Arts Fair, they hope to find thicker air and warmer temperatures. Morning temps have been in the low 20s and the daily highs hover near 50. We have been waking up to temps in the low 40s inside the RV. It's tough to get out from under the covers when it's that cold!

After bidding goodbye to our traveling companions, we set out for a walk on the Bright Angel Trail. The trail, one of the most popular in the world, descends rapidly from the trail head near the Bright Angel Lodge. We went down far enough to feel enveloped by the walls of the Canyon on one side while on the other side, sometimes only two or three feet away, the drop off was deep and scary.

Surprisingly, the walk back to the top wasn't nearly as rigorous as the walk up the Navajo Trail in Bryce Canyon.

We had lunch in the Arizona Room at the Bright Angel Lodge before heading out on the Red Bus to Hermit's Rest. Mary Coulter was the architect for the building which blends perfectly into the surroundings. If your in the neighborhood, the views from Hermit Road shouldn't be missed.

On the way back to the campground, we bought souvenirs of our visit to the Grand Canyon for the grandkids.

There's a famous quote by President Teddy Roosevelt in which he stipulates his opinion that every American should see the Grand Canyon. Certainly this is an amazing place. The size and scope of the Canyon defies belief. Every time I get a glimpse of it from the rim, I'm awestruck by its enormity, beauty and unforgiving ruggedness. It may well be something every American should experience at least once in his/her lifetime. During our five days split between the north and south rims, we didn't get the feeling that many Americans were here. Yet there were no vacancies on the North Rim and there are crowds of people here at the South Rim. Most of the people it seems are from other countries. We have heard conversations in German, French, Spanish, Swedish (and perhaps other Scandnavian Countries), Australian, Japanese and perhaps Chinese. Indeed, foreigners seem to outnumber the Americans by a significant number.

There is a significant Native American presence although not in the tourist areas. The Park is surrounded by Indian Reservations. To the west is the Havausupai Reservation. This tribe operates the Sky Walk, a five hour ride from the South Rim (only 1 1/2 hours by car from Las Vegas). To the east is the Navajo Reservation. Six other tribes, the Havalapai, Yavapai, Southern Paiute, Zuni and Apache claim portions of the Grand Canyon area as their native lands.

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