USA 2004

Grand Canyon & Monument Valley

We set off around 10 a.m., after stopping to buy some fruit and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch

We both had imagined Grand Canyon National Park to be a bit different. Contrary to our expectations, there’s a lot of greenery. Until the very last moment before reaching the canyon, it’s hard to imagine that suddenly there will be nothing here but vast expanses of rock. We’re all the more amazed when we finally see the canyon. A breathtaking view unfolds before us. We both agree: you can only truly appreciate this natural wonder when you see it in person. We stop at as many overlooks as possible; at some points, I really have to fight my fear of heights - the strong gusts of wind don’t help either. We’re a bit unlucky with the weather. There are some clouds in the sky, which reduces visibility and also dims the light in many parts of the canyon. On our way out of the canyon, it starts to rain.

Our next destination is Monument Valley. Since we made better time than expected the day before, we easily make it there and still have plenty of time once we arrive. The weather has improved only slightly - it’s no longer raining, but the wind is still strong, which at times causes poor visibility due to the churning desert dust. Despite all this, we are once again impressed by the stunning natural spectacle.

Since it’s still light out, we decide not to look for a motel in the next town just yet. We therefore bypass Mexican Hat (named, as we’ve seen, after a rock that looks like a Mexican wearing a hat) and plan to look for a motel in a place called Fry Canyon. The journey there turns out to be quite an adventure: Marked on the map as a normal road, the path resembles more of a trail for experienced mountain drivers. We suddenly found ourselves in a canyon, and the road seemed to come to an end. That assumption wasn’t quite correct, because the aforementioned trail led up the canyon. For me, that was out of the question due to the altitude. The path was very narrow, and the drop-off was enormous. The gathering darkness also made driving difficult for Andy. He handled the task very well, though; with a heart rate of 200 and cold hands, I gratefully noted the end of the path.

The next adventure wasn’t long in coming: Fry Canyon turned out to be a "one-hotel town" - which, unfortunately, was also closed. We therefore had to look for the next place to spend the night - which was 110 miles further north - Hanksville. We reached Hanksville around 9:30 p.m. (it was already pitch black at 7 p.m.). The motel here had only one room left with a double bed; we couldn’t get the internet to work, and we still had no cell service here, just as we’d been trying in vain to get all day. All in all, a very exciting day.

Photo Gallery: Grand Canyon