Weekend of Wonders

Have you ever watched the sunrise over the Grand Canyon? I had never seen the Grand Canyon until this past weekend and to see it for the first time by sunrise was...magnificent! I wish I could describe it to you in words that would do it justice. There are none. I took over 600 pictures to try to capture the beauty I saw, but not one of them could even come close to showing what I experienced.

My friend, Robin, and I flew in to Phoenix on Saturday morning and drove to Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. We ate a fabulous late lunch at The Blue Adobe, which we highly recommend. The patio was lovely, the service was efficient and friendly, and the food was delicious!

After Scottsdale, we headed to the Grand Canyon and spent the night there. We tried to get there by sunset, but we also don't like to rush. It's something Robin and I agree on when we travel. We like days off to feel like days off...and not another schedule we have to keep. :)

We were at the Grand Canyon at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning. We knew the "peak" watch time was 7:15 a.m., but we didn't want to miss anything. The minute the sky showed the faintest bit of light, we seemed to hold our breath in anticipation. The Grand Canyon put on quite a show for us. Every ray of sunlight changed what we saw and revealed more and more of the exquisite beauty of this ancient place.

We headed to Sedona in the late afternoon, just in time to have dinner on a patio and watch the sunset on the Red Rocks. Again, there are no words or pictures that would translate the experience. I will say, though, that the same word comes to mind when I think of both the Grand Canyon and the Red Rocks of Sedona: peace. Nothing compares to the peace I feel when I look at the natural wonders of this world. It causes me to pause and reflect, gives me a better perspective, and it makes me very grateful.