The Grand Canyon (three images)

Grand is the perfect word for this HUGE canyon!  The canyon is 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) wide, and a mile (1.6km) deep. Nearly two billion years of Earth’s geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While the specific geologic processes and timing that formed the Grand Canyon are the subject of debate by geologists, recent evidence suggests that the Colorado River established its course through the canyon at least 17 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River continued to erode and form the canyon to its present-day configuration.

We arrived at Mather Point which is at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  When we parked our car, we still couldn’t see the canyon.  You walk only a short distance maybe the equivalent of a half a block and look over the edge and WOW!  There it is in all it’s glory!  We walked around a little bit there and were amazed at how beautiful it is.  People from all over the world are there chatting in different languages.  The first image shows what we saw when we arrived at Mather Point.

After that we took a helicopter ride over the canyon and for a few minutes we were flying over green trees as you see in the second image in my gallery.  Just flat and trees.  Then there it is….as a friend of mine called it a “huge crack in the ground” LOL.  (That cracks me up.)   The last image is another taken a little later during the ride and you can see a little portion of the Colorado River.

What a place!  Grand indeed.  🙂

Grand Canyon from Mather Point

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

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Desert Flower

This image was taken in Scottsdale, Arizona with my  28-300mm lens.  I never used to like this lens that much on my D7100 but my D750 loves this lens.  I loved the desert flowers, and with all the prickly things on them they seem to say, “We look so pretty, but don’t touch!”

Desert Flower

Painted Saguaro

I never knew the desert could be so beautiful.  I’ve been to Arizona before, but since I’ve picked up photography I see things in a whole different light!

Speaking of light….just before sunset, the desert is its most beautiful in my opinion.  This image was taken at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve which is a permanently protected 30,200 acre sustainable desert habitat that doesn’t allow any motorized vehicles.

The cactus in the image is called a saguaro cactus.  The saguaro is an arborescent (tree-like) cactus species which can grow to be over 70 ft (20 m) tall.  It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican State of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California. The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona.

What an unbelievable beautiful place!  I can’t wait to go back some day.

McDowell Sonoran Preserve