Day 23 - Glen Canyon and Grand Canyon

Getting up at 05:45 is not fun, especially not during vacation. But getting up early was definitely worth it today! When I stepped onto our balcony, I was greeted with the following view...

The reason we got up early was for a planned rafting tour through Glen Canyon, starting at 07:30. So, we got dressed, checked out of the hotel, and headed to the meeting point for the boat tour. After the usual American style briefing on the many risks and multiple safety instructions, we took a bus to the lower end of Glen Canyon Dam.

Very important, for the short 80-meter walk from the bus to our rafts, we all had to wear helmets. Our bus driver even had a helmet shaped like a cowboy hat! :-) So, helmet on, walk down 80 meters to the boat, take off the helmet, and hop on the raft.

Together with our slightly quirky but very likable tour guide Phil, we embarked on a journey down the Colorado River. And these pictures were the reward for getting up early.

Experiencing a sunrise in a canyon is truly something special! Even though the temperatures were very chilly. Don't be fooled by the beautiful pictures, the river water temperature was 7°C!!! So, no one in our group dared to take a plunge into the water. :-)

During a short pitstop, we visited a memorial site of the Navajo Indians with many ancient rock carvings. Then we continued to the famous Horseshoe Bend and sped back to our starting point.

Back on land (and in the warmth!), we wanted to see the Horseshoe Bend from above. And so, after a short drive, we enjoyed this view.

In addition to the breathtaking view, we also admired the countless tourists who were apparently braver than us and climbed to the most impossible places on the unprotected cliff for a good photo. Okay, it's only a 700-meter free fall...

We preferred to settle for a nice selfie. Yes, we even bought one of those silly selfie sticks, even though I always cursed them. :-)

After freezing in the morning, we were now in the desert at 40°C to take some beautiful photos of the Horseshoe Bend. Therefore, we were relieved when we could enjoy the pleasant temperature in our car again. During the 2.5-hour drive to the Grand Canyon, Michelle took a nap and I had to stay awake to avoid falling asleep on the oh-so-exciting American roads. And that's not easy when you practically just drive straight. :-)

We've seen many impressive landscapes on our trip so far, but the Grand Canyon surpasses everything with its immense dimensions. Bryce Canyon was our favorite with its bizarre rock formations. But when you stand in front of the massive Grand Canyon, words fail you.

The over 450km long and up to 1800m deep gorge was carved into the Colorado Plateau rock by the Colorado River over millions of years. Hard to imagine, because the Colorado River is hardly visible in the huge trench today. We admired this natural wonder from the southern rim, over 2,100 meters above sea level.

There are countless ways to explore the canyon, and we have chosen a very special mode of transportation. If you want to find out more, be sure not to miss tomorrow's post. :-)

On the way back to the hotel, we noticed that some residents of the national park are not yet familiar with traffic regulations in the US...