Grand Dust Bowl

The wind swept the Canyon full of dust today. On our walk tonight, it was an obviously different view than last night's, which was very clear. Strange looking. Tonight was also graduation for Grand Canyon High School, and they had their ceremony next door on the lawn at El Tovar, very nice. We walked over there after dinner (at The Arizona Room tonight) and went through the beautiful lobby. I found two pairs of earrings that spoke to me and said they really wanted to come home with me, so I couldn't say no. :) I also got a magnet for the fridge and Josie bought a dream catcher.

While we chose Zion National Park for this trip (we go there tomorrow) over Painted Desert and Petrified Forest (both awesome in their own rights, but we will have to save them for another trip), the kids did get to see two pieces of real petrified wood tonight outside Verkamp's Museum and Visitor Center. We had been talking about petrified wood earlier today, in fact, and trying to explain how the trees had changed to stone over millions of years (which is bound to make no sense), so it was great timing to have an example right there for them to see and feel what it is. Not that it wouldn't be so much better to see Petrified Forest, but this was an acceptable substitute.

Tomorrow, on our way to Zion, we plan to stop at Desert View (about 26 miles south of here) and climb the watchtower to see the views of the Canyon from there. Several of the locals here have told us it's worth the time to go, so that's what we intend to do.