Today we're off early to the north rim! Breakfast was some granola bars we'd brought from home instead of the mini doughnuts in the motel lobby. We've got about 65 miles to go to the north rim this morning. As we head south on Highway 11 (89 Alternate) we're traveling over a relatively flat, brushy and dry landscape. In less than half an hour, we climb up and out. The flora begins to change to small pines, and near the top we pull over at the Vermilion Cliffs overlook. It is a long, beautiful view back to the north. Perhaps it looks better from here then it does when you're driving through it.

We drove on through the now forested landscape to the town of Jacob Lake, where we stopped for gas and supplies. The "town" of Jacob Lake consists of a hotel and a gas station/convenience store with a gift shop. We got a nice bottle of Pinot Noir and some snacks, just in case.

From here it is 45 miles to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. This drive was one of the most beautiful of the trip, despite the first five or so miles which went through various burn areas. We drove through Ponderosa pine forest and seemingly endless green valleys, called "parks" in this part of the country. Between valleys, we skirted rugged rock outcroppings and spied aspen groves in the distance.

As we entered the park. We stopped at the first picnic area that was available, which overlooked a beautiful side canyon. We got out for a peek and a stretch of the legs. The crisp pine scented air was so refreshing that I could hardly bring myself to get back into the car for the rest of the drive.

We arrived at the Grand Canyon Lodge and got an excellent parking spot, right near the Lodge and shaded. Mom is lucky that way. Of course, the first thing we did was to tour the Grand Canyon Lodge and spend some time on the balconies overlooking the Canyon.

The Grand Canyon Lodge consists of the building with balconies, sun room, fireplaces and a huge dining room. There are no rooms in the Grand Canyon Lodge, visitors stay in cabins scattered along the rim-top area. Many cabins have views of the Grand Canyon itself or Transept Canyon. If you're going to rent a cabin here, know that the "Frontier Cabins" are nicer and on top. The "Pioneer Cabins" overlook Transept Canyon and are on a mild hillside.

The hot air of the desert was forgotten as we gazed over the mists and deep chasm's visible from the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We reveled in the scenery over an early lunch, but I was anxious to get to a trail. While Mom rested in the car, I hiked the half-mile long Bright Angel Point trail. This trail runs from the north rim along a ridge and affords beautiful views of the Canyon. You can see Angel's Window and many other landmarks from the overlook at the end of this trail. This is an easy there and back again trail that runs a quarter-mile each way. It is paved, but a little bit hilly.

So when I was back and Mom was rested, we decided to take a little drive to Imperial Point. This is the highest point in the park, and you can see a large section of the Canyon. It's very exposed and windy up here. You can see far far up the Colorado River to the desert above the Canyon. We'll be driving through this landscape tomorrow to cross the Colorado and reach the south rim. While the area around the Grand Canyon north rim ' feels more like mountains, at Imperial Point one can really feel the desert.

By now was late enough to check into our room. We got both sides of a little two-bedroom Pioneer Cabin. There were beds, lights, a heater and a bathroom. No television coffee or room service in this place. The north rim is the place to come if you want to get away from crowds and modern distractions. It is designed for physically fit and active people. Expect to do some walking.

After checking out room and the gift shop, we still had an hour or so before our dinner reservation at the Lodge. We spent that time at the saloon and coffee bar and tried out the signature drink of the north rim, a Horny Toad.

The restaurant was booked up, and it took awhile to get seated. We had made an early reservation so that we could see the sunset from our table. It was a very enjoyable meal. Mom had prime rib and I had Kaibab chicken. We had a glass of wine with our meal. We had a glass of wine in the cabin later. Add those to the Horny Toad, and it could be said that we had a fine time.

One of the most amazing things about the Grand Canyon north rim was the night sky. The sky was so black and the stars were so brilliant that it really did look like velvet held up by diamond headed pins. You can practically see the rich fabric sagging down between stars. It was an incredible sky, but very difficult to recognize the constellations. There were so many extra stars "muddling up the works" that the familiar constellations could easily be lost in the chaos.

And so reluctantly to bed. All too soon, we have to leave this beautiful place, and we've barely scratched the surface.

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