Just south of Page, AZ and the slot canyons, just a short walk off to the side of highway 89 is a must-stop point along many travelers’ roadtrips – horseshoe bend in the Colorado River.
In spite of lots of signs warning everyone not to get too close to the edge, as you don’t really know what you’re standing on… many people just wandered straight up to the precipice… of course, not me! I got as close as I could…. TOTALLY AMAZING, BUT ABSOLUTELY NAUSEATING!
Entering the Grand Canyon National Park from the south eastern end (sadly the north rim was closed already for the winter) the inevitable, but impressive first stop is at the Desert View Watchtower, designed by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter who is often referred to as the architect of the southwest. She traveled throughout the southwest to find inspiration and authenticity for her buildings. The architecture of the ancestral Puebloan people of the Colorado Plateau served as her model. This particular tower was patterned after those found at Hovenweep and the Round Tower of Mesa Verde. Ms. Colter indicated that it was not a copy of any that she had seen, but rather modeled from several.
