Day 30 - Grand Canyon National Park

We made the supreme sacrifice and got up at 5:00 am so we could see the sun rising over the Grand Canyon. It was well worth it. Not only was it a beautiful sunrise but it was a cultural experience as well. There are several points from which to watch the sun rise, so we selected ours and got there a few minutes before the appointed time. When we arrived there were approximately 300 tourists already there. They came in buses, they came in vans, they came in cars, they walked. But when it was all over, there was plenty of sun to go around. One of the things we had noticed at Grand Canyon is that it is an international site. It was given the award as a World Heritage Site several years ago and the world was coming to see it. Probably 80% of those at the sunrise spoke Japanese. Numerous other languages were heard around the Lobby and other places. After we had recovered from the 5:00 rising, we checked out and headed for the North Rim. It's about a 200 mile trip but we saw some more great scenery, including the Vermillion Cliffs and the Watchtower at Desert View. When we arrived at the North Rim Lodge, we decided to test our luck again and see if they had any vacant rooms. I think we got the last one, a handicapped room that was still available. And we thought last night's room was rustic. No internet again tonight but this room didn't even have television. And the walls were so thin that we could hear our next door neighbors talking even though we didn't want to. Had time to take another scenic drive along the North Rim and got back in time for a so-so sunset (no pictures).