Grand Canyon National Park
Having been on the road for seven weeks now, we had been used to our fair share of chilly winter desert nights, yet as we drove to the Grand Canyon, a layer of freshly fallen snow was waiting to greet us for the first time on this journey. It was beautiful- the change felt incredible as we traded cactus landscapes for forests of Juniper and Pine as we made our way up to the northern half of Arizona. Many nights were spent camped amongst the trees as we shared campfires with new friends on their own traveling journeys and woke up to elk grazing near the campsite, completely carefree from the people that shared the forest with them.
As one of the oldest National Parks, established in 1919, the Grand Canyon was much more developed than previous parks we had visited, and justifiably so as to accommodate the massive amount of visitors it receives year-round. Despite this, all thoughts of crowds or structures felt obsolete as you approach a viewpoint of the canyon for the first time. The scale of this natural wonder is beyond description and the thought “is this real?” frequently crossed our minds. The word “Grand” is an understatement- and this massive view into the earth's past was truly one of the most astounding sights we had ever seen. How incredible it felt to learn the history behind this park, how it has taught us so much about the formation of our earth, and how people have been enjoying and photographing it for over a hundred years.
We visited all viewpoints- making sure to be at a different perspective every chilly evening, wrapped in blankets as we watched the sun go down right after lighting up the beautifully distinct layers in the earth. Hiking the rim trail gave us the largest variety of views, as each new section gave us a new look into the giant cracked open earth and the relentless Colorado River running through it. Here we saw more wildlife than we have ever encountered, with elk and deer prevalent through the trees along with Bighorn sheep effortlessly making their way up and down the cliff sides.
Being in a place like Grand Canyon National Park was an overall brilliant reminder as to why we chose this life on the road- to experience the breathtaking features of the US, with the freedom to stay as long as we felt necessary to truly appreciate it. Not rushing to take it all in within a day or a weekend but long enough to appreciate the details and read all of the fascinating information available to us. When we used to go on weekend trips, there was always a sense of constant hurry as we aimed to pack all sightseeing in a day or two, while now we have the privilege to allow ourselves to breathe and actually soak in the wonders of what’s in front of us. To truly be present in the moment. With visions of red rock features running through our minds, we eagerly prepared to head north into Utah. America has some of the most astounding landscapes, and we can’t wait to continue roaming through them in our little bus.
