As we approached the edge of the Grand Canyon I prepared myself for the site and it was just breathtaking. I never thought the Grand Canyon was this nice. Each year the Grand Canyon attracts thousands of people and it is neat to say ?I was there? or ?I was one of those many thousands of people?. The Grand Canyon is intimidatingly enormous and close to the size of Israel literally. The canyon itself is made of many layers of sandstone rock that shows the dark color of crimson at dusk (sets the scary setting with all the confusing shadows everywhere) and a light brownish purplish color at dawn. The most amazing experience was when we hiked down the canyon by way of (only trail down) the unforgiving eight mile walk to the very bottom.
We hiked past rugged cliffs and rest stations that unsurely cling to the cliffs of the canyon hanging there looking like there about to fall down. When we were at the bottom of the canyon I look up at the now hostile cliff above me restrained to falling by some supports. The canyon is 2 miles deep in many places. The layers of sandstone we touched were a natural work of art. Unassuming, the people whoosh by us as if they were running from the canyon as if to fall down. I was surprised at how many people actually attempt the 8-mile walk down the canyon. When we were at the surface I nastily promptly take a look at a weatherbeaten poster on one of the canyons rock walls that faintly says ?most of the people who get too tired hiking and have to be helicoptered out of the canyon are teens who think they can make it, bring water don?t get dehydrated!?
I was baffled when what I thought was 1 or 2 miles to a certain rock in the Canyon was actually 9 miles! One rock stood out from the others with some dry and some lush moss and a hardly growing spruce tree on the crimson top of the rock, it also looked so helpless, as if it were teetering on a fulcrum point. We decided to go to the Grand Canyon because seeing it is kind of a once in a life time event also to visit my grandparents vacationing house in Phoenix, AZ and to visit many towns in Arizona (the hot weather is nice too). We got there by train, boarded from Chicago and got off in a small town: Flagstaff, AZ. We drove from Flagstaff in a rental car to wherever we wanted to go. It was busy at our departure station Chicago Grand Central Station and many people on the blinding silver train cars looked us a barbaric look. 2 hours later and we were looking THEM a barbaric look!
It soon got crowded on the train as we stopped at the first few stops. At popular stops the many people getting off caused havoc, I ignorantly read a book for the duration. The Amtrak train we were on was a double decker and was surprisingly spacious with running water, drinking water, snack bar and lounge car with movies nightly. The train ride was an agonizing about 48 hours each way. The Grand Canyon was created by the Colorado River eating its way through the sandstone. The many straining shades of loud orange are somewhat nice.
The Grand Canyon was improperly explored by two unassuming Spanish gold miners. It was properly explored by Major John Powell when he took a few canoes and about 20 men and used the river to travel in the canyon. It was finally properly mapped by satellites. The canyon is better known to the local Hopi tribes that live there and they called it the Gateway to Heaven. We stayed in various hotels, one attractive and artistic includes the Cameron Hotel. The Cameron Hotel itself is located in the heart of the desert and in the small village of Cameron, it also shows off with a gold shimmering glow at night seen from miles.
It also has a Mexican courtyard with exotic plants. I really liked Arizona and bought a few prickly and fuzzy cacti which are now happily growing in my home with genuine sandstone and desert dirt (ground up course sandstone).
