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Grand Canyon

We finally got to see the Grand Canyon! One of the natural wonders of the world and something on all of our lists. And WOW!
We told the kids it would be bigger, grander, awesomer than they could imagine (and it was), for them AND for us. We've seen it from planes and in pictures, but it's just better than what you expect. It's a few hours from our campground, so we took the dog and used the kennel there so we'd have longer to stay and play. No dogs are allowed below the rim or on the shuttles, so he missed some of the fun. He did get to go on a short hike (walk) with us along the rim as we waited for sunset.
We went to the visitor center, got caught in a huge hailstorm (ouch & brrr) , then went to some overlooks. The kids finished their Junior Ranger program at a museum where we learned more about the canyon, including that it's monsoon season and it rains every afternoon. So THAT'S why. We found it odd that it rains every day here in the desert! We don't mind a bit though, it cools it down and keeps the RV clean. :)
In the park (probably the most popular in the US), as always, it was crowded at the main lookouts. But if you walk along the rim trail just a little, you have a private view of the canyon. We'd asked a ranger's opinion on watching the sunset and she suggested a part of a trail that wouldn't be very busy, and it was great! We walked about a mile from one of the lodges and had a great place to sit (and to play for the kids, because sitting is too boring, even at the Grand Canyon!). It was fun to see the colors change before, during, and after sunset and how different the same views looked.
We saw miles and miles of it, but that was such a small portion of the whole canyon. We're going to wait until the kids are a little older, then we're backpacking down into it AND taking the rafting/kayaking trip. We definitely hope to be back to spend more than a day here!
Allen doing what he does:
Some panoramic views:
And MANY more pics!

A really neat thing was this was Matt's choice for his birthday (last year was Mount Rushmore)!

Comments

beemommy said…
Okay, that Allen thing...I'm not even his mama but seeing it made my stomach hurt! And I LOVE heights! We were at the canyon in 2004, I'd been there once before to visit a friend by myself and couldn't wait for the kids to see it. But, they got like 30 feet from the rail and my stomach just fell. They loved the Junior Ranger program! The rangers there were great with kids. Glad to see you guys enjoying the RV life. I.am.jealous.