The Magnificent Grand Canyon!

Most of the National Parks that I have visited in the US have beautiful scenery and /or unique natural features that provide the basis for their unique status and recognition. But in my mind, none can compare to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I'm not quite sure why the magnificence of this geological wonder appeals to me so much but its massive and extensive grandeur combined with a rainbow of embedded colors must be at the forefront of its appeal. I have only visited there on several occasions, but each time, I depart with the same sense of awe. When Kathy and I spent several days there last week, we were blessed with some of the clearest, crispest air we have ever encountered. While the weather was cool and a bit blustery, the glow of the canyon colors engendered a warmth in our minds and bodies!

Sunrise at Yaki Point, east of Grand Canyon Village, was not quite as colorful as we would have liked, but was, never-the-less, well worth the effort to catch the shuttle bus to the viewpoint at 5:30am.Birds were not a primary target of this visit, but, of course, I could not pass on the opportunity to grab a photo of one if they were cooperative. And this Western Scrub Jay enjoyed the canyon view with us for a few brief moments.About the only aspect of canyon views that in some ways is a little disturbing is the myriad of condensation trails in the blue sky above resulting from commercial jets heading to and from the large metro areas of the California coast. But the morning we were there, high altitude winds soon dispersed the trails into wispy cirrus clouds that perhaps added some nice detail to photo images of the canyon.

That is about all the dialogue I'll provide with this blog. The images should speak well for themselves!
If you have never had the opportunity to visit this natural, mostly unspoiled, geologic wonder, you should definitely add it to your "bucket list"!