High Plains Desert

Feb. 29. 2016 – Not realizing how much the area outside of the Grand Canyon park gates had grown, yesterday afternoon, on the way to Grand Canyon National Park, we stopped in Valle and got a room at the Grand Canyon Inn. At one time this was the closest hotel to the park.

After check-in we continued on to the Grand Canyon, got some great afternoon photos, spent the night at the hotel, and then returned to the canyon today.

Being the off season, the lobby and many of the rooms were undergoing remodeling, the restaurant was closed, the bar was open, but we didn’t see more than two people in there whenever we walked by. There were only a dozen cars in the parking lot last night. But the room was clean, spacious, and had a great view – we were facing southeast.

So last night we had a 25 mile drive back to the hotel, but when we got up this morning it was worth it. The hotel is part of a family-owned complex with convenience store, souvenir store, hotel, pool, rock shop, and lots of antique cars, metal and wood sculptures.

Across the street is Flintstones Bedrock City, a campground that was famous in the ’70s, but is pretty seedy now.