<Insert deep thoughts>

On the way out of Vegas, we went to the Hoover Dam. We forgot to take any pictures. I realized this on the drive out so we stopped and snapped this one of Mr. FGK cheesin with the Nevada sign. Close enough right?

We reached the Grand Canyon just in time for sunset. Two things about the Grand Canyon:

1. No one told us it would be cold! I suppose that should have been common sense but we really didn’t think about the elevation. We were dressed for Vegas & we were freezing! We threw together what layers of clothing we had from the top of our luggage. You probably can’t tell but my outfit consists of a halter dress, flip flops, hoodie & two t-shirts. I like to stay true to my travel style – whatever is clean & at the top of my suitcase.
2. Sunset is an awesome time to be at the Grand Canyon. We were able to see the colors of the canyon change as the sun moved. And the shadows that were cast from the moving sun really defined the formations. In the pics below, you can see where the sun was moving (left to right; bottom left to right).

I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what I was looking at then & I still can’t. Billions of years of geological history right there for my viewing pleasure. It truly is grand, majestic, fascinating & all the other adjectives. We were also able to add to the wildlife count with Elk, like this beauty, all over the park.

The next day we set out to see the Meteor Crater. On the drive in we saw these Pronghorns grazing.

50,000 years ago a meteorite struck the earth in what is now Winslow, Arizona. It created this massive crater that has been really well preserved. It’s hard to tell from the picture just how massive it is. To give you an idea of the size, there is a 6 foot tall cut out of an astronaut in the center. You can’t even see it, right? That’s how huge the crater is.

If you visit the site, there is a visitor’s center with exhibits about meteorites, asteroids, comets, astronaut research done at the site, etc. Also, there are pronghorns. Cost of admission was $18.00 for adults.

Next Stop: Painted Desert & Petrified Forest!