The two days Molly and I spent at the canyon was the mid-point to our trip and on the evening of our last night there, we somehow motivated our stiff and sore bodies to get in the car (walking the mile or so was out of the question), drive over to one of the lots, walk to the Rim Trail and find a spot overlooking the canyon. Hopefully without many people around. It didn't take too long to find a great overlook; a jut out into the canyon with the nature-made rock-formed seats. There was one other family nearby and the view consisted of the vast canyon and surrounding jut outs. Sunset was still 20 or so minutes away so I pulled out a book I was enraptured in and Molly wandered the area a little.
All of a sudden, as we were sitting there amongst the peaceful serenity of one of the seven natural wonders of the world, came the most amazing thing either of us had ever heard. A young male belting out the opening to "The Circle of Life" from The Lion King out into the canyon. He and his group of friends were over on the neighboring jut, but we could hear his chanting clear as day. It was glorious and hilarious and amazing. The saddest part probably was that within the first "nahhh" I knew he was singing "Circle of Life," and not just yelling into the canyon.
Nothing more came from the group after that intitial singing, and no more was sung past the first few lines, but they became the highlight of the evening. Yes, the sunset was very nice...but I thought the canyon looked much prettier in the midday light rather than the harsh colors of sunset. The sun was also setting on "our" side of the canyon so maybe viewing sunset from the other side of the canyon, or sunrise from ours, would have been nicer. The light cast on where we were sitting was wonderful though; that beautiful orange glow from the setting sun illuminating the beginning of the end.
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| the green patch in the bottom center is Indian Garden, where we'd hiked to that afternoon |
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