ROAD TRIP AROUND THE GRAND CANYON MAY 30 - JUNE 4, 2016
| 7 - WILLIAMS, ARIZONA |
So now we've split a huge breakfast burrito at Marble Canyon Lodge and are driving along the Vermillion Cliffs toward the north rim. Click on the picture to find out more about the cliffs.
It is interesting to see how the terrain changes so quickly. We went from cliffs to pine forest in short order. Click HERE to see a little of the drive.
After a quick pit stop in Jacob Lake, we head down Hwy 67 to the Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge. It is a beautiful drive through meadows and thick forest. We even passed a small herd of buffalo.
Hwy 67 is closed during the winter because of all the snow and doesn't reopen until May. If you want to stay at the lodge, you must make reservations at least a year in advance, which we did. Click HERE to see our drive from Cape Royal to the lodge. Who says it doesn't rain in Arizona? The temperature here is in the 50's while it is over a hundred in Phoenix this day. Here's some pictures we took at Point Imperial and Cape Royal. Notice the the Vermillion Cliffs and Marble Canyon way in the distance in the second picture? We were driving by them several hours ago! Also, the narrow viewing area that you can walk onto above Angles Window is pretty impressive. You can see the Colorado River through the window. One lady held on to the guard rails as she walked out, LOL!
The North Rim is less crowded than the South Rim and there are fewer amenities, but it is much more tranquil. There is no TV or Internet service and the favorite pastime is sitting on the lodge patio at sunset with a glass of wine. If you want to eat in the restaurant you better make reservations days in advance, otherwise you end up ordering from the deli and eating on the patio! You need to get to the patio early to stake out a chair so you can plop your feet up and have a rock ledge to place your drink and food. The North Rim is 1,000 higher in elevation than the South Rim, which is about 10 miles across the canyon. The canyon has been designated a dark sky area to minimize light pollution.
