A Kansan In the Canyon (Fourth Leg)

The race was on. Would I make it to The Grand Canyon before sunset? I covered a lot of ground but succeeded in beating the clock.















It's truly breathtaking.















And it's surreal- everything seems almost too perfect.















The key to fully enjoying the experience is getting off the beaten path.















Perhaps the natural beauty brings out the best in people. Myself excluded, almost all of the park's visitors- the ratio was equal parts American, European and Japanese- are ridiculously kind and friendly. (I'll pretend my unfortunate encounter with a French-Canadian never happened.)

















The on-site hotels were out of my price range, but I was delighted to discover that some of the park's facilities- including this cafeteria- haven't been updated in decades. Hello 1972!
















Obligatory animal shot.






















Here's my dirty little secret: I often suspected that the whole thing is a fake. It might be a colossal trompe-l'oeil.