Today we travelled from Page, AZ to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We had been told that the two rims are very different and we wanted to experience both. It was a nice drive from Page. We stopped and looked out off of the Navajo bridge in Lee's Ferry on the way out and got a great view of the Colorado river. We also got to check out the Navajo crafts that some women were selling on the bridge. The vases, jewelry and other ornaments were really beautiful. We continued through the Vermillion Cliffs in Kanab, AZ, on through the mountains, then back to the Grand Canyon National Park, this time on the North Rim. The meadows and evergreen forests on this rim are very different than the entrance on the south rim. We saw a few deer grazing in the meadow and kept our eyes peeled for beefaloes, to no avail! We actually didn't know that we were looking for beefaloes until we read the north rim visitors guide. The signs along the road looked like bulls and we were wondering why we needed to look out for bulls! Apparently some years ago there had been an attempt to cross breed buffalo and cows. It was abandoned and consequently the park service now manages the herd that remains.
We were excited for this visit for several reasons, one of which was that we had made a reservation for a cabin at the North Rim Lodge. The lodge was originally built back in 1928, so it was like returning to another time. Our little two room cabin had plenty of room for all of us and was very rustic. We loved it! Our original plan was to settle in, have some lunch, then hike for the afternoon. The weather looked iffy, though, and we kind of just felt like relaxing, so we got lunch at the deli and just walked around the grounds and checked out the vantage points right around the lodge. It is far less crowded at the north rim so it was nice to take these short hikes without having to do it with hundreds of people! At 3:00 Nick, Ryan and I decided to go and listen to the ranger program that was about the formation of the Grand Canyon. I found it really interesting, and the boys seemed to as well. Joe had taken Brady back to the cabin to play with his Legos, which Brady was really happy about.
When we checked in we had made a reservation to go to a cookout for dinner. I had read reviews about the cookout that it was a little corny, but that the food was good and it seemed like something that the kids would enjoy. At 5:45 we made our way to the pick up spot and got picked up by a "train" to head to the cookout. As expected, because I had read the reviews, the cookout did not take place anywhere near the rim, but rather in a tent set up behind a gas station. The food was really good, though, particularly the beef brisket which had been cooking all day. The entertainment was a couple that sang and told corny jokes. They were entertaining and overall we enjoyed the experience.
After the cookout we got back to the lodge just as the sun was setting. There had been thunder storms over the canyon all day, but fortunately they retreated in time for a spectacular sunset! After enjoying the sunset and taking some pictures we returned to our cabin and just relaxed the rest of the evening. Tomorrow we leave the Grand Canyon behind us and head to Zion National Park in Utah.
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