Getting to the South Rim from the North Rim (only 10 miles as the eagle flies, but 215 miles driving) meant retracing part of our previous route. Not a problem;, it's beautiful and we'd see it anew from the opposite direction. Moving along the Vermillion Cliffs, to Marble Canyon at the Colorado River.
We
turned off the main road to go to Lee's Ferry, the launching point for
most of the boats and rafts that travel the river into the Canyon. We
found a pretty, sandy river bank opposite an orange wall of rock. A couple
of fishermen were knee-deep in the water, right by the Paria Riffle. This
was a bubbling, frothy area of turbulence not big and bad enough to earn
the "rapid" title, but indicative of the way the Canyon's major rapids
form.
We watched a trout catch, then saw several rafts go by, starting their trip into the Canyon. They dipped and bounced through the Riffle, went around the bend and were gone. Looked like fun, and a great way to see the Canyon. Another item on the "next time" list.
Our
first stop on the South Rim was at Desert View. There's a beautiful watchtower
there, built in 1932 by the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad.
Mary Colter, the architect, also designed several other unique Grand Canyon
buildings including Bright Angel Lodge, Hopi House, and Phantom Ranch.
The tower is reminiscent of many Indian structures found in the Southwest.
It's unique inside and out, and provides the highest vantage point into
the Canyon (7553 ft.) on 
the
south side. And there was something we hadn't seen as yet from the Rim
— the Colorado River. The views into and across the Canyon were great,
and had a different look and feel than those on the North Rim. So fascinating,
this place. We also noticed we were surrounded by a lot more people than
at any other time on the trip.
We continued on the East Rim Drive, stopping at several other vantage points. From Grandview Point (I think) we looked across the Canyon with binoculars and were able to spot the Grand Canyon Lodge perched on the edge of the North Rim. Very cool seeing it from this side.
Onward into Grand Canyon Village. Here were several hotels, a bank, post office, some stores. Much more built up than the North Rim area, but not overdone. We checked into the Yavapai Lodge — several small motel-like buildings. And yes, a TV. Right across the street was the Visitor's Center. A lot of nice books, maps, posters — I was in heaven. And in the courtyard was a collection of boats used on the Colorado River, showing the evolution in style and construction. Very interesting — there must have been 20 or more from the late 1800s onward.
We went
further west into the village and saw the great El Tovar hotel. Sort of
the centerpiece of a cluster of historic buildings in this area, it's
set perfectly next to the Canyon and across from the Hopi House. There's
an spectacular view into the Canyon, where you can actually see the Bright
Angel Trail way down below as it leads across and away. 
It
was windy and pretty cold here, and as it turned out, this would be our
last chance to wear shorts on the trip.
Getting up the next morning we were surprised to see snow — about an inch had fallen overnight. Not predicted, it was the first snow of the season. It was also much colder and very windy. Hmmm, we might have to rethink our hiking plans. After cleaning off the van, our first stop was the General Store — a fun place with everything from butter to backpacks — we bought gloves and warm hats.
Then back to the El Tovar area. Everything looked pretty with a light coat of snow, and the view of the Canyon was, well, awesome. The wind was blowing white fluffy clouds with dark underbellies across the Canyon at a fast clip (even faster than I was clicking away with the camera). It was creating spectacular effects of light and shadows, shadows and light. Formations would be spotlighted one second, in silhouette the next. It was like watching one of those time-lapse video sequences; it was constant and dramatic. Wow, wow. Mesmerizing.
Then, out of the blue, a wave washed over me. There it was again: that happiness thing. This time even more powerful. I need to come here more often …
We went
into the Hopi House — a gift shop/art gallery with beautiful Southwest
items. I spent a while looking at the pottery made by 
different
Indian tribes — very nice — and got a small Santa Clara piece.
At this point we decided against a hike because of the changing weather
conditions, and walked to the start of West Rim Drive.
There are
no private cars allowed along this route so we had a cold wait for a shuttle
bus. This was an eight-mile route with many canyon overlooks. 
The
beginning of the drive turns northward, jutting into the canyon. This
gives you nice views back toward the Village and El Tovar over the gap.
And then so many other beautiful vantage points. One stop has a plaque
honoring John Wesley Powell for being the first explorer of the Canyon
in 1869.
But
boy, was it cold! The wind was brutal and made us move faster than we
would have liked, around the viewing loops. There were many great views
of the river, and the light continued to change and entertain.
Back in the Village, we went in the Bright Angel Lodge for a late lunch. We wound up sitting next to a man who looked like he'd been caught in a downpour. Turns out he had just arrived on the South Rim, from the North Rim. He had hiked the Canyon in seven hours (his personal best), through snow (a lot more on the north side), rain, mud, and heat. Other than looking wet and tired, he seemed to be in good shape. It was so interesting hearing about his experience. I admired his accomplishment, with a pang of envy. Someday, maybe.
Inside the Lodge is a small museum featuring the history of Fred Harvey and his company (love that Harvey Girl uniform). As well as operating all the hotels along the Santa Fe Railroad, they were original traders of Native American crafts in the Southwest. This guy was really something — a true visionary and entrepreneur. Today the company operates every service-related business at the Canyon: hotels, restaurants, gift shops — everything has the Harvey logo on it.
Outside on the Rim Trail are other historic Mary Colter-designed buildings — Kolb Studio and Lookout Studio. More nice things for sale (everywhere) and an art exhibit. I was definitely able to satisfy a lot of needs here. Meanwhile, Peter had about had his fill of Grand Canyon wares — it was pretty overwhelming — so we called it a day and headed back to the room. (Seen around the Village: deer walking along the road, unfazed by cars and people. And tourists, ignoring the signs, approaching and feeding them.)
The next day, another reluctant parting. I was so glad we went to both Rims because each was unique, and complemented the other. The North is more inviting — remote, private, and rustic; the South has the Canyon's history on display through the beautiful old structures and exhibits. And both have the incredible, awe-inspiring, uplifting vistas. What a gift to have been here; everyone should come to this place.