Finally! This is one of the places that since a little girl I have been dying to experience. DJ did a big trip last summer with his close guy friends to the most famed national parks in the West. I was thankful he had this experience because he navigated the GC like a pro. I would have had no idea where to begin!
The night before the hike we saw the IMAX that showed in the visitor center. It certainly hyped us up to begin the trek in the morning.
Trying to put into words the beauty, the awe-inspiring landscape, the majesty of the experience is a daunting task. My preconceived notion about the Canyon was that it would be mostly red, dry, Arizona layered rock. I expected beauty and vastness, but I did not expect the vibrant cascading greenery to claim the mountain sides as home. I did not take into consideration the piercing blue glow the sky would emanate. I did not expect the silence to beckon questions that do not have tangible answers. I did not expect my perspective on life to be shaken by the reality of how truly microscopic I am on this massive planet. It was humbling, but exhilarating. It gave me insight into my Creator. I felt like I had been given the keys to the most mammoth playground on Earth.
For our hike we took the Bright Angel Trail all the way down to the overlook of the Colorado River. It was astounding how loud the river was from quite a ways up. I can’t imagine how thunderous it would sound if you were actually standing next to it. The whole hike ended up being about thirteen miles round-trip. We started at 6 am from the hotel, had a hearty breakfast, and began the hike around 7 am. We finished up around 2 pm.
Living on the edge- literally.
The hike back up was INTENSE. Make sure if you ever do this hike to bring a water bottle (they do have water stations to refill), protein bars, and quick energy. We each packed a protein bar… Well so we thought. Somewhere in the process of transferring the goods from the grocery bag to our bag, my bar got left behind (we won’t place blame.. *cough cough* 😉 ). DJ was sweet to share his with me. We had plenty of other trail mix, dry roasted edamame seeds, and apples. We took respite in the rare spots of shade when we came across them.
If you ever have the opportunity- GO TO THE GRAND CANYON, I beg of you! I haven’t been to the other National Parks out here yet, but you bet your bottom dollar that I will. If you have suggestions about where to visit or any unique things to do/tips to share I would love to hear them.
After the Canyon we began our last stretch to arrive in Cali. Our last few stops included Bakersfield, Big Sur and Highway 1, and then Santa Cruz!
Wishing you a GRAND day,
xo <3
Mack