It’s barely light out here on the edge of the Grand Canyon National Park. We stayed the night at El Tovar, ensuring we’d be close to the rim in the morning.

It’s a bit cold out here, even in May, though not so cold as on previous visits when we had to bundle up in blankets from our room to stay a little warm.

We’ve all seen these images before, maybe 100s of times, but when you are standing here in person, they take on an entirely new meaning. So, while my photos are not award-winning masterpieces of dramatic art, they serve us perfectly as reminders of the moments we were here to witness yet another sunrise over the Grand Canyon for ourselves.

The Canyon fills with light rapidly once the sun is fully over the horizon though pockets of dark linger deep within.

The dream catcher at the very center of this photo is destined for Jutta’s friend Linda back in Germany.

Having accomplished what we set out to do at the Canyon we visited Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff to bring Jutta to yet one more place of Native American history.

Within a couple of days, Jutta was on her way back to Frankfurt, Germany, and once again, I am simultaneously happy to have my time and privacy back and sad that someone who enjoys the United States as much as my mother-in-law can’t just hang out with us and see even more of the magnificence that defines the natural beauty of our country.