Sorry for the delay, but the past couple of days have been so incredible and I’ve been taking it all in! After Albuquerque we made our way to the Grand Canyon. First we stopped in Petrified National Forest. It’s no longer a forest, but in prehistoric times millions years ago it was a lush rainforest home to the dinosaurs. The trees fell into a riverbed and eventually crystallized in the mud. What is left today are brilliantly colored crystals in the form of petrified wood. This place was awesome and it made me seriously think about how much the earth’s landscape has changed over time. After this we crashed at our KOA for a night. The next day we got up and we chose to go to the South Rim because it was closer to our KOA. There are no adequate words to describe it. I think it’s something everyone should try to see in their lifetime. It was so vast and deep that looking at it made me dizzy and breathless. It seemed to go on for miles and miles as far as the eye could see. I’m afraid of heights too and it didn’t help that the rocks at look out spots were slick. It wasn’t crowded when we went, but busy enough. We walked the trail of time for several miles and soaked in the views. The Grand Canyon is really old. Millions of years old. The Colorado River has been carving it out for a very long time. This is easily observed by all the colorful layers of sediment in the rock. We chose not to hike down into the canyon. Although I am well equipped to hike in the North Carolina mountains, I know I am no expert and I decided to not push my limits as hiking down into the canyon is extremely dangerous. It’s hotter the further down you go. Right before I left on my trip I heard about two people that had just died while visiting. It is no joke and should be taken seriously. The next day we went to a cool spot in Marble Canyon called Lee’s Ferry. It’s actually part of the Grand Canyon and it provides easy access to the Colorado River. When we arrived some people were leaving on boating tours. The Colorado River apparently is very dangerous as well. A sign posted said that 85% of people who enter the river without a life jacket die. So we stayed back on the edge and took some pictures. The red color of the rock was mesmerizing and something that I can’t get out of my mind! I am honored to have seen this land that is special to the Navajo amongst other tribes.
Adventures With Aia: 