Thanksgiving was Great and the Canyon was Grand

For Thanksgiving we had a small group come together to celebrate the day. It was a great day of feasting and resting as the turkey settled in. After the big day of food we all retreated to our own homes and rested for the big day a head of us.

On Friday after Uncle Fred got done with work we went and picked up the rental van, loaded up, and headed toward Williams. It is a small town just west of Flagstaff and south of the South Rim. We went out and ate at a small dinner and took the night easy before the big day.

Saturday morning we got up had breakfast at McDonald's and then were on our way to the . It was a great time. We went to the South Rim, which is the main place for tourists who don't go down into the canyon. We first went to Mather Point. It had an amazing view of the canyon to the west and Isis Temple, a peak, was pointing to the heavens. In the bottom of the canyon is the Colorado River and along the river is a place called Phantom Ranch. In a canyon that is basically rock this provided a beautiful and green oasis across the way. It is a point used for river runners and hikers as they make their way through the canyon.

Next was Yavapai Point which also had some amazing views of the canyon from a different perspective. From the angle of the point you could see down into the canyon to the Colorado River and see a suspension bridge built in 1928. It is 440-foot-long and 5-foot-wide. Most of the materials were carried by mule, but the one ton suspension cable was carried down by the shoulders of 42 men that appeared to be a great snake to viewers from the rim.

Then we came to El Tovar Hotel which was elegant and rustic at the same time. Very nice furniture that made the room fell rich with walls of wood holding the heads of hunted animals ranging from dear, wolf, elk, mule elk, to a buffalo. It was quite a site and across the way was the Hopi House. Architect Mary Colter was very familiar with the southwester pueblos building style and crafted it to appear in that manner. On the inside is a gift shop with very nice and expensive crafts, many made by Native Americans who live on reservations around the area.

As the day was getting late and we still had to drive all the way back to Mesa we decided to make one more stop and then to call it a day. We went to the farthest point to the east called Desert View. Desert View is marked by its 70-foot tower over looking the eastern part of the canyon and the Little Colorado River Gorge. The "Indian Watchtower" designed by Mary Colter was inspired by an 800-year-old tower built by the native Indians. It is a spiraling master piece decorated with wall painting by artist Fred Kabotie and rock art by Fred Geary. From the upper room you can see one of the best views of the canyon with the Colorado winding through it.

Well our day was on the down slope and we stopped in Flagstaff to eat at McDonald's and then to home. It was a great trip, both to the canyon and to Arizona as a whole. We had a nice dinner Sunday night and then I left out Monday morning. Nancy picked me up from the Airport, and after some confusion we finally met up and headed our way home stopping for dinner along the way.

Now this week I have to prepare as I get read to go up to Kentucky to meet with my councilor about classes at Georgetown so I'm excited about that and nervous at the same time. But I can't wait to get started on my upcoming adventure.