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Before walking the rim trail or taking the shuttle bus, let's step inside the El Tovar Lodge for a snack.
When the Santa Fe railroad first reached the Grand Canyon, construction was immediately began on a first class hotel to accommodate travelers. Built of native boulders and Oregon Pine, the majestic, 100-room hotel opened January 14, 1905. It was named El Tovar in honor of the Spanish explorer Pedro de Tovar who had led the first expedition to Hopi Indian country in 1540.
The Fred harvey Company was the logical choice to run the new El Tovar; Fred Harvey had been building and operating outstanding facilities for food and rest along the Santa Fe route since 1876.
While eating and looking out over the rim of the Grand Canyon you just might also see a Deer or 2 laying on the lawn or eating the grass. Just incase you can't see the Deer just click on the above photo.
Nothing was spared to make this one of the great hotels of its era. The building was completely equipped with electric lights powered by its own steam generator. Railroad tank cars brought fresh water for the hotel from Del Rio, 120 miles away; Fresh fruit and vegetables were grown in greenhouses on the premise. The hotel even had its own dairy.
The most important single consideration, however, was to extend genuine hospitality and the utmost courtesy to the new hotel's guest.
The Fred Harvey Company was purchased by AmFac Parks & Resorts in 1968 and this tradition has been strictly maintained to this day and we hope you will enjoy your visit to this historic hotel.
Then, just as we stepped out of El Tovar,
we heard the crowd of people standing along the canyon rim wall,
YELL!
OH, LOOK UP!
LOOK UP!
EVERYONE LOOK UP!
The Condors are flying over!
Needless to say, I was all hands, grasping, and digging, through my camera bag
for the longest telephoto lens I could get my hands on.
300 mm was it, so I jammed it on to the camera body and pointed it upward towards the sky and the Condors.
Not caring how the Condor was framed, I started clicking away on the shutter button.
I was sure I didn't get any good images, but at least I tried.
After getting my film developed,
I was very much surprised to see the Condors.
Yep, there it was, big as day,
I just couldn't believe I was lucky enough to get photos of that Condor.
On to the next page, but only after you have viewed Condors.