Tues - Thurs 9/30 - 10/2  Tucson

Up early for the sunrise.  From the rim right outside our room.  Walked down to the Lookout studio and Kolb studio and the mules gearing up for the morning ride to Plateau Point.   A short walk down the Bright Angel trail was enough.  Lots of people had done rim to rim walks the previous day.  A mere twenty three miles with a five thousand foot elevation loss and gain.  Maybe next  year.

In the San Francisco mountains on our way to Tucson we continued with the theme of this years travels.  A bear wandered across the road in front of us and went into the woods.

On Weds we toured Tucson.  First stop was the Mission San Xavier del Bac, more than 300 years old.

Next up was the Pima Air & Space Museum, much less than 300 years old.  But full of neat planes.

Thursday was the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.  Had breakfast (and lunch) at Beyond Bread, a small chain of bakery/eatery places in Tucson.  The one we ate at on Ina at Oracle, is in the shopping center where Gabby Giffords was shot. 

The museum is full of desert animals and plants.  Very different from our native east coast.

 Parrot

 Coyote

Mountain Lion -- Puma

 
 Hidden Mickey

Javelina

Cholla

Grey Fox

Bobcat, not very active

 Otter

 Hummingbird

 Female Harris Hawk

 Male -- smaller, about 2/3 size

Mon Sept 29 Grand Canyon

When planning the trip we added the Grand Canyon late.  We had originally planned to leave from Sequoia and drive back to Chapel Hill, I40 all the way.  But passing by that close I just had to stop at GRCA.  So off we went.

The road out of TwenyNinePalms was straight -- little left-right deviation, but a lot more up -down.

The Mojave desert looked pretty green.  Ranger at JOTR told us there had been a big rain a couple of weeks ago, and that probably had something to do with it.  Lots of dirt across the roads where the water had rushed across.

Any idea what this is?  Nice long staircase to get to it.  Wasn't a tourist thing -- no signs out front.

We did drive along part of historic Route 66, and then arrived at the Canyon. 

This stone was placed by a CCC mason in the '20s to woo a waitress at the El Tovar hotel.  No idea if it worked, but it looks cool.

C was able to change our reservation at the Maswick into a Rim View room at the Thunderbird at the last minute.  That meant we could enjoy the sunset right outside our room.