Bob - El Tovar & Canyon Architecture

When making our plans for the Grand Canyon we decided we didn't want to hike down into the Canyon (even a little bit) and that we didn't want to ride the Burros into the Canyon either. In short, we were quite happy to experience the Canyon from the rim. In addition to seeing the incredible Canyon views we wanted to experience the history and richness of the architecture along the rim. So we decided to stay in the El Tovar hotel, built in 1903-5 by the Santa Fe railroad and operated by the Fred Harvey Company (which became AmFac, now Xanterra).

We also wanted to see many of the structures designed by the architect Mary Culter. She was a major figure in a field dominated by men in the early 20th century and she was also a pioneer in the introduction of regional American themes and motifs at a time when most American architects were mimicking European designs. She designed many structures for Santa Fe and Fred Harvey, several of them in the park. [Pictured below is the Observation Tower at Desert View.]

These include Hopi House, Lookout Studio, Hermits Rest, Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Lodge, and the Observation Tower at Desert View. Since we aren't going into the Canyon we will not see Phantom Ranch, but we plan to visit all the others.[Pictured below is Hopi House.]

El Tovar, however, was not designed by Mary Culter, but in my opinion, it blends in nicely with its surroundings and is certainly one of the great old national park lodges. It has the typical (for this type) wood and stone construction, log beams, and large stone fireplaces. The Dining room has windows that face and look into the Canyon. We splurged on a meal there Monday night.