Yesterday we attended a ranger program about the California Condor which looks nearly identical to what we believe is this turkey vulture which we spotted on our drive out. The condor is much larger with a 7 foot wingspan. The only paved road to our next destination was closed for several hours while fire crews battled the forest fire we saw on the way in. Once the flames on both sides of the road were extinguished we were escorted by a fire fighter through the affected area, smoke still billowing from the felled tree trunks.

The tiniest of ponds is fenced off, presumably to keep the bison (a herd of which we spotted yesterday) from reducing it to nothing.

As we depart the Grand Canyon National Park, we stop to enjoy the lush vegetation that has been so uncharacteristic of our various destinations. There is but a single flower in this entire field, and Jeanine must photograph it.

 
Although her project was successful there was very little left to paint black when she was done. This evening we enjoyed a wonderful campfire, s’mores, crude attempts at singing (not a strength of anyone in my bloodline), and Jeanine and Maya opted to sleep in the tent rather than the RV.

Back at camp, Maya decides to create her own black paint by grinding down charcol into a fine powder and mixing with water.

Jeanine discovers a great vista located a short walk from our campground, where I take advantage of the setting sun.

Inside the sun room is a sculpture of Brighty the mule, which was the subject of an early children’s story and subsequent movie about the Grand Canyon. Since then, this non indigenous species has been relocated to their natural habitats, but the memory of this beloved mule lives on. Pictured here with our beloved mule.

The lodge was built in 1927 and burned down 5 years later. It was rebuilt on the original stone foundation on the precipice of Bright Angel Point with steeper roof lines and more of the old-world rustic charm that is evident today.

The Grand Canyon is certainly something everyone should see in their lifetime, but I am of the opinion that the only way to truly appreciate it is from the air. Having done so on several occasions, I believe it is the best way to appreciate the full magnitude of this wonder of the world.

Our first stop is at the Grand Canyon Lodge, which offers a spectacular vantage point from which to view the canyon.

As we enter the Grand Canyon National Park we learn that lightning has triggered several forest fires around the park.

This morning, we will depart for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We stop briefly at Lee’s Ferry, where Nicolai requests that we stage a set of photos for later compositing. Click on the image for a better look at the antics, and note the number of costume changes.

We enjoy a nice sunset before the kids elect to turn in early. Nothing like a day on the water to facilitate a good night’s sleep.

We spent part of the day navigating to the end of Navajo Canyon and put ashore on a nice beach where we enjoy lunch. Lake Powell has something like 98 canyons which feed into it and there are some who believe it was a huge mistake to flood them for the benefit of the lake. I can see good arguements on both sides of this debate.