Grand Canyon, USA; June 19, 2018

The Grand Canyon is among the biggest tourist attractions in the USA and flocks of tourist, many of them Asians, are visiting the place.

Raven outside our hotel window. Ravens can be found throughout the Grand Canyon, but are most frequently seen on the Rims, and flying along the edge of the Canyon. Ravens are omnivores that feed on insects, rodents, lizards, carrion, garbage, and human food. Ravens are some of the most intelligent animals in the world and will work together to steal food from humans- even unzipping packs and opening sealed bags.

The Bright Angel trailhead is located in Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim. The Bright Angel Trail follows the head of a side canyon.

Brachiopod – a kind of ancient mussel The sedimentary rocks exposed throughout the canyon are rich with marine fossils such as crinoids, brachiopods, and sponges with several layers containing terrestrial fossils such as leaf and dragonfly wing impressions, and footprints of scorpions, centipedes, and reptiles. With marine environments creating many of the sedimentary rock layers in the canyon over the past 525 million years, marine fossils are quite common.

UTAH AGAVE blooming For many years (15 to 25) prior to blooming, the leaf rosette is all you see. The plant dies after sending up the stalk and producing seed. An agave uses its last ounce of stored energy to reproduce gloriously, martyring itself for the progeny.

UTAH AGAVE blooming For many years (15 to 25) prior to blooming, the leaf rosette is all you see. The plant dies after sending up the stalk and producing seed. An agave uses its last ounce of stored energy to reproduce gloriously, martyring itself for the progeny.

Viewing Point The Grand Canyon is 446 km) long, up to 29 km wide and attains a depth of over a mile (1,857 meters).

The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

Colorado River. Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. Several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon.

The sedimentary rocks exposed throughout the canyon are rich with marine fossils such as crinoids, brachiopods, and sponges with several layers containing terrestrial fossils such as leaf and dragonfly wing impressions, and footprints of scorpions, centipedes, and reptiles. What about dinosaur fossils? Not at Grand Canyon! The rocks of the canyon are older than the oldest known dinosaurs.

The elk are huge animals related to the deer family but much larger in size than most deer species. In the Grand Canyon habitat, the elk are often spotted grazing in the South Rim near Grandview Point’s forested areas.