DAY 37 start very early since I couldn’t sleep comfortably due to the heat. The noise wasn’t the issue even though there was a train that passed a few times. The early start was good since we had about 2 and a half hours to go to get to Grand Canyon National Park.

We checked out the IMAX movie before heading into the park. It was a great primer for what was to come. When we got to the Visitor Center, it was bustling. We missed the park film, so we walked up to Mather’s Point to check out the giant hole that was a small segment of the Grand Canyon. After spending some time there we went back and watched the film, further enlightened about the park.

We took our time making it east from one end of the South Rim to the Watchtower. The sights never got old as each vantage point gave a unique perspective and opportunity to reflect. Since the shuttle only goes so far into the park, the crowd thinned out at many of the stops.

We spent some time at the Watchtower (a very interesting architectural story) where we met a guy that was photographing day lightning. We had an interesting talk about technology, weather, and photography. After spending maybe too much time there we were on our way to find our camping spot.

We made a stop at a viewing area which solidified the fact we wouldn’t be stopping until after dark. We grabbed some great sunset shots over the Little Colorado River. Worth it, perhaps, but it was a bear trying to find a place to stay for the night. The dispersed campsite we were trying to get to had no openings, so we had to backtrack to our backup plan; Walmart. We’ll see what comes of that.