Tuesday, June 9, 2009

What I did on my summer vacation, part 1


Grand Canyon, north rim, just a few days ago. I visited the south rim in 1959. Don't remember that.
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

The weather was moody and it fluctuated. Good weather for a visit with the sublime and the inexplicable.

They say that, from 30,000 feet, it looks stranger still, a hole that appears in an expanse of flat land.

I saw foreigners clutching their children. A saw non-foreigners letting their kids run wild, as though there were no danger of falling and dying. Odd.

The first European explorers hated it. It was, I'm told, monstrous to them, an odd thing for a good God to make.
I dunno.

The river, down at the bottom

4 comments:

Bohrstein said...

Good God! It's gorgeous... oh, wait. How terrible?

Anyways, I went there once. I was asleep during the drive there, and awoke when we arrived. I remember it was freakin' cold. Then, I remember thinking "How nice," when I saw it with my dreary eyes. Then, with a shiver I said, "I'm going inside." Then, with my teeth chattering, I went in to the gift shop. Ah, the memories.

mad as hell said...

Yeah; the Spaniards thought it was hideous. Of course, they had things on their minds that we can only try to imagine: making progress on a hard journey across country, and finding things that were useful or wealth-producing. It's hard to imagine finding these vistas horrible, but a good reminder of the power of culture and circumstances to color what we see (even when what we are seeing is the amazing color and depth of the Grand Canyon).

The book-shop is very cool, BS, though you might not have appreciated that at the time. The best way to experience wonders like the North Rim, I am certain, is as an adult. I recommend that you go there as soon as you are able!

The photos are gorgeous, Chunk!

Anonymous said...

Hey ROy!

IMO awesome pics. Man are you a real pro with the camera!!! Looks like you had a blast.:-)

Anonymous said...

Hey ROy!

IMO awesome pics. Man are you a real pro with the camera!!! Looks like you had a blast.:-)

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...