BRIGHT ANGEL LODGE

The Bright Angel Lodge was designed by Mary E.J. Colter, and constructed in the mid 1930's. It is a registered national historic landmark, and was built to handle the ever increasing numbers of tourists coming to the Grand Canyon.

The railroad was the primary transportation system to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, from its arrival in 1901, and for the next several decades. By the 1930's, roads and automobiles were starting to bring more and more people to this natural wonder of the world. The Fred Harvey Company, in partnership with the Santa Fe Railroad, built the Bright Angel Lodge to accommodate the larger numbers of people who needed a place to stay. The location of the lodge is in the same area as the original post office, and the Bucky O'Neill cabin (oldest structure still standing). Several cabins were built to supplement the rooms in the lodge.

Inside the lodge, is a history room, transportation & tour desk (mule & bus tours), gift shop, lounge, family style restaurant, and the Arizona Room steak house.

During the summer months, the back patio of the Bright Angel Lodge is one of the most popular gathering places for visitors, and guests. It's not only the view of the canyon, just to the right of the wall pictured above, but it's because the Ice Cream Parlor serves up all things associated with a classic soda fountain. When I was there a couple of days ago, the line to get ice cream was quite long. No, I did not get in the line!

I took this picture from the Hermits Road Trail View Overlook, which shows the Bright Angel Trail zig zagging down into the canyon. The Bright Angel Lodge is in the very upper left corner of the photo. Some of the Bright Angel Cabins are within just a few steps to the canyon rim, and the views are spectacular.

As we approach our 4th month here at the Grand Canyon, and as I read more books from the library, I'm fascinated by the historical development of not only the infrastructure, but the many personal stories about the early pioneers who came here over 100 years ago. I think President Teddy Roosevelt said it best when he proclaimed that "the Grand Canyon is the one sight that every American should see".