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.

Each child rides solo and in tandem with a sibling and also takes a turn at driving the boat. Maya, due to her small size and light weight, invariably produced the most spectacular rides bouncing high off the tube and hanging off the edges. The kids could have kept tubing all night but I decided that about half a dozen major crashes was about the right number to preclude any major brain damage. Jeanine wisely chose to spend much of the day on the shore enjoying a book, time by herself, and adding to her journal.

Tubing is the main attraction and I am schooled in the art of accelerating through turns to get the tube outside the wake. Apparently it is more fun to be violently thrown from the tube at 30 mph than to enjoy a nice ride behind the boat while basking in the sun.

For a big change of pace we rent a 19 foot power boat and set out on Lake Powell which features a shoreline that is longer than the entire west coast of the USA.

We spent part of the afternoon in Page bowling and playing billiards at a local hangout. The kids needed a distraction from all the sightseeing, and a good time was had by all. Later, we made the short drive and hike to Horseshoe Bend, where we were just in time to catch the sunset.

Our tour takes us inside the dam and down to its base where we tour the power generation station. Pictured here are 7 of the 8 generators which produce a maximum of 1,296,000 kilowatts. The concrete arch dam is 710 feet high and contains 4,901,000 cubic yards of concrete. It is 25 feet wide at the crest and 300 feet wide at the maximum base.

Lake Powell on which we will spend the day tomorrow was formed by the Glen Canyon Dam. Despite a lack of general enthusiasm for the idea everyone really enjoyed the tour we took of the dam. This turbine was removed from service two weeks ago and is now on permanent display atop the dam.

I got up early for a sunrise view of Monument Valley before we head to Page, AZ.