Magical Places
Celebrating places of beauty & magic
From the Air
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Looking down from the airplane - you can see the Colorado River snaking through...
So green at the surface, then red & rocky as you go down...
Unfortunately the airplane window was dirty, but you can still get the grandeur of the canyon
Grand Canyon - South Rim
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Desert View
This is the first viewpoint if you enter from the east, on Highway 64. Beautiful!
Mather Point
And this is your first viewpoint if you enter northward from Highway 64. The walkway takes you out into the canyon - further than the other viewpoints - so you really get a feel for the expanse of the canyon.
Mather Point panorama
Kaibab Trail
This is a popular trail, just east of Mather Point. The trail is a series of hairpin turns taking you deep into the canyon. Easy going down, but a killer coming back up! If you hike the canyon, take it slow and bring plenty of water.
Kaibab Trail looking to the right. Down, down, down it goes...
Unfortunately I only hiked a short distance since I was short on water and on time.
Hopi Point
Further west is Hopi Point, a wonderful spot to view the sunset. From the village, ride the Hermit's Rest Route (red line) bus to get here.
Mohave Point at sunset
My favorite place due to the dramatic inverted y-shaped etching of the Colorado River...
Mohave Point - Looking leftward. Sometimes I think the vertical shots are better than the panoramas because they better convey the depth of the canyon...
Mohave Point
Hiking the Rim Trail
The Rim Trail takes you along the south rim, and is a very easy and enjoyable hike. There are places, however where the Rim Trail has no pavement or fencing, so you are walking literally the edge of the canyon. Don't slip & fall!
Somewhere Mohave and Pima Points. As I was hiking the Rim Trail I took this panoramic shot. The later afternoon sun casts beautiful golds, pinks and peaches on the canyon walls...
Highway 64
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Driving east on Highway 64, the scenery is truly other-worldly. You feel like you're on another planet! At one point, from the road, you see a dramatic, expansive carving in otherwise flat terrain. At the scenic view point, you can walk to the edge...
This is the Colorado Gorge, and you can walk to the edge of the blue fence.
Looking down, it's a long way to fall!
Arizona was my home from 2004 to 2007. During that time I thoroughly enjoyed its miles of scenic hiking; its red rock formations pulsating with energetic vortexes; its ancient mesas, buttes and canyons; and of course, its endless sunshine.
Spring brings desert bloom, where the normally dry desert is lush with bright, beautiful colors. Summer's heat brings dramatic lightning, as well as powerful rainstorms after which everything sparkles magically amidst rainbows and sun rays. Autumn's crisp air brings foliage, where brilliant golds, yellows and oranges stand out against mountains and red rock. Finally, winter's sunsets set the sky ablaze with golds, magentas and reds. Truly, Arizona is a photographer's paradise!
Since I have so many photos of Arizona, I've separated them by region. Click on a region below to view: