05-05-23 Grand Canyon South Rim (Day 2) 27°/62° Windy

- June 04, 2023

Beginning of Kaibab Trail

Jeeps-7

“There are many paths to a meaningful sense of the natural world.” (Blackfoot Proverb)

We left for the visitor center around 10:00 AM. The main goal was to get our Passport cancellation stamps and stickers. We also bought sammies for our hike down Kaibab Trail. It is a steep downward hike with three levels .9 miles to Ooh Aah Point, .6 miles to Cedar Ridge, and 1.5 miles to Skeleton Point...then another four miles to the Colorado River. We only went to Ooh Aah Point., well...almost. The rest of the group went to Cedar Ridge. This was a challenging hike, serious stuff at 7,000 feet.

This is what the trail looks like
from the top

I was worried about how far I would make it, but I would do my best. Unfortunately, my damn hips were giving me problems again. We almost made it to Ooh Aah, but it was starting to get warm, and I do not hike well when it is warm. I also had to use my inhaler, and it helped. The walk back up was uphill with switchbacks, and lots of people, so we took it slow and steady. Finally, we made it back up, and my hips were on fire, and Barry’s knee hurt a bit, BUT we did it.

We ate lunch outside the gift shop and were entertained by the marmots. I have never seen one, and they look like a giant squirrel. One would circle me and try to steal lettuce from my sandwich—bold little guys. One almost got on Barry’s lap. We did not feed them, but they sure are cute when begging.

Sculpture outside the Gift Shop

Close up

On the trail

Once we finished our lunch, we walked to the gift shop, bought T-shirts, stickers, and got my Passport cancellation stamps. We then walked to Mather Point. It is about a quarter of a mile from the visitor center and FLAT! This point has some beautiful views, and we took lots of photos. We had a great time at our own pace. Finally, around 2:30 PM, we made it back to the RV. It gave us time to relax, shower and get ready for dinner. We had dinner reservations at the El Tovar Hotel with Roma and Dennis. The Reynolds decided to have dinner at their RV.

Dennis and Roma piled into our Jeep, and off we went. All four of us looked forward to dinner. We could not find parking, so we drove to the train station and parked. We had to walk up a bunch of stairs...AGAIN, and over to the hotel. The décor was so cool. The inside of the restaurant looked like an old log cabin. Our reservation was at 5:30 PM, and the place was already packed. Roma and I ordered Prickly Pear Margaritas. Neither of us had one before. I can see that this will become a favorite in the future. We all loved our meals and tasted each other’s. I had shrimp and scallops, Barry ate Lamp Shanks, Roma ordered Duck, and Dennis had the special ground veal with pasta. We also ordered dessert; Roma and Dennis had Crème Brule, Barry had an Apple Crisp, and I had the Flourless Chocolate Cake with a raspberry sauce. YUMMY!

All cleaned up for dinner.

Prawns and Scallops

Lamb Shank

Part of the dining room decor

After dinner, we went into the gift shop, took care of our Passport cancellations, and bought stickers for our passport books. Then, we walked behind the Kachina and Thunderbird Lodges to view the Grand Canyon again. It was cloudy, so unfortunately, we couldn’t see the sunset. Once back to our RV, I changed into PJs and relaxed for the night. Early rising again tomorrow.