Journaling: Northern Arizona**

We stopped in Tuba City, Arizona and filled up with gas.  Then we had a disturbing session with the ATM which would not read my bank card.  So I thought I'd use the credit card which is essentially against my principles, but what can you do?  OK, the machine read the card but I have forgotten my PIN.  So no money.  (When we arrived home much later there was a friendly letter from the card company reminding me of my secret number. Like I need it now.)

So on down the road sans cash.  At the crossing of the little Colorado, we turned westward to drive along the south rim of the Grand Canyon.  At the first scenic overlook, you guessed it, plywood booths totally obstructing the view such that had not one of the vendors failed to show for work that day we'd have seen nothing but plywood and product.  Through the empty booth, we could catch a glimpse of the scenic wonder beyond.  Our irritation was sufficiently intense that even JoAnn did not buy stuff.

Jo surveys the Canyon.

vanilla awed and amazed

The drive along the canyon was spectacular and many views made it worth the while, even though we knew we would return to the rim on the morrow.  We drove out of the Park to Tusayan and purchased a camping spot.  The following day, October 23, we drove to the Park, abandoned the RV and the dog in a parking lot, and boarded a bus for a scenic tour to various points along the canyon.  We disembarked at one point and enjoyed the area for an hour, boarded another bus and rode back to Moran Point where we got off and walked along the rim of the canyon about a mile and a half back to the Visitor Center where we boarded another bus to return to the parking lot.

You have all seen the pictures and most of you have read the feeble efforts others have made to describe the Canyon.  We won't even try.  It is indeed overwhelming.  We did observe that there were extensive forest fires on the North Rim which provided a rich haze of  smoke throughout the canyon which with the brilliant play of sunlight lent a phantasmagorical quality to the scenes.

Yet there was not sufficient smoke to obscure the view.  We were later told that the fires had been burning for two months and that there was no effort being made to squelch them.  Reforestation and renewal of the flora in the area, you see, as many seeds will not germinate unless they have been through the fire.

Back to Tusayan in the evening and a return to our campground.