It took millions of years to form the 227-mile long Grand Canyon, yet visitors to the site have only a few hours to experience this handiwork of nature that can only be described in superlatives. Most visitors head to the South Rim and some go the extra distance to the North Rim when it is open from mid-May to mid-October. Fewer still head to the West Rim, which sits at the tail end of the Canyon on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, a short ride from Las Vegas through the 900-year old Joshua Forest. The Joshua tree is so called because its branches are outstretched like the arms of the prophet Joshua as he pointed his people to the Promised Land. It is part of the yucca brevifolia family and has sword-shaped leaves and may bear a white or greenish flower that looks like an enlarged cone. Rainfall in February produced low-lying yellow and pink desert flowers, giving color to the parched landscape. And like a mirage, we spotted three wild mustangs, one of them a dazzling white.
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” - James Michener