Road Trip Day 7

Day 7 entails only one stop, but it was a biggie. We left early from Laughlin, Nevada and drove straight to the Grand Canyon.  We spent all day there, because … well … it really is … grand.  This post will have less talk and more pictures.

Scale is a difficult thing in pictures, but to help you with the one below – there are people standing on the outcropping. See those tiny little people? Now you may get a better sense of just how big this “hole in the ground” is.

They’re there,  just left of center. On top of that flat rock. Do you see them? If you click on the pictures, you can make them bigger. Try that, then maybe you’ll see them!

Mr. Dickens was duly impressed!

Above is a picture of the fireplace in the cabin at Hermit’s Rest at the far west end of the south rim.

Above: Pretty picture!

Above: Another pretty picture!

We had some wildlife sightings including this elk.

The Desert View Watchtower is another structure in the park, both it. and Hermit’s Rest, as well as many other structures. were all designed by the same Architect.  Mary Jane Coulter was one of a few female architects of her time. In the early 1900’s she came to the area and worked for Fred Harvey.  For more information on Mary Jane Coulter: click here.

Fred Harvey was an entrepreneur who started out working for the railroad. With westward expansion, he saw a need for quality lodging and restaurants near the rail lines in the west. After being turned down by his own employer, he convinced another railroad of the potential of having clean accommodations for their passengers. Harvey House was born, and is considered to be the  first chain restaurant in the country. Mr. Harvey soon found that the men he hired were not keeping his establishments up to the standard he desired, so he decided to hire women instead, which was quite controversial for the times. These women were called the Harvey Girls.

For more information on Fred Harvey:  click here.

For more information on the Harvey Girls : click here.

OK, so I lied a little. I’m a writer and lover of history, I couldn’t really just post pictures without a little back story. Now back to the pretty pictures!

We stayed for a spectacular sunset over the canyon. It doesn’t get better than this!

Since I’m behind a day in posts, I can tell you what’s coming up next.  Mr. Dickens gets to visit Meteor Crater,  the Petrified Forest, and the Painted Desert!  And we get to stand on a corner, in Winslow, Arizona next to a flat bed Ford. If anyone can tell me what that means, you get a free copy of Christmas Carole, starring Mr. Dickens, himself. So stay tuned!