Sunrise, Sunset.... Canyon style!

During our entire trip, I couldn't stop thinking of this clip from the Flintstones cartoon - enjoy! 

We slept surprisingly well last night and woke up to catch the 5:30 am shuttle to see the sunrise at Hopi Point. Here's a picture with the moon while we waited in the wind for about an hour:

It's hard to look at the sun and take good photos because it's so backlit, but the reflection of the changing colors on the Canyon rocks is incredible. Also, it felt even bigger than yesterday with all the clouds gone. 

We were told there would be tons of people, but only one tour bus stopped and joined us. Here's the sun finally rising!

After watching the sunrise, we walked down to Powell Point as Hopi is only a one way drop off. We picked up the shuttle back to the Village and walked back to our hotel. We organized ourselves, packed up, and checked out. We then grabbed breakfast at the Maswik Lodge cafeteria again. I ordered a chicken fried steak, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich - but they only had sandwich bread and no rolls. So they gave me a croissant which I thought was a culture clash with the chicken fried steak, but also tasty. A photo of my fusion breakfast:

After breakfast, we made our way to the Bright Angel Trailhead. It's very accessible and the most popular. Here's a collage of the Upper Tunnel:

And here's one of me at the Lower Tunnel:

The views were spectacular and being in the Canyon was so different from looking down into it. Here's Yoonjoo enjoying the views, a photo of us, and one of me on the trail:

Hiking in the Grand Canyon is interesting because it is the reverse of what you're used to. You have to save your energy for the return up and we saw many folks running down which I think they'll regret later. Originally, I wanted to hike down to Indian Gardens which is about 6-9 hours round trip. But with our schedule and the fact that I was struggling a little with the elevation, we opted for the 1.5 mile rest house hike which is supposed to take 2-4 hours. Here's a photo of Yoonjoo in the rest house:

It took us less than an hour to get down and about 1.5 hours to get back up. We were told to budget double the time coming back up which is pretty steep. But we were done in less than 2.5 hours total and enjoyed many views as we rested on our ascent. 

After our hike, we drove about 25 miles east to Desert View Watchtower where we had a late lunch at the Trading Post. Yoonjoo ate a chili dog and I had a bread bowl chili. It was actually quite tasty and nourishing after our hike. Here's our meal:

Desert View Watchtower is a historical landmark and has 360 degree views of the eastern part of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Here's a watchtower collage and some views including several ravens that entertained us:

After our two days, I truly feel that we maximized the Grand Canyon. Perhaps we could have hiked more or done a mule ride, but considering our trip length and the energy to hike, I think we did an awesome job in adapting to the weather and taking it all in. I was sad to leave the Grand Canyon, but I have completed something that's been on my bucket list for a long time. 

Although my legs were a bit tired from the day, I powered through with some singing and tea, for a two hour drive to Page, Arizona. The scenery was unbelievable and the roads very straight. Here's a collage, although I wished we could have stopped and taken some proper photos of the landscape:

We included Page so we could visit a Slot Canyon which we're doing tomorrow, but also to see Horseshoe Bend. This is where the Colorado River meanders in a horseshoe shape in the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area.

So after checking into our hotel, the Courtyard Marriott, we drove a few miles to the parking area. You then walk a little less than a mile to the viewpoint on steep cliffs, looking down at the river. There were tons of people waiting for sunset and many were sitting a little too close to the edge. There were also a lot of bugs as it was dusk. If I had known, I would have brought bug spray. You can even see them in the photo:

However it was worth the short trail walk and timing our departure from the Grand Canyon to see this unique formation. Here are a few photos at sunset:

Following all our adventures and drive today, we decided to explore the town of Page which is quite small and had dinner at State 48 Tavern, a Gastropub recommended by our hotel clerk. Upon entering, you wouldn't think it was a Gastropub as it was incredibly unassuming, but the menu had creative dishes and even several items with kimchi. Yoonjoo had a beet salad and I had a pulled pork sandwich which was incredibly tender. We enjoyed our beers and had a nice meal before heading back to our hotel. 

All day long, I had the Flintstones in my head, but also the Fiddler on the Roof classic, "Sunrise, Sunset" as we enjoyed both today and at two different canyons! Coincidentally enough, Yoonjoo's dad, my uncle, performed this song at Yoonjoo's wedding! "Sunrise, sunset......"