Canyon
de Chelly and the Grand Canyon
Northern Arizona is home to some of
the greatest natural wonders to be found on our planet. Two of these majestic,
spiritual places are Canyon de Chelly and the Grand
Canyon. There is an abundance of activities available, including horseback
riding, jeep tours and, of course, hiking. Excellent lodging options can be
found as well.
Canyon de Chelly
This canyon is widely pictured but
not well known to tourists. It is home to the famous “Spider Rock,” which has
been featured in countless television and print ads. Spider Rock is at the back
of Canyon de Chelly, but can be viewed by car. There
is a view loop which runs the length of the canyon rim, and it takes about 15
minutes to get to Spider Rock from the park entrance.
This National Park is considered one of
the longest continually inhabited landscapes in North America. Canyon dwellers
date back over 2000 years. Cliff dwellings, pictographs and petroglyphs
are found throughout Canyon de Chelly.
We took a half-day jeep tour, which
was just perfect. Our Navajo guide was very knowledgeable about the history and
ready for any need we might have. The jeeps have supersized wheels to deal with
the soft sand found on the canyon’s floor.
The ride was exhilarating and
especially fun for the kids.
We traveled nine miles back into the
canyon, past many ruins and cliff dwellings of the once flourishing Anasazi, a name taken from the Navajo phrase “Anaa bizází,” which means
“enemy’s ancestors.” The dwellings are largely intact and show great planning,
especially in degree of protection they provide from predatory animals.
From the canyon floor, the walls rise
up steeply more than 1,000 feet on both sides. The canyon’s width varies from
about a quarter to a half mile. It is easy to lose all thoughts of the outside
world here and just take in the great beauty of the place.
The Thunderbird Lodge is the best
place to stay when visiting Canyon de Chelly. The
rooms are comfortable — and air conditioned for the summer. The Lodge Café
serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is very reasonable.
The lodge also has a large gift shop
with just about everything you could think of to commemorate your visit. Canyon
de Chelly is about 2 hours by car from Flagstaff. For more information visit http://www.tbirdlodge.com.
The Grand Canyon
Sometimes we Americans take this wonder of the world for
granted. On this trip, it seemed that foreign tourists, especially those from
Europe, outnumbered Americans. We drove to the South Rim from Canyon de Chelly on the east.
Our first stop was Desert View, which
is a miniature version of the Grand Canyon Village. The Watchtower at Desert
View offers spectacular vistas of this drier side of the Grand Canyon. The
vista point is a short walk from where you park your car. Visitors are in such
awe of their surroundings that they barely speak. Instead they gasp.
There are many great vista spots
along the way to the Grand Canyon Village. The village offers many different
lodging choices, as well as the feel and excitement of a college town during a
big event. The El Tovar is the high-end of accommodations here, with the Bright
Angel Lodge close behind. Both of these properties actually sit on the canyon
rim, as does the Thunderbird Lodge. From here you can easily take in the
sunrises or sunsets that are so famous.
At sunrise, you will notice many
other local friends, including deer and squirrels. The Maswik
lodge and Yavapai Lodge are also close by.
For those brave enough to ride the
mules or hike to the bottom of the canyon, The Phantom Ranch is available. One
thing to remember is that many a daring soul has hiked down easily and been
unable to make the return uphill trip.
On this visit we hiked along the
canyon rim to the west. From there the Colorado River comes into view several
times.
It is a moderate hike, and there are
bus pickups nearby in case you tire. The vast beauty of the canyon made me want
to continue around each corner for more and different views.
The visitors seemed very friendly to
each other here. This spiritual experience seems to affect all in a positive
way.
When we left I
felt refreshed. I would imagine this is the feeling that mountain climbers
feel, especially when challenging a new peak.
I made a resolution to visit more of
the great national parks we have in the U.S. Teddy Roosevelt would be proud.
For more info visit
http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com.