That brings me to a little note that I received in my email this morning about in 1908, on this day, Teddy Roosevelt conferred national monument status to the Grand Canyon. It couldn't have been named outright as a "national park" as Arizona, where most of the canyon rests, wasn't a state until 1912, some four years later. All trivia aside, the canyon is on my bucket list, heights and all.
Like so many in my age group, the old Walt Disney show on Sunday night gave me my first view of this place - Winston Hibbler was the announcer and we took a plane ride under the rim of the canyon that was, on a 14" black and white, some pumpkins. My real picture of the area came from music. I still have the LP 33-1/3 with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy of Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite.
Musical descriptions of places, stories, rivers etc. are generically called "tone poems" and music history is chock full of them. Composers painted with melody and harmony as assuredly as painters with oil and brush. It is just a little more abstract and relies on a canvas in the mind rather on the wall over the sofa.
Anyway, I want to go to this place before I die or can't navigate the walkways and see if it is as clear in person as it is in my mind's eye.
https://youtu.be/Xe7wC-HG6RQ
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