Day 16: The Grand Canyon!

We drove the scenic tour to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff.
The points that we stopped at:

•  Grand Canyon Village which is on the south rim of the canyon (including Bright Angel Lodge and we saw the head of the Bright Angel Trail - the one that goes to the bottom of the Canyon to Phantom Ranch.). 
• Grand Canyon Visitor's Center and Mather Point (*****be sure to read the caption under the close up of Vernon and me******)
• Drove the 22 miles east of the Visitor's Center and stopped at lookout points:  Grandview Point, Lipan Point, and the Desert View Watchtower

Then after all the 'wow's of the lookouts we drove 33 miles further east to Cameron, AZ and ate some delicious Navajo Tacos at the Cameron Trading Post.  They featured fry bread made from "Bluebird flour".

This is what residents of Flagstaff get to look at out their windows!

Vernon's first view of the Canyon

Another look out along the South Rim

Mather Point -- this and the next 4 pictures.  The lookout was so crowded that we almost didn't walk out there but we're glad we did.  It was a highlight of our Grand Canyon visit.

This little guy had no fear of people.  Food was on his mind.

Beauty all around

Vernon started it.  He asked an oriental woman who was trying to take a selfie if he could take the picture for her. That began a 10 minute picture taking extravaganza.  It was so funny.  The lady then asked to have a picture taken of Vernon and herself, then her friends started lining up to have their picture taken with him. Then she took this picture of us and the ladies started to line up to take their picture with me -- 6 of them one after another -- then again switching their cameras!  And then they went back to Vernon.  At last we edged our way out but realized that we didn't have any picture of them with our camera.  So we got them all together and a nice man took all of us together.  They were delightful.  The only English word they knew was "Sank you, Sank you".  It took a while to learn where they were from but we finally understood that they were from China.  They were a lot of fun.

Grandview Point lookout

Colorado River at Grandview Point lookout

A view at Lipan Point lookout

Also Lipan Point

Watching these crows soar around above and way below us was a highlight.  Vernon said that at one point one of them flew upside down for a short distance.  It was incredible to watch.

This and the next five are of the Desert View Watchtower

Architect, Mary Coulter designed and had the tower built in 1932

Ceiling on the inside of the ground level of the tower

A view from the top of the tower

Another view from the top of the tower

Vernon said to entitle this "Waiting for my honey".  The inside of the tower  -- the stairwells were decorated with Indian art

Heading out from Desert View Watchtower to Cameron, AZ (33 miles) to have a late lunch

We drove along some narrower parts of the canyon on the way to Cameron

The Cameron Trading Post.  It's been there 101 years.   The restaurant there had beautiful wood craftsmanship and a stamped tin ceiling (and the yummy Navajo tacos)

Day 16  Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon round trip-- 189 miles  (second night in Flagstaff)

Tomorrow:  Flagstaff to Amarillo, Texas