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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Commercial Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html

Thursday, November 6, 2014

{Maswik Lodge & Grand Canyon Flora & Fauna}

We stayed for 2 nights at Maswik Lodge, one of Xanterra's Grand Canyon State Park Lodges to chose from.
This is just outside of Maswik Lodge, the sign is visible to the right, next to the blue bus stop.
We preferred to walk. This is just after we got back from our hike into the Grand Canyon...
We stayed in WHITE FIR, second level a North Room with 2 Queen Beds. No King available...
Indeed, Maswik Lodge ←(click it) is NESTLED IN THE PONDEROSA PINE FOREST...
Like I already pointed out before, all of Xanterra's Grand Canyon Lodges work for breakfast, lunch and dining. Your choice!
The morning of our hike down into the Grand Canyon, we also caught part of the Condor Talk by a State Park Ranger.
As two California Condors were circling over our heads, Pieter was not yet prepared with his Nikon camera as he had to change his lens. Nevertheless he captured one above head!
LOOKOUT STUDIO ←click it. A California condor near Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.  Photo: National Park Service, Mark Lellouch.
Part of the vulture family and an adult California Condor can reach a wingspan of 9 and a half feet or 2.90 m! And weighing up to 22 pounds or 10 kg.
More info here: California Condors ←click it.
While riding the Grand Canyon Railway, I did spot lots of these INDIAN PAINTBRUSH.
So when I drove north bound by car, I made a stop and got out of the car, into the Ponderosa Pine Forest, to capture them with my iPad.
Poor Pieter who is color blind, cannot spot them...
There were lots of them!
My fingers for comparison...
Thrilled to find this Common Juniper or Jeneverbes in Dutch!
I used to cook with them, whenever I prepared Sauerkraut, I added Juniper Berries, Bay Leaves and Pepper Corns...
Funny how we always think about FOOD!
Pieter took this photo with the Nikon from a Prickly Pear.
There is so much to see at the Grand Canyon!
MULE CORRAL ←click it and scroll down to lower left...
When we came back from our Dinner at El Tovar Hotel, I selected a short-cut in-between the place where they keep the mules for hiking down the Grand Canyon trail.
Low and behold: there were ELKS roaming around around 19:00 o'clock and I could not fast enough get my iPad out!
Mules are behind the fences to the left, a baby is near them and his/her parents are very close to where we walked!
Another iPad photo from the Elk family. Guess there were feed spills from the mule transport. This male is very, very skinny! It is prohibited to feed ANY animals at the Grand Canyon State Park!
But we felt so lucky for spotting this on our walk back to the Maswik Lodge, our last evening.
We also saw lots of deer in the Ponderosa Pine Forest near our Lodge. Too dark under the trees for taking any photos but we got them on our retina.
Such fond memories all together!
Hope you enjoyed it too.

{Grand Canyon South Rim Motorcoach Tour} | previous post by me
{Riding the Grand Canyon Railway} | previous post by me

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

{Our Dinner at the 1905 El Tovar Hotel | Grand Canyon National Park Lodges}

Historic El Tovar Hotel that got opened in 1905, is really quite a landmark at the Grand Canyon's South Rim. The good thing with all of Xanterra's Lodges is, you can dine at any location you want. So we did walk from our Maswik Lodge to the El Tovar Hotel for dinner. We'd loved to stay here too but because of Labor Day weekend, they were fully booked!
This is the historic hotel from the outside, Nikon photo, taken around 18:00 o'clock in the evening.
THE ELEGANT EL TOVAR
Grand Canyon Lodges El Tovar ←click it.
With its mix of luxury and charm, it is widely considered a crown jewel among national park lodges...
Lovely veranda in the front and also to the side where you can sit and watch the Navajo Hoop dancers in the afternoon, at next door's Hopi House... seen to the right on the previous photo.
We also ate lunch on their back porch, overlooking the Grand Canyon.
A magical place...
At nearby Verkamp Visitor Center, they have the Grand Canyon history laid out on the floor...
With my iPad, I captured the all wooden structure as good as I could.
Do you see the wooden beams, to the right from Pieter?
Such unique atmosphere!
Even though we were dressed casual, we felt like making a trip back in time at the Elegant El Tovar!
We traveled light with only one carry on each!
Their Menu is excellent, also for lunch!
Nine years ago, El Tovar Hotel celebrated A Century On The Rim...
Pieter had taken already a few bites before I took my iPad out for capturing his selection of: Sautéed Rainbow Trout with Red Pepper Marmalade...
My choice of: Loch Duart Scottish Salmon Tostada on OrganicGreens was delicious as well!
A nice dinner and well deserved after having hiked for a part into the Grand Canyon that day.
To the right you can see the spectacular view over the rim, from the veranda...
Those are the combined restaurants at the Grand Canyon Rim.
The Story of El Tovar
When the Santa Fe railroad reached Grand Canyon, construction of this first class hotel began.
Built of native boulders and Oregon Pine, the majestic, 100-room hotel opened on January 14, 1905.
Named El Tovar in honor of the Spanisch explorer Pedro de Tobar who had led the first expedition to Hopi Indian country in 1540.

Related links:
{Hiking Part of Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon} | previous post by me
{Grand Canyon South Rim Motorcoach Tour} | previous post by me
{Riding the Grand Canyon Railway} | previous post by me

Sunday, November 2, 2014

{Hiking Part of Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon}

Yes we did go down this 9 mile trail for a couple of miles... Just to get a taste how it feels like, descending the steep, around 15% incline, narrow path.
Tuesday, September 2nd we're on the Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon...
Yes... Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon - America’s Most Dangerous Hikes ←click it.
We are aware of this dangerous hike, so we only did stay for about 2 hours on the trail; that is down and the hardest part, climbing back up!
Starting at 6,840 ft or 2,085 m and soon you will see the Upper Tunnel, mentioned at the top.
You can find the above info in Grand Canyon National Park's Pdf on pages 13 and 14, just click the pink link.
Here we both look down onto other hikers, passing through the Upper Tunnel...
When mules pass, stand to the inside of trail and follow mule guides instructions...
We were lucky as no mule passed!
Now it's me, reaching the Upper Tunnel.
The trail is wide open, into the depth that is...
Pieter, standing next to the same rocks that he did capture on camera in the previous photo.
13 minutes later I took this photo of Pieter with the Nikon, a sign just before some steep hair-pin bends!
Do you see the trail ahead of us?
Look at that line in the center of the photo...
Here again you can see the trail in the center of this photo, taken two minutes later...
Pieter ahead on the trail, looking at the vast view of the Grand Canyon.
Different behind each bend we take, winding down to the bottom where the Colorado river runs.
Three minutes later, Pieter gave up and sat down but I wanted to still see what's around the next bend!
Pieter argued that our way back up would even be harder!!!
Six minutes into my solo descend I saw this...
Tempting to go on...
In Every Walk With Nature One Receives Far More Than He Seeks ~ John Muir...
A perfect quote!
Do you see the two red ? That's where I somewhere left Pieter behind and you can see people on the trail...
Okay, enough... so I climb back up and find Pieter still sitting there.
Both of us went back up and it was good we had plenty of water in our small back packs and also some salty snacks.
We did rest at Bright Angel Lodge, with a coffee and snack, before we walked back to our Maswik Lodge where Pieter took his well earned nap!

Related links:
Grand Canyon Bright Angel Trail 360 panorama view from the bottom up; select 8x speed...
BRIGHT ANGEL TRAIL - History info and photo showing steep switchbacks further down...
{Grand Canyon South Rim Motorcoach Tour} | previous post by me
{Riding the Grand Canyon Railway} | previous post by me

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MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS © 2009. All rights reserved - Text and images may not be copied for distribution or sale.

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