Sedona, AZ and Montezuma's Castle

Since we had never been to Sedona or Montezuma's Castle we took a day trip from the Grand Canyon. The red rock formations around Sedona are very interesting. No wonder they are a common subject for artists. We'll have to come back and spend some time in this area.

 Montezuma's Castle was home to the Sinagua people for over 300 years, from about AD 1200. They were farmers and built these amazing cliff duelings. We wonder if any of them had a fear of heights.

 The shady path to the ruins.

Beaver Creek was their source of water.

Desert View and the Watchtower

On this day we drove to the eastern end of the park to explore Desert View and the Watchtower.

The Watchtower, like many other structures at the Grand Canyon, was designed by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. She was known for designing buildings that would blend in with their surroundings. 

 The first floor was painted by a Hopi artist.

 Looking up to the ceiling.

 Views from the windows at the top.

The following are photos outside the tower at Desert View.

The watchtower in the distance.

Shoshone Point in the Evening

We had a picnic supper out at Shoshone Point with Doug & Terry and Steve and Kris. A wonderful way to celebrate Terry's birthday.

 Notice the unusual rock at the point.

 Claudia and Terry visiting by the rock near the point. This is as close to the edge as Claudia would dare get.

 Our friend, Doug

Kolb Studio and Residence

Ellsworth and Emery Kolb built this studio and home clinging to the edge of the canyon. They photographed the canyon and the people who took the mule ride down the Bright Angel Trail. They were adventurers, the first to make a movie of a boat trip down the Colorado River in 1912. Doug and Terry gave us a tour of their residence which is only open to private tours. The Grand Canyon Association bookstore where they work occupies the top floor of this wonderful building. They also have an exhibit area where they play the Kolb brothers video and have wonderful displays. The view from the windows is amazing, both in the store and residence.

The following rooms were left in the original condition when the house was restored.

This is the dark room.

 This is their studio.

 This is the famous window where they photographed the mule riders near the top of the trail.

 Our photo from the famous window.

 The Kolb studio.

The studio is at the top right corner. The brothers took daily trips down to Indian Garden, four and a half miles down the trail, three thousand feet below the rim. This was the only source of clean water so they could develop the pictures which they sold to the tourists. 

Grand Canyon National Park with Friends

We decided to visit the Grand Canyon again, as it had been 23 years since our last visit. Also our good friends are working in the park, which gave us another reason. Our first day here we had a few showers, which made for interesting views of the canyon.

Steve, Terry, Kris, & Doug. It's great spending time with friends. 

Our campsite in the Kaibab National Forest, about a mile from the south entrance. Very quiet and dark here. A few elk wander by from time to time and the hummingbirds are frequent visitors to the feeder.