Grand Canyon - Big Time!!! (pardon the pun)

I'm going to summarize the last couple of days as we were in and out of the National Park several times and things start to run together anyway.  Also, I got my best photos today, the last day, as there was no rain and no haze on the canyon.  The Park has a shuttlebus system that works very, very well so we parked at the visitor center and rode the "blue line" and the "red line" buses regularly.  What a fashion show and melting pot of languages just riding buses.  I really enjoyed it.  

We saw our share of wildlife... some we were camera ready, some not.

There's an elk in there!

Resting Roadside

We shuttled along the rim and these are just a few of the beautiful shots we captured:

Beautiful in the afternoon sun

Beautiful in the shadows

See the sliver of the Colorado River?

One afternoon we were treated to a Navajo Indian dance troupe called Pollen Trail.  They danced outside the Hopi House, one of the several Grand Canyon "original structures" that makes this place so special.

Hopi House - on US Historic Register

Native American Dancers

Ceremonial Hoop Dancer - about 14 hoops

Pam wanted to treat me to an early birthday lunch so we went to the El Tovar Inn - another historic register location - and enjoyed a scrumtious meal in a very elegant "formal" setting.  We could almost "feel" the history in the room.

Thanks to the afternoon rains, the threat level for wildfires has been reduced to just "moderate" by my friend Smokey...

Keeping things safe

After days of fire restrictions... no campfires, not even grilling on charcoal, the bans were lifted and we were finally able to cook on the grill and, most importantly, make s'mores! 

We had originally planned to overnight in Flagstaff, but decided to even out our daily driving mileage by continuing on to Holbrook, AZ.  Once again, serendipity at work.  On our way to the Petrified Forest (a slight backtrack) we passed a business named Jim Grey's Petrified Wood.  It looked like your local hardware store but we were intrigued so stopped to see what's what.  Whoa! Amazing! We ended up spending almost 2 hours here in a "rock store".  They had a stone-yard in the back (big as a football field), and inside every shape and size and finished/unfinished type of petrified wood and then an amazing array of gemstones, crystals and fossils.  I shopped for jewelry making supplies, decorator items and was so taken by the landscaping pieces outside that I got busy with my camera and have some new artwork for framing.

Unassuming exterior...

Logs on display outside store

And then these "pretty things"...

Purples & Yellows and Greens

Earthy Composition

You're probably thinking, "she's such a nut", but this place left me breathless!  Good thing I don't live closer or surely my yard would be "petrified" and I'd be yard-of-the-month for sure!  On our way back to the campsite we happened on a town festival and stopped for a look-see.  It was neat as they were giving out ribbons for "best brisket" and "best barbecue" etc.  Fun to watch the crowd get into it!  Onward to Albuquerque today.