All about (not along) the Watchtower.
Possibly the most iconic and recognizable structure in Grand Canyon is the Watchtower. Those entering the park at the Desert View Entrance Station will spot it almost immediately.
The Watchtower was designed by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. One of a very few female architects working in the early 20th century, the breadth of her work had widespread influence. She created a style that blended Spanish Colonial Revival and Mission Revival architecture with Native American motifs and rustic elements and she is often referred to as “the architect of the southwest.”
May Colter was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1869 but she spent her formative years in Saint Paul, Minnesota where she graduated from high school at age 14. She was 17 when her father died but was still able to move to San Francisco to attend college at the California School of Design before returning to Saint Paul where she taught high school for 15 years.
Colter got a summer job as a decorator in 1901 for the Fred Harvey Company, that operated the famous rail stop Harvey House restaurants. She was soon not merely decorating but designing buildings. In 1910, she began working full-time for the company and she was eventually promoted to become its chief architect and decorator. She served in that capacity for nearly four decades overseeing the design and completion of 21 landmark hotels, commercial lodges, and public spaces.
Colter created a number of notable works in Grand Canyon National Park many of which ornament the south rim including one I’ve already mentioned – Hermit’s Rest. Continuing east from that point for the 22 miles to the Watchtower, the other Colter designs are Lookout Studio, the Bright Angel Lodge, Hopi House (her first Grand Canyon design), and ultimately, the Watchtower. In addition, she designed the Phantom Ranch buildings at the bottom of the canyon.
For this particular design, Colter, who traveled the region extensively seeking inspiration and to assure authenticity, said she modeled this tower after those she had seen at Hovenweep and the Round Tower of Mesa Verde. Of her design plan 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.”
Built on an internal steel framework, she insisted that it blend with the canyon walls. She was so attentive to detail that she deliberately designed built in cracks that are patterned from some of the ancient towers she had seen. Also, she had stones brought to the park from near Ash Fork and, if you look closely, you can spot petroglyphs on some of them.
There’s a lot more to learn about the park but by this point my body could take no more and, I’d hazard a guess that your minds are about to seek some other diversion. So, let’s leave the park and head south to the town of Williams.
Sneaking up on Pete’s.
A lot of people who visit Grand Canyon start in Williams, Arizona because that’s where they can board the Grand Canyon Railway for a day long train trip to the park. Of course, as a contrarian, I had to visit Grand Canyon first, then spend a couple nights in Williams. Besides, I’d planned my own way of putting Williams and the railroad together.
Williams is about 65 miles south of Grand Canyon Village but I was starting from the east end of Desert View so my drive would be closer to 80 miles. Even though it’s a relatively short journey, I’d been up and about since well before 05:00 and hadn’t eaten. This made the first order of business stopping to put some fuel in my still achy body. There’s a small town not far from the park’s south entrance with what I hope will now be the unsurprising name of Tusayan.
Having already partaken of several southwestern style meals, anticipating more of those in my proximate future, and, completely guiltless over the prospect of loading up on carbs, I opted to stop at We Cook Pizza and Pasta. I was tempted by the Hot Wing Chicken Pizza but went a bit more conservative and had a small Veggie Pizza. Yum.
One reason I’d chosen to stay in Williams is because part of Historic Route 66 passes through the town and, while I couldn’t travel the entire length of Arizona’s 250 plus miles of the old highway, I planned to spend more than a little time experiencing that famous road. To kickoff that part of the trip, I stopped at Pete’s Gas Station Museum.
(The gas for sale in the background isn’t at Pete’s.) Pete’s is chock-a-block with old signs, car parts, photos and, well, see for yourself. There’s no admission fee but there is a souvenir shop and a contribution jar. Because I travel with only a single suitcase, I don’t buy much on any trip and those things I do buy will generally be quite small. In this instance, I bought a Route 66 potholder and tossed a couple bucks in the jar.
The woman in the shop was very nice and, as we chatted, she suggested I have dinner at a family-owned restaurant called the Fiesta Grill just down the street from her museum. She said that it might not look like much from the outside (she was right about that) but that the food was prepared home style, inexpensive and tasty.
I thanked her and headed off to the Williams RV Park and Motel on the edge of town because I needed a shower, a little rest, and another dose of Aleve. Here’s a picture of the outside of my room:
and the inside.
This was my link between Williams and trains. It sounded fun but when you choose to stay in a place because you’re drawn to the adventure, you have to be prepared to face the fact that not all adventures are happy.
Three years ago, on my trip down the Mississippi River, I chose to stay at the Shack Up Inn just outside Clarksville. I enjoyed every minute of it. Sadly, I can’t say the same about my experience in the train car in Williams. The shower temperature never passed tepid. There was (as is often the case) coffee but no tea in the room and when I asked at the office if they had a tea bag or two I was told they had no complimentary tea but I was welcome to buy the small box of nine teabags they had for sale (for about the same price as a box of 100 Tetley bags would cost in a supermarket). There were a few other disappointments but, as I said, not all adventures are happy and traveling is diminished if its adventureless. Besides, I was only staying two nights.
Tomorrow, it’s time for some kicks.