Coastal Horizons... books, beaches, and backroad adventures: Mary Colter

October 16, 2018

Grand Canyon, AZ

Saturday, September 15, 2018
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Campground: Desert View Campground
Cost per Night: $6 (with the senior discount)
Duration: 1 night
Weather: Sunny and warm

We woke up to a beautiful morning and I could barely contain my excitement about spending the whole day exploring the Grand Canyon! As I was enjoying my coffee at the dinette, I spotted a bull elk grazing a short distance from the RV. We were surprised that he was alone, but he slowly grazed on the low hanging tree branches across the road, allowing me to get close enough with both my phone camera (and the Olympus, which has a zoom lens). It's always exciting to spot wildlife while camping, but we're cautious and keep our distance.

Can you see him?

I forgot the cable to transfer pictures from the Olympus to my laptop, so those pictures will have to wait until after we get home.

90% of this two-month road trip was planned far in advance with reservations secured for RV parks and campgrounds all along the way. The Grand Canyon is one of the few places we didn't have anything reserved. We knew we wanted to boondock on the fire road (mentioned here), but we also wanted to stay at the park's Desert View Campground (26 miles east of Grand Canyon Village), which is a first-come, first-served campground. After reading up on the specifics of the campground, we knew we would have to arrive early, as there are only 50 sites, which fill up well before noon. We got loaded up after breakfast and were at the campground in just a few minutes, as it was only about 10 miles away. We didn't have any trouble finding a site that provided plenty of room for our slide-out and with ample space between the other sites. The maximum length allowed is 30 feet, so there were a lot of tents, travel trailers and small RVs. We were amazed that it was only $6 per night (with the senior discount), but it is a dry campground. No electricity, water or sewer at the site, so we had to run the generator a few times. There are restrooms, but no showers, but we were ok with that. We didn't have much in the way of a cell signal, though, but I didn't really want to spend a lot of time on the computer. The Grand Canyon was within walking distance!

Mary Colter's Desert View Watchtower

This structure was designed by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter who is often referred to as the architect of the southwest. She traveled throughout the southwest to find inspiration and authenticity for her buildings. The architecture of the ancestral Puebloan people of the Colorado Plateau served as her model. This particular tower was patterned after those found at Hovenweep and the Round Tower of Mesa Verde. Ms. Colter indicated that it was not a copy of any that she had seen, but rather modeled from several.

As you get closer to the building you might see how well it blends into the environment. It is difficult to tell where the rock of the canyon walls end, and the tower begins.

She said: “First and most important, was to design a building that would become part of its surroundings; one that would create no discordant note against the time eroded walls of this promontory.” To obtain this result she insisted that the rocks not be cut or worked, so they would not lose the: "weathered surfaces so essential to blend it with the canyon walls”.

Note, too, some of the intricate designs she had built into the tower. For example, look for the white decorative stones near the top, which fade out as the eye goes around the tower. She had seen this pattern at Chaco Canyon and thought it would break the monotony of this Watchtower. The built in cracks which are patterned from some of the ancient towers she had seen are deliberately designed. There are petroglyphs on some of the stones which were brought here from near Ash Fork. (National Park Service)

Click here to learn more about the Watchtower.