The drive to the north side of the Grand Canyon saw the land become more desert like. On the way there we popped into the Desert View Watchtower. Completed in 1932, it’s designed to resemble an ancient North American watchtower. The ruinous, decayed look is by design and not because it’s old! Entrance is free and you can walk up the four floors for even better views. One such view is Cedar Mountain, a peak with its top chopped off.
Further east was one of the most striking sights in the canyon: the Horseshoe Bend. The Colorado River meanders around in the shape of a horseshoe. The top is easily accessible from a carpark. There’s a 1km walk and, as a result, there are many tourists. The 300m drop from the top is sufficiently high to make the few boats on the river look like white spots.
