Visit to Four of Southwest USA's National Parks (Part Seven of Many!)

We reached the South Rim of the Grand Canyon about an hour or so before sunset. However, as we approached it from the east, we got stuck behind a line of vehicles stopped at the checkpoint (I believe to get entry permits or to get them verified). After a few minutes' delay, we re-entered the Park, and decided to spend some time at the first viewing point (see Desert View on the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/grca_pano.pdf">map</a>) to freshen up, as most of the members in the party had had a nice nap along the way.

What was supposed to have been a stop for a few minutes turned into a half an hour pit stop, during which we climbed up the ... and took pictures. As a result, time was running out to find a good viewing point of the sunset. I drove like crazy to cover a few more miles to get closer to the Visitors' Center (our original destination for sunset), but the Sun was faster. So, I had to take the first available viewing point (we probably got to Moran Point - refer to map - but I have now forgotten where we took the turn) to take Sunset photos. Here are some of them ...
[caption id="attachment_1758" align="alignnone" width="512" caption="Sunset approaches at the Grand Canyon's <em>South Rim</em>"]<a href="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1758.jpg"><img src="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1758.jpg?w=512" alt="IMG_1758" title="IMG_1758" width="512" height="384" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-753" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1759" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Before this trip, I somehow had the impression that the river cannot be seen from the South Rim; obviously, I was wrong"]<a href="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1759.jpg"><img src="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1759.jpg?w=300" alt="IMG_1759" title="IMG_1759" width="300" height="225" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-754" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1760" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The lush greenery provides a refreshing contrast to the painted landscape behind. Those are not just shrubs but full grown trees!"]<a href="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1760.jpg"><img src="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1760.jpg?w=300" alt="IMG_1760" title="IMG_1760" width="300" height="225" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-755" /></a>[/caption]

<a href="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1763a.jpg"><img src="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1763a.jpg?w=384" alt="IMG_1763a" title="IMG_1763a" width="384" height="512" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-756" /></a>

[caption id="attachment_1769" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sunlight bounces off the cliffs ..."]<a href="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1769.jpg"><img src="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1769.jpg?w=300" alt="IMG_1769" title="IMG_1769" width="300" height="225" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-757" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1772" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="... at sunset"]<a href="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1772.jpg"><img src="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1772.jpg?w=300" alt="IMG_1772" title="IMG_1772" width="300" height="225" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-758" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1777" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Tricks of the camera! Would you believe it if I said that this photo was taken ..."]<a href="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1777.jpg"><img src="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_1777.jpg?w=300" alt="IMG_1777" title="IMG_1777" width="300" height="225" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-759" /></a>[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_17801" align="alignright" width="300" caption="... before this one?"]<a href="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_17801.jpg"><img src="http://porcupyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/img_17801.jpg?w=300" alt="IMG_17801" title="IMG_17801" width="300" height="225" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-764" />[/caption]