The post The South Rim first appeared on Nieske Op Reis.
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The sound of english makes it a preferred choice for lyrics in many countries over their own language. It certainly applies to ‘The Grand Canyon’. It may not be the greatest or deepest in the world according to ‘National Parks’. It certainly is exceptional in its grandeur. Every visit is a humbling experience.
The ‘North Rim’ is rough. It is harder to reach and has only about three viewpoints. The ‘South Rim’ gives you at least twenty lookouts to marvel at nature’s wonder. We made this part of our route.
Having crossed the wide open plains we are now approaching Kaibab National Forest with the close by Havasupai Indian Reserve. It’s on the south-east side of the Grand Canyon National Park. Before entering the park we make a quick stop at the Visitor Centre which also houses an IMAX theater. We decide for a National Parks Pass with validity of one year. Since we will be visiting more parks this seems to be the most cost effective choice.
In-park, Trailer Village seems to be the only concessioner operated RV park. And it is the only campground with full hook-ups. All others are operated by the National Park Service. Not having made reservations at least six months ahead, we will not spend the night inside the park.
Camping is tough. We make u-turn at the reception. Well, we try. After backing up three times we manage to make the turn with our 33-feet RV and head back to the park entrance. A few minutes outside the park we check into the first available campground. No trees, no shade. But a lot of deer droppings. Camping is tough.
We hook-up our Winnie on 30amps and connect our water supply. Then slide the slide-out to extend our living space and kitchen to almost 13 feet. The nice stove and oven will be ignored for tonight as we decide to microwave our dinner. As it counts down we check the channels on one of the two flatscreen tv’s. Nothing. No reception in the middle of nowhere. Camping is tough.
Fortunately the roof mounted a/c does a good job. We let our 9 miles to the gallon gobbling V10 cool down and romantically set some chairs between the propane tank and 115volts generator which is also hooked to the 42 gallon fuel tank. With a nice glass of ice water from the fridge in one hand and a cigarette in the other we savour the pure clean air from this beautiful piece of nature. That shall help us get through the disappointment of not being able to camp inside the Grand Canyon National Park. Camping is tough.
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Today we switch our Jeep for a Winnebago camper, or RV. Stretching 33ft the manufacturer still classifies it as a ‘Minnie Winnie’.
It is organised chaos at the Apollo rental office. The ‘Burning Man’ Festival has just ended and now it is hard for the cleaning staff to keep up with the incoming RV’s. New renters have invaded the airconditioned office hiding from the heat. It is clear our planned schedule for the day will fail.
As if the scorching 110 degrees in Vegas was not challenging enough we take our big home on wheels into the desert. An hour beyond city limits it feels like we landed on another planet. Staring from perimeter to the horizon I try to spot a Mars-rover or possibly Wall-E.
Down there is life! In the valley by the water. A bunch of RV’s and Fifth-Wheel rigs the size of a New York City apartment. While pulling in our Winnie I can’t help but wonder how close we are to Area 51. The Night falls over Lake Meade.
At 6am I find myself sitting outside in the dark watching the magnificent star-covered sky. It is still at least 85 degrees. Het is nog steeds minstens 30 graden. Other than a few cottontail rabbits there are still no signs of life on the campground. It should be about coffee time by now. Home brewed coffee that is. There is abundance in the United States, but a decent cup of strong black coffee is hard to find. Just like a decent beer for that matter.
Firing up our Triton V10 sounds beautiful like a howling pack of wolves. The desert is extremely hot again as we drive towards the pretentious architectural marvel which was built between 1931 and 1935 and originally known as Boulder Dam. In 1947 it was renamed to Hoover Dam. A construction which transformed life in the desert providing a steady supply of water and electricity.
On the north, which is the Nevada side of the dam we find the Dedication Monument. Around the base floor a star map is shown with exact positioning of the solar system’s celestial bodies. For the next 14,000 years the precession of the Pole Star can be calculated from that chart. This will help future generations and extra-terrestrial civilizations – yes, really – to determine when the dam was built. Think big! This is America!
Crossing the concrete giant back into Arizona while defying the extreme heat I conclude that a next trip to Alaska or Greenland would not be such bad idea.
The post The Minnie Winnie first appeared on Nieske Op Reis.
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