Happy Sunday! Patti is the lovely hostess for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge and we are exploring dramatic landscapes this week.

After finally visiting the Grand Canyon on Christmas 2023, I am not sure if there are any landscapes that is as dramatic as the Grand Canyon – an area formed by tectonic plates pushing against one another, causing the ground to rise over a mile above sea level, and showcasing the multiple layers of sandstones carved by the wind.

I didn’t know how it was formed until I watched the film at the visitor center. In fact, I knew very little about the Grand Canyon and had little clue as to what I was expecting when I visited. It was a last-minute replacement to my road trip itinerary after deciding I would go to the Grand Canyon as opposed to Sedona.

I entered the park on Christmas Eve through the east entrance near Cameron, AZ. After entering the park, I immediately turned at the sign “Desert View – First View of Grand Canyon”. After a short walk away from the throng of people heading for the watchtower, I arrived at this view.

Wow, talk about unexpected.

I spent that first day stopping at almost every stop until I reached the visitor center in Grand Canyon Village, taking in the wonderful surreal and dramatic colors and scenery. I was glad to had brought my trusty 18-400 mm lens on this trip as it was the only way I could’ve captured the different aspects of this landscape because much of the landscapes required a zoom of 50 mm or more.

The visitor center was my last stop of the day before calling it a day and heading to the motel in Flagstaff.

The next day was focused along the shuttle route as I wanted to take a break from driving. I arrived at the visitor center early and hiked the canyon rim trail first. The scenery along the canyon rim was similar but different to that of the landscape I saw the previous day along Desert view.

The Colorado River was nowhere to be seen along the canyon rim and the light from the morning sun gave the rocks a reddish glow that was not as present in the afternoon sun. In a way, though, I thought it made the view much more majestic.

My last stop of the day was the Geology Museum. I think it was the first time I thoroughly toured a museum, touched what can be touched and read each piece of information. It’s the perk of traveling alone.

It’s just me. There’s no one complaining they don’t know English or they’re not interesting and asking to go. I realized I have a fascination and curiosity for natural phenomenon and how something had come to be. I’m glad I picked this marvelous place to be one of my travel destination for my Christmas road trip.