grand canyon

Neither of us were prepared for the immensity and beauty of the Grand Canyon.

It all started with a meandering drive down to the Colorado River 

and our first glimpses of the majesty of this ancient river bed. 

We stood by the turquoise water of the Colorado River, 

and thought about how this is a mild mannered version 

of the ancient river that once roared through this valley.

The Grand Canyon is big, big, big; but we also noticed the details.

On our way we stopped at the southern Utah film agency.

We loved to see this old movie poster linking Egypt with the wild, wild, west.

The park was the largest, and best organized we had ever seen.

Washroom signs remind people that water conservation is critical.

Info about the canyon can be heard on your cellphone.

Free shuttle buses take you to trails, look offs, restaurants ....

Trails lead to truly incredible views.

Walking the trails we also noticed the details...

cacti in bloom

a gecko - see it in the middle on the stem?

desert flowers

Walking made us recognize GRAND!!

So, we decided to splurge and not only see grand, but DO grand. 

Yes, we did the canyon by helicopter. 

Way, way, way cool.Way way way up.

Take off....

We flew to the edge of the forest. Trees looked like green dots.
It was a very, very, windy day so the camera gets jiggly. Hang on tight...

...and then this...we were (are) speechless...

Back on the ground....North Americans love to go camping in their RVs ! 

RV stands for Recreational Vehicle. 

These big 'houses on wheels' get special parking places...

 

and special campgrounds. 

Here is what they can look like on the inside. All the comforts of home! 

Except you have to pay for the gas to haul all this stuff around.

Smokey the Bear is the symbol for fire prevention. Forest fires are common during th summer months and pose real threats to everything- the forests, forest creatures, and of course people. And of course they spread like, well, like forest fires! Kids are taught about Smokey the Bear and about how to prevent forest fires. They are taught to be careful when you light  and put out your camp fire. Signs in all the parks warn people about how dry the park is - (how wet the soil is due to recent rainfall) . If the arrows is on yellow or red, park rangers may not allow people to make camp fires at all.  Each year forest fires wipe out hundreds of acres of forest. Major forest fires are becoming more frequent.