My First Time At The Grand Canyon

Have you ever laid eyes on something that took your breath away? Just the sight of it instantly made you pause and reflect on life? In all my days of traveling, this has only truly occurred one time…when I visited the Grand Canyon! The Grand Canyon, for me, was always one of those places I said I would one day visit. I never made it a priority because it did not seem all that interesting. Traveling far away to essentially see a giant crater? Eh, not that appealing. 

I was traveling from the Denver area visiting family, and would end up back in Southern California where I reside. On the way there, we traveled through Las Vegas, up Utah, and across Colorado before we ended up in Castle Rock, Colorado where we stayed for about a week. On the way back, however, I noticed there was an alternate route we could take, in order to see different sites. I’m ALL ABOUT taking an alternate route if it means I get to see new places. I like to see the unfamiliar. I noticed that instead of retracing our steps, we could drive through New Mexico and Arizona which would spice up the road trip. It had been several years since I had been to that part of the country and I remember loving to be able to witness the beautiful scenic desert of the southwest. 

We left Castle Rock around 11am, and ventured south on The I-25 where we got to drive through Colorado Springs and Albuquerque.  We spent the night in Williams, Arizona at the Ramada Inn which happened to be dog-friendly. Oh, did I mention I was taking a road trip with my very rambunctious 1-year old Husky puppy??

His name is Apollo, and he actually behaved surprisingly well! I thought we would have to pull over every hour for him to go to the bathroom, or that he would whine the whole time (which is his favorite thing to do unfortunately.) I remember taking him on a short 45 minute car ride to Huntington Beach a couple months prior, and he threw up IN MY NEW CAR from car sickness. He has thankfully matured since then and I couldn’t have been more relieved.

After eating at the Denny’s next door to the hotel, we drove an hour north on State Route 64 towards Grand Canyon’s South Rim. In Valle, Arizona, we stopped for gas and noticed an establishment fronted by a familiar cartoon. The Flintstones! I just had to pull over and take pictures. It was a very fun and kitschy RV Park and restaurant, and appeared to be in its off season due to the weather.

Upon arriving at the South Rim entrance, we paid a fee of $30 and followed the path towards a place to park and view the Canyon. The area is wooded, until you arrive at the top. It was January so there was still snow and black ice on the ground, with very cold temperatures. When we finally got to see the Canyon in all its glory, I was in awe. The detour was suddenly all worth it. Looking down, you realize just how high off the ground you are. There are some barriers along some popular looking points, but along the walking path there is virtually nothing holding you back from falling over the edge. I would be nervous to bring a child here 😓 But it appears that the Grand Canyon is very family friendly so as long as you read the signs and follow basic common sense, you should be completely fine.

I was lucky to arrive when I did. There were only a handful of people there, and I was able to get some great shots in without someone being in my way. About 20 minutes after I arrived, two tour buses came by full of eager tourists. In the dead of winter, the Grand Canyon still attracts so many travelers. I can only imagine how it looks in the summer!

I am happy I spontaneously decided to venture to the Grand Canyon. It is so vast and inspiring! My goal is to return and perhaps hike to the bottom, which would take lots of careful planning. We were really only there about an hour, and I believe there is still much for me to discover. On our way out, we ran into a moose-like animal at the stop sign. I had never seen one in person, and it seemed unfazed by humans. We waited patiently for it to cross the street. 

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? Do you plan on going anytime soon? Do you know what kind of animal that is?? Let me know in the comments below!

Helpful Links:

https://www.bedrockaz.com/

https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/fees.htm

https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/hiking-faq.htm