TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD: GRAND CANYON continued

As one of my blog readers asked a question I thought I should explain why I have so much trouble getting my credit card to work at gas stations down here. A few years ago some of the gas stations started asking for a ZIP code when you used your credit card at the pumps. It wasn't a problem back then because I would just avoid them. Well almost every one I went into this year asks for that ZIP and being Canadian it will not accept our Postal Codes. They want you to tell them what price figure you want to put into your car, well I don't know and with an RV I try to fill it up then I know how long I can go before a fill up. Gas guage isn't that accurate although I have never run out yet. If you don't tell them what you want they want to keep your credit card while you pump the gas. I will not do that at any time. What I have done is put an American address as the prime address on my Visa. I am hoping this will work and will find out after my next fill up. When I come back home I will change it over to Canadian again. I also do paperless bills so they don't send the monthly statement to the U.S. address. I won't be at that address all the time. The reason they are doing this is quite a few people fill their cars and then take off with out paying. I think you will see this in Canada in the near future.

I parked near the Visitors Centre in the Grand Canyon and hopped on the shuttle bus. What a great way to meet people, just ask a question and everyone jumps in. I went to the far end of the Canyon called Hermits Rest and is only accessible by tram. I walked back about a mile to the next tram pick up spot. The elevation is 7,000 ft (2,100 m) so even a small walk is an effort with the thin air. I did make it but was breathing hard and decided I wouldn't do any more. They have beautiful walking paths with lookouts all along the way. They also tell you how long it is from one tram stop to the next. This closed part is open during the winter to passenger vehicles. The temperatures range from 50-60F in the summer and 20 to 50F in the winter. So I got on and off on the way back.

I stopped at the Bright Angel trailhead and had lunch in the restaurant. The meals are so big here that I hate to order anything big so ordered a chiefs salad. It was big, but I managed to finished it. I have to say it was the best salad I have had in a long time. There is a history room in the same building filled with information on Fred Harvey one of the pioneers that made the Grand Canyon what it is today. He saw that peopled were getting poor food and services and high prices so he took over and improved the services and food for the railway passengers. He hired thousands of women to work in his restaurants, waitresses known as the Harvey Girls. He hired college educated women to conduct tours of the Southwest. Mary Colter was hired to do all the architectural work on his buildings. Her influence directed the early architecture in the National Parks. There were some interesting antiques from the past in this museum. I looked through the gift shop and was looking through the kids books when a lady came over and showed me a book that her grand child loved "Who Pooped In The Park". I figured all kids love anything to do with poop. One Xmas present down a few more to go.

As I was sitting eating my meal the tables were full. There was a table of German people who spent around $100.00. The waitress's comment about the tip, which was only $1.00 was cheap. I giggled to myself because German tourists have a lot of money. Picked the tram up and worked my way back. It was really busy in the afternoon and was glad I got there early, everyone was looking for a parking space. Some more information - The South Rim and North Rim are only 10 miles apart as the raven flies. It is 215 miles (356km) by road. The South Rim is open all year and the North Rim is closed from Oct. to May because of the snow. The South Rim gets a sprinkling of snow a few times in the winter. By four o'clock I was really tired, still fighing this darn flu I have had. It's an hour drive from the campground I was staying at.