Monthly Archives: September 2015

The Grand Canyon is 1,904 square miles in area, about 50 square miles fewer than Delaware. It is 18 miles wide in spots and 1 mile deep with 277 river miles running through it. Park visitation (about 5,000,000 annually) is 90% South Rim since the South Rim is open year around as opposed to the … Continue reading »

Only feet from the South Rim lies the iconic El Tovar hotel built by the Santa Fe Railway in 1905. It has 100 rooms and was designed to attract the railroad’s more well-healed customers.

Directly across from the El Tovar is Hopi House, which also opened in 1905. Hopi craftsmen would demonstrate their skills in making jewelry, rugs, pottery, and blankets which could then be purchased. It’s a smart place to shop, as can be seen by the satisfied customer with the headdress in this 1931 photo. Click to … Continue reading »