The GRAND Canyon - Part Two

Our second day began with a long hot shower, obviously a luxury coming from an RV.

We were ready to go for breakfast by 7:30 am, and enjoyed a hearty meal with Ed and Marilyn in the cafeteria.

Excited to get going, we headed to Desert View, which is east of the village.

The views along the way were very pretty, with the snow, pines, and twisty turns.

A landmark at Desert View is the Watchtower.

Also known as the Indian Watchtower, it was built in 1932

Me and Marilyn
Notice the coats ... It was quite chilly

The ground level of the tower is now turned into a gift shop.  After browsing around, we decided to head up to the observation deck.

Decorated with Indian artifacts

The spiral staircase is quite steep, and we found ourselves out of breath a couple of times.

I spy with my little eye ...

At the top of the tower, we were rewarded with amazing scenery through the large windows, providing a full 360 degree view.

I am all smiles because it is a lot easier going down

We slowly started driving back towards the village, but not before we stopped at every lookout to try and drink up the sights that Mother Nature was offering us.

With the slightly overcast skies, we thought there was a better contrast between the colors than yesterday, under full sun.

At various times, we could see the mighty Colorado River, with it's amazing white water rapids.

We were blown away by how the canyon changes from one moment to the next.

"Just a couple more steps backwards, okay boys "

BFF's

We were hoping to hike into the canyon today, but with the packed snow and ice, we decided against it.  Nothing like a twisted ankle or worse to spoil your day.

We want to enlarge and frame this picture

On our way back to the village we saw three elk. Just like the deer we saw yesterday, they are not afraid of people.

At the village we decided to check out the new Visitor's Center.  As always we were provided with an education with the displays and a great film.

All facilities are first class

By this time it was afternoon, and we needed to grab lunch.

Because we were happy with the cafeteria in the Makwa Lodge, we returned and they did not disappoint.

With all the fresh air and exercise, we were all pretty tired, so we headed back to our rooms for some much needed rest.

Teresa and I thought of how blessed Ed and Marilyn are to have this as their special place to celebrate anniversaries and special occasions.   Remember, this is now their 19th visit !!

We hit the sack early, because we knew that the next day would also be a fun one.  We are heading to Sedona and Jerome.