Im excited because, despite having lived half my life in Arizona, I have never been to the Grand Canyon!
We woke up at 6 AM today. When we first arrived it was easier, but now I have begun to adjust to Arizona time and it is a little more painful. But its for a good cause, so we're up making coffee.
We headed down the road. Lauren drove on the way there. She wants to go to the upcoming Warped Tour revival so her friends were texting back and forth about tickets. They got them!
The trip to the Grand Canyon was about 2 and a half hours away, but there is a big slow down at the gate where you pay to get in. I have also had a great need to go to the bathroom for the last 45 minutes and time just keeps ticking up, which is painful, but I have resolved to just ignore it until we are in.
Update:
FINALLY USED THE BATHROOM!
The toll booth was excruciatingly long, but once we got past it things were clear to the parking areas. By that point me and Lauren both had a great need to go to the bathroom, so what we ended up doing was parking next to the bus and visitor center and then having one person using the bathroom while the other watched the car, and then switching, then after that we parked.
First thing we did was get ourselves oriented and get something to eat. We grabbed some hot dogs and chips from a food truck.
We went into the gift shop and I got a Grand Canyon patch and a water bottle. I realize I didn't bring a water bottle on a trip that involves so many outdoor activities in Arizona, which seems silly in retrospect. I also bought a carabineer so I can clip it to my belt. I didn't really look at it, but I realize it has a flint lighter and a knife on it as well, which is kinda cool.
We then got into our first bus. The bus driver was a real character from South Georgia. He told us about the weather at the canyon and how the bus circuit is a loop and you cannot get lost, because it is a loop.
We got off at a stop where the General Store is. Lauren got a soveigner shot glass and we grabbed some snacks. It's fun visiting all the areas around the Grand Canyon, everything feels very 1960s. The General Store was pretty big and had both nicknacks and groceries. I imagined how fun it would be to be staying near the park and getting steaks to grill at the General Store. We then went back to the bus stop.
The next stop was our first scenic overlook. Before this point, I could not see the canyon at all. And I have never seen it before. We began to walk up a hill to a vista. I told Lauren that if she could lead me to a good viewing point, I will not look until she said so, half jokingly. She was a good sport and lead me up and told me I could look. I looked up and wow! I was truly blown away! It was so much bigger than I had imagined!
We then went to the Lookout Studio, which was like a cute gift shop on a scenic cliff.
Every view is a million dollars! I just don't know what to do with this information! Gorgeous!
We dropped by a lodge where you can rent rooms right at the Canyon. Not gonna lie, I would like to stay there. It smelled like earthy firewood.
I need to take another moment to thank Lauren, who plans these trips that I would not even dare to try. She is my loveable travel agent.
Something me and Lauren agreed on, the grand canyon is a planetary scale phenomenon. You can also see so much that I wonder if it is hard for your brain to process so much detail.
This trip to Arizona, and the Grand Canyon in particular, have made me feel more interested in getting outdoors, hiking, and potentially even camping.
My father used to be an avid outdoorsman and when I was young he would take me well into the wilderness and set up camp. I do miss it and always thought I would reconnect with it one day. It's hard, because I never learned to do it myself, and now I can't ask him for tips. But no better time than the present! To be honest, I'm beginning to make this crazy goal of hiking down and camping in the Grand Canyon. It could be a good way to expand my patches of National Parks!
The weather could not have been better! There was a cool breeze, in the Upper 60s, with light cloud cover. I am so comfortable as I look into the canyon.
We went to Hermit's Rest, the last stop on the bus route.
We refilled our water bottles and got a couple ice cream sandwiches as a treat.
As we walked back towards the bus stop, we spotted some elk in the road. They got very nearby, starting a conversation about how safe it is to be around these large animals (Google said it's best to give them a good distance).
From there we started to head back. By the time we got back to the central visitors center the sun was on the tail end of setting. We rushed over to the scenic overlook to get some of the last shots of the sunset in the canyon. The night sky was fiery with the setting sun.
The 2.5 hour drive was a little tiring after a long day at the Grand Canyon. We placed an order for pickup at Red Robin so it would be ready as we got into town. As I write this I am waiting for Lauren to use the bathroom and I am v tired as I sit slumped on a bench by the front of the restaurant.
We got back in to the cabin a little after 9. Luckily we did not get Javelina'd again this evening, so we went back inside. The cabin has become such a cozy private place for us on this trip. I'm honestly pretty sad thinking about how we will check out tomorrow, but it was a good time. We got relaxed and the Office was on TV. Time to eat.
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