NATURE ON A GRAND SCALE Exploring U.S. Desert Parks
STORY KAREN PATON-EVANS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAM AND BILL SENEY
Top: The vast Grand Canyon in Arizona continues to be gradually sculpted by wind and the Colorado River, which runs 446 kilometres through the park. The canyon is wide, averaging 1.6 kilometres in depth and spanning as much as 28.8 kilometres rim to rim. Above: Pam and Bill Seney of Windsor peek through a window naturally carved in a mound of Aztec red sandstone forming the Valley of Fire Nevada State Park.
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THE GORGEOUS CACTI GARDEN growing in the desert heat of his North Las Vegas home is nothing like the flower beds retiree Gary Seney knew as a kid living in Essex County. “I had no idea how beautiful cactus flowers are. There are hundreds of varieties,” says his brother Bill. Revelations came fast upon Windsorite Bill and his wife, Pam, during their trip south from May 16 to 25, 2019. “We don’t gamble but it’s a cheap flight from Windsor to Vegas, which is surrounded by unbelievable natural places in the desert, all within a seven-hour driving radius,” he says. “There is so much there between Nevada, Utah and Arizona.” Eager to explore, Gary and his wife, Deb, and their Windsor relatives jumped in a vehicle and left the Strip’s bright lights behind. First stop: The Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. The national park celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019 – a blink in time, considering the canyon’s ancient rocks. The Colorado River, traversing 446 kilometres within the park, continues to slowly deepen the canyon. Presented with 576.1 kilometres of established trails through the park that spreads over 4,950 square kilometres, the Canadians opted for the convenience of the shuttle system. “Hopping on and
