Honeymoon - Day 4
We managed to get out of bed and have ourselves dressed in time for the 5:45am shuttle to see the sunrise. The walk to the bus stop was nice since there were very few people out, and the stars were still twinkling beautifully in the dark early morning sky. The bus was on time, and as soon as we boarded the driver reminded us that there would be another bus in 30 minutes that would still get us to Hopi Point in time to see the sunrise. He didn't have to tell us twice. In the sub-freezing temperatures, it was an easy decision to head to our hotel room and rest for a while (and also add a couple layers of clothing) and then head back to the bus stop for the 6:15 shuttle.
The sky was already beginning to lighten by the time we headed back to catch the 6:15. There were about a dozen people on the shuttle out to Hopi Point. All of us had the same idea to see a hopefully-beautiful sunrise. We had plenty of time to scout locations before the sun officially rose at 6:45am. I caught shots of not only the east sky, but also the sun hitting the rock formations of the canyon to the west. The dramatic early morning light interacted beautifully with the reds, browns, and yellows of the cliffs and plateaus.
At around 7:15 we caught a shuttle back to the lodge to eat some breakfast. Kate had a nice rounded meal of eggs, sausage, potatoes, and an English muffin. I had oatmeal (with brown sugar and raisins, of course) and some of Kate's meal.
The van for the helicopter tour picked us up from the lodge right on time. It was about a 20-minute ride back to the airport, and we picked up another couple along the way. When we got to the airport and checked in, we sat for a safety video that reviewed many of "the important safety features of the aircraft and the emergency procedures in the unlikely event of an emergency." It sounded a lot like the standard commercial airline pre-flight safety demo. As we were entering the video viewing area, we bumped into the British couple we had spent a good hour speaking with the previous night at dinner. We formally re-introduced ourselves, since we had forgotten to get their names the night before. As it turned out, Andy and Sue had booked their helicopter tour months earlier, and we were to be on the same 30-minute tour over the canyon today.
Kate and I were handed our helicopter boarding cards – mine was #1 and hers was #2. By the luck of the draw (and for weights and balances reasons), I got to sit in the front of the helicopter next to the pilot. It was the best seat in the house, and I think the other passengers were jealous. Our pilot was Liz, who grew up in Grand Canyon. She shared with us that her parents were teachers at the school located on the Park grounds. The flight took us over the Kaibab Forest and then over the North Rim of the Canyon. It was awe-inspiring. The aerial view from the helicopter allowed us to see parts of the park you just can't see from the scenic lookouts on the South Rim. It was a smooth half-hour ride, and we really enjoyed it. While it was one of the more expensive activities during the trip, we viewed it as a honeymoon indulgence.
Once we were safely on the ground at the airport, we took the obligatory swing through the gift shop. We did not buy the cheesy pre-flight picture (for a whopping $20). In fact, it may have been the only gift shop we visited during the trip that we didn't walk away with some tchochke. The memories of the flight and the gorgeous pictures I took were enough.
Sue and Andy (the nice British couple) were headed back to the park and offered us a lift. We enjoyed nice conversation with them on the 20-minute ride. They dropped us off at Bright Angel Lodge, which we had managed to miss on our previous time at the rim.
We dined at the Arizona Room, which offers a wonderful view of the canyon. The food was decent, though just slightly overpriced as everything is in the park. I'm still trying to figure out what was in my "fruit salad," but it was sweet and edible nonetheless.
After lunch Kate and I caught the free shuttle bus to Shrine of the Ages. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we agreed to split for a while so we could each pursue individual activities. Kate found a beautiful picnic area to relax and read a book (True Evil by Greg Iles – she loved it). I wanted to get another view of the canyon, so I walked the 0.4 mile access trail to the Rim Trail. Along the walk the path was somewhat desolate. I stopped to enjoy tall pine trees contrasted against the beautiful blue sky. It was eerily silent with only an occasional bird chirp to disturb the silence. Once on the Rim Trail, I hiked another half-mile east, taking many pictures along the way.
Afterwards, Kate and I met up and returned to the Bright Angel Lodge to visit their Fountain, where we each got a yummy ice cream cone. My scoop of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough immediately jumped off the cone when we exited the shop, but Kate was sweet enough to go back in and get me a replacement cone. We then sat in the shade and enjoyed the Rim view of the canyon.
Soon enough it was time to head back to the train depot for the return trip to Williams. The train ride back was wonderful. Our train attendant, Robert, graciously took our picture before we departed from the Canyon. On the trip back, we were victims of a train robbery! This staged "robbery" is the train's way of collecting tips for the cowboy performers, while making the passengers smile as they open their wallets. I was able to get a shot of one of the bandits on horseback, as well as when they stormed our car. One of the funnier, unscheduled moments on the train trip back was the brakeman leaning on one of the wall-mounted club tables, which proceeded to snap off its mount. As one of the passengers excitedly cried out, "Well, it is his job to break stuff."
Once back at Williams, we quickly grabbed our bag, hit the restrooms, and headed back out on the road. Our itinerary called for us to spend the night in Gallup, New Mexico, a 3+ hour drive from the Railway. Although we had originally agreed to split the driving, Kate was tired so I was the one behind the wheel for this leg of the trip. We decided to stop for dinner along the way, which turned out to severely limit our options. We eventually hit the swingin' town of Holbrook, AZ, which boasted a long strip of several tasty fast food choices. The decision was difficult, but we decided to enjoy a "thirdmeal" at Taco Bell. Mmmm – the best I can say is that neither of us suffered gastrointestinal distress. We arrived at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Gallup, NM around 11 pm MDT and collapsed into bed, exhausted.
The sky was already beginning to lighten by the time we headed back to catch the 6:15. There were about a dozen people on the shuttle out to Hopi Point. All of us had the same idea to see a hopefully-beautiful sunrise. We had plenty of time to scout locations before the sun officially rose at 6:45am. I caught shots of not only the east sky, but also the sun hitting the rock formations of the canyon to the west. The dramatic early morning light interacted beautifully with the reds, browns, and yellows of the cliffs and plateaus.
At around 7:15 we caught a shuttle back to the lodge to eat some breakfast. Kate had a nice rounded meal of eggs, sausage, potatoes, and an English muffin. I had oatmeal (with brown sugar and raisins, of course) and some of Kate's meal.
The van for the helicopter tour picked us up from the lodge right on time. It was about a 20-minute ride back to the airport, and we picked up another couple along the way. When we got to the airport and checked in, we sat for a safety video that reviewed many of "the important safety features of the aircraft and the emergency procedures in the unlikely event of an emergency." It sounded a lot like the standard commercial airline pre-flight safety demo. As we were entering the video viewing area, we bumped into the British couple we had spent a good hour speaking with the previous night at dinner. We formally re-introduced ourselves, since we had forgotten to get their names the night before. As it turned out, Andy and Sue had booked their helicopter tour months earlier, and we were to be on the same 30-minute tour over the canyon today.
Kate and I were handed our helicopter boarding cards – mine was #1 and hers was #2. By the luck of the draw (and for weights and balances reasons), I got to sit in the front of the helicopter next to the pilot. It was the best seat in the house, and I think the other passengers were jealous. Our pilot was Liz, who grew up in Grand Canyon. She shared with us that her parents were teachers at the school located on the Park grounds. The flight took us over the Kaibab Forest and then over the North Rim of the Canyon. It was awe-inspiring. The aerial view from the helicopter allowed us to see parts of the park you just can't see from the scenic lookouts on the South Rim. It was a smooth half-hour ride, and we really enjoyed it. While it was one of the more expensive activities during the trip, we viewed it as a honeymoon indulgence.
Once we were safely on the ground at the airport, we took the obligatory swing through the gift shop. We did not buy the cheesy pre-flight picture (for a whopping $20). In fact, it may have been the only gift shop we visited during the trip that we didn't walk away with some tchochke. The memories of the flight and the gorgeous pictures I took were enough.
Sue and Andy (the nice British couple) were headed back to the park and offered us a lift. We enjoyed nice conversation with them on the 20-minute ride. They dropped us off at Bright Angel Lodge, which we had managed to miss on our previous time at the rim.
We dined at the Arizona Room, which offers a wonderful view of the canyon. The food was decent, though just slightly overpriced as everything is in the park. I'm still trying to figure out what was in my "fruit salad," but it was sweet and edible nonetheless.
After lunch Kate and I caught the free shuttle bus to Shrine of the Ages. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we agreed to split for a while so we could each pursue individual activities. Kate found a beautiful picnic area to relax and read a book (True Evil by Greg Iles – she loved it). I wanted to get another view of the canyon, so I walked the 0.4 mile access trail to the Rim Trail. Along the walk the path was somewhat desolate. I stopped to enjoy tall pine trees contrasted against the beautiful blue sky. It was eerily silent with only an occasional bird chirp to disturb the silence. Once on the Rim Trail, I hiked another half-mile east, taking many pictures along the way.
Afterwards, Kate and I met up and returned to the Bright Angel Lodge to visit their Fountain, where we each got a yummy ice cream cone. My scoop of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough immediately jumped off the cone when we exited the shop, but Kate was sweet enough to go back in and get me a replacement cone. We then sat in the shade and enjoyed the Rim view of the canyon.
Soon enough it was time to head back to the train depot for the return trip to Williams. The train ride back was wonderful. Our train attendant, Robert, graciously took our picture before we departed from the Canyon. On the trip back, we were victims of a train robbery! This staged "robbery" is the train's way of collecting tips for the cowboy performers, while making the passengers smile as they open their wallets. I was able to get a shot of one of the bandits on horseback, as well as when they stormed our car. One of the funnier, unscheduled moments on the train trip back was the brakeman leaning on one of the wall-mounted club tables, which proceeded to snap off its mount. As one of the passengers excitedly cried out, "Well, it is his job to break stuff."
Once back at Williams, we quickly grabbed our bag, hit the restrooms, and headed back out on the road. Our itinerary called for us to spend the night in Gallup, New Mexico, a 3+ hour drive from the Railway. Although we had originally agreed to split the driving, Kate was tired so I was the one behind the wheel for this leg of the trip. We decided to stop for dinner along the way, which turned out to severely limit our options. We eventually hit the swingin' town of Holbrook, AZ, which boasted a long strip of several tasty fast food choices. The decision was difficult, but we decided to enjoy a "thirdmeal" at Taco Bell. Mmmm – the best I can say is that neither of us suffered gastrointestinal distress. We arrived at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Gallup, NM around 11 pm MDT and collapsed into bed, exhausted.
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