Magical Hotel - On the Edge of Wonder
A surreal destination, an unforgettable memory--that's what we found the first time we encountered the magical wonder of the Grand Canyon.
Our first encounter came a few years ago when a travel agent, who helped my husband and me plan a cross-country trip, booked us into the Hotel El Tovar.
I couldn't help but be a little distressed when I found our room--a sprawling space with a dark wooden floor--lacked a private bathroom.
The trek down a lonely hallway did not provide the interior ambiance I had anticipated.
But later that afternoon my disappointment in the accommodations turned into fascination when my husband and I strolled the path edging the rim of the Grand Canyon.
All around us magnificent canyon scenery glistened and vibrated with light, creating images that attract photographers and artists from all over the world.
That evening we dined overlooking the unforgettable vistas of the Grand Canyon.
Before our eyes, sheets of light drifted and danced in rainbow hues across the rocky canyon walls.
The resulting incredible color displays whetted my appetite to return in a few years with our children.
They also inspired an entire series of paintings created from photographs taken that day and on other visits to the canyon.
Today the Hotel El Tovar looms like a vigilant guard on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Renovations a few years ago added private baths to rooms that previously lacked them.
Although the hotel facilities have changed, the wonder of the canyon has not.
We can thank the United States presidents who signed documents that protected the forests and game of the Grand Canyon and created the National Park in 1919.
The El Tovar, brought about when the Santa Fe railroad reached the canyon, opened its doors in 1905.
The El Tovar is the hotel that inspired me to begin writing HOTELS TO REMEMBER.
Our visit to the "edge of wonder" prompted my quest to find, photograph, and write about wonderful old hotels everywhere.
Newspaper and magazine articles as well as the book resulted from that quest.
Whenever a journey westward takes us near Flagstaff, Arizona, we go back to the Grand Canyon for yet another visit.
Each trip provides "a snapshot in time" and a new motivation to paint.
Our first encounter came a few years ago when a travel agent, who helped my husband and me plan a cross-country trip, booked us into the Hotel El Tovar.
I couldn't help but be a little distressed when I found our room--a sprawling space with a dark wooden floor--lacked a private bathroom.
The trek down a lonely hallway did not provide the interior ambiance I had anticipated.
But later that afternoon my disappointment in the accommodations turned into fascination when my husband and I strolled the path edging the rim of the Grand Canyon.
All around us magnificent canyon scenery glistened and vibrated with light, creating images that attract photographers and artists from all over the world.
That evening we dined overlooking the unforgettable vistas of the Grand Canyon.
Before our eyes, sheets of light drifted and danced in rainbow hues across the rocky canyon walls.
The resulting incredible color displays whetted my appetite to return in a few years with our children.
They also inspired an entire series of paintings created from photographs taken that day and on other visits to the canyon.
Today the Hotel El Tovar looms like a vigilant guard on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Renovations a few years ago added private baths to rooms that previously lacked them.
Although the hotel facilities have changed, the wonder of the canyon has not.
We can thank the United States presidents who signed documents that protected the forests and game of the Grand Canyon and created the National Park in 1919.
The El Tovar, brought about when the Santa Fe railroad reached the canyon, opened its doors in 1905.
The El Tovar is the hotel that inspired me to begin writing HOTELS TO REMEMBER.
Our visit to the "edge of wonder" prompted my quest to find, photograph, and write about wonderful old hotels everywhere.
Newspaper and magazine articles as well as the book resulted from that quest.
Whenever a journey westward takes us near Flagstaff, Arizona, we go back to the Grand Canyon for yet another visit.
Each trip provides "a snapshot in time" and a new motivation to paint.