DATE VISITED: 04/27/2015
NATIONAL
LANDMARK & HISTORICAL SITE:
Grand Canyon
LOCATION: Tusayan, Coconino Co., Arizona
DEDICATED: February 26, 1919
PERSONAL
REFLECTIONS:
What can you say about the Grand Canyon that hasn’t already
been said?
Pre 1500’s… it was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands
of years. Currently the Native Tribes of the Havasupai, Hualapai, Navajo, and
Hopi all maintain ownership of parts of the park. By the way, the Hopi are
considered one of the oldest living cultures in documented history.
1500’s…discovered by Europeans, Spaniards.
1882, 1883 & 1886…Senator Benjamin Harris introduced
legislation to make the Grand Canyon a National Park. All were defeated.
1893…President Harris declared it protected as a forest
reserve.
1903…President Teddy Roosevelt visited. His quote is below.
1906…President Roosevelt upgraded the park to a game reserve which
allowed for the protection of wildlife.
1908…President Roosevelt made the park a National Monument.
1910 & 1911…Legislation was introduced to make the Grand
Canyon a National Park. Again, like the attempts in the late 1800’s, both were
defeated.
1919…President Woodrow Wilson signed into law legislation that
made the Grand Canyon a National Park on February 26, 1919.
1966 to approx. 2009…Development was halted because of an ownership
dispute between the Hopi and Navajo Nations.
1979…The Grand Canyon National Park was declared a World Heritage
Site.
I was surprised to read of the difficulties in getting the site
declared a National Park given the fact that attendance was already in the
thousands at a time when it wasn’t easy getting there. The number of visitors
in 1919 is estimated to have been almost 38,000.
But these are just facts, not what you feel when you gaze at
the expanse and you realize you are holding your breath.
John Wesley Powell said…"The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot
be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The
resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to
portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail."
Teddy Roosevelt said…"The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is
beyond comparison—beyond description; absolutely unparalleled through-out the
wide world... Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing
to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But
what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and
all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."
John McCain said…"I believe in evolution. But I also believe,
when I hike the Grand Canyon and see it at sunset that the hand of God is there
also."
It is true, you must see it to understand.
As little girls we traveled back and forth across the United
States visiting my Dad’s family in North Carolina. My dad only had so much
vacation every year and he wasn’t going to spend any more of it travelling than
he had to. It often felt like a race from one coast to the other and that
certainly doesn’t leave any time for sightseeing.
When I envisioned this trip, the one thing that I knew I would
do no matter how far off my route I had to go or how much time it took. I HAD
to see the Grand Canyon. Everything else on the trip was negotiable except
this.
Dana and I arrived at the park early and got our first
surprise before we even stopped the car. There were a couple of elk sitting
next to the road. We hurriedly parked and went to see. A guy standing there
told us they were young elk, not very big, but they sure seemed big to Dana and
I.
We spent a little time going through the visitor’s center and
I asked one of the rangers what he felt we should concentrate on if we had a
good half a day and are not anything close to hikers. He suggested the free bus
up the south rim to Hermit’s Rest overlook, so that was the direction we took.
Our first stop was at Bright Angel Trailhead. You get off the
bus and have to climb up to the overlook. Until this moment, the only thing we
had seen were pictures of the canyon.
It’s interesting…you really never get a “glimpse”…all of a
sudden, there it is, right in front of you and it takes your breath away.
I have to say, I heard no chattering from anyone during the
first couple of stops. We are all awe struck into reverential silence.
Every stop had different views of the canyon and I heard
several people say that you need to visit at different times of the day as the
sun on the canyon walls change as the day goes on.
I’ll bet sunrise at the Canyon is amazing and Dana and I
briefly talked about it but, early the next morning, we were quite comfortable
in our soft beds back at the hotel. Ok, I was curious enough to Google some
images of sunrise and it does look spectacular.
At Powell Point overlook, there is a monument to John Wesley
Powell, the first to lead an exploration of the canyon. I couldn’t believe it,
people were going past the railing and standing at the edge.
The landmark reads…
“1869…John C Sumner / Walter H Powell / GY Bradley / William R
Hawkins / Andrew Hall
1872…AH Thompson / FS Dellenbaugh / John K Hillers / Stephen V
Jones / W Clement Powell / Andrew J Hatten
Erected by the Congress of the United States to Major John
Wesley Powell, first explorer of the Grand Canyon who descended the river with
his party in row boats traversing the Gorge beneath this point August 17, 1869
and again September 1, 1872.”
Don’t get me wrong…I’m really not afraid of heights, but I am
afraid of the “splat” if you fall. But several people assured me that it was an
overhang and the next area was maybe 6 feet down, so I sent Dana out on the
ledge to get a picture.
If there is one thing we should have prepared for, visitors
are warned that bathrooms, food and drinking water are scarce. We were both
pretty thirsty by the time we got to Hermit’s Rest and yippee…they had Dr.
Pepper.
The monument at Hermit’s Rest reads…
“Hermit’s Rest has been designated a National Historic
Landmark. This site possesses national significance in commemorating the
history of the United States of America. 1987. National Park Service. United
States Department of the Interior”
It’s amazing to think how many people visit the Grand Canyon
every year. In 1919, almost 38,000 people visited and it has grown every year
since. 2014 saw 4.8 million visitors and we were just 2 more this year.
I did a review on TripAdvisor and just want to include how I
closed my review…
“Whoever or whatever is responsible for this…thank you for
allowing me to take a peek at your handiwork”.
Life is good
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