The red rocks around Sedona all have nicknames which represent their shapes (although sometimes you have to use a little imagination!) and everyone agreed we had to go and see 'Snoopy' (see photo below) before we left. We also had a quick walk through uptown Sedona but we were all keen to hit the road and head towards the Grand Canyon.
One of my favourite moments of the trip so far is the boys' reaction to their first view of the canyon..."It's so big!" and "whoa!" stick in my mind. No matter how many photographs I'd seen of it and whatever preconceived ideas I had, nothing prepared me for the sheer scale and unusualness of it (I'm sure there's a better word out there for the sight of weird rock formations, but for the moment I can't think of one).
We spent most of today, Sunday, exploring the viewing points on the south rim. There are shuttle buses running from point to point to discourage people from driving. Anna and I both said that we couldn't tire of taking in such magnificent views.
As a final treat for all of us, and to get a unique view of this amazing place, we took a helicopter flight over and into the canyon. I won't go into details here as I don't have the words to describe the experience, but a couple of moments were unforgettable. The first four or five minutes of the journey were over forest and we could see the canyon rim approaching - the feeling of crossing over it and seeing the one-mile drop below was simply mind-blowing. Another personal favourite was flying a few hundred feet below the north rim and having the sensation of actually being 'in' the canyon.
Next stop...Monument Valley (home of the Navajo Indians and cowboy movies)...
One of my favourite moments of the trip so far is the boys' reaction to their first view of the canyon..."It's so big!" and "whoa!" stick in my mind. No matter how many photographs I'd seen of it and whatever preconceived ideas I had, nothing prepared me for the sheer scale and unusualness of it (I'm sure there's a better word out there for the sight of weird rock formations, but for the moment I can't think of one).
We spent most of today, Sunday, exploring the viewing points on the south rim. There are shuttle buses running from point to point to discourage people from driving. Anna and I both said that we couldn't tire of taking in such magnificent views.
As a final treat for all of us, and to get a unique view of this amazing place, we took a helicopter flight over and into the canyon. I won't go into details here as I don't have the words to describe the experience, but a couple of moments were unforgettable. The first four or five minutes of the journey were over forest and we could see the canyon rim approaching - the feeling of crossing over it and seeing the one-mile drop below was simply mind-blowing. Another personal favourite was flying a few hundred feet below the north rim and having the sensation of actually being 'in' the canyon.
Next stop...Monument Valley (home of the Navajo Indians and cowboy movies)...
WOW! I'm soooo envious!! This place has long been high up there on my list of desirable places to travel. I've always suspected, just as you've confirmed, that any ideas I've had, photos, or descriptions I've seen, simply don't give me the slightest idea of what it is really like.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your holiday, it sounds amazing!
PS. I thought the term "spaghetti" Western referred to those produced in Europe (Italy /Spain), and not the US??
That was great Barry! And great to here that you're all having a brilliant time,
ReplyDeleteHenry
You're absolutely right Rach...don't know what I was thinking. Now corrected. You should definitely keep this partof the us on your list...it's quite stunning.
ReplyDelete