12/31/2019

This morning we drove the hour and a half to the Grand Canyon! I’m excited because I’ve always wanted to see it my whole life!

The drive is smooth through the highways, which aren’t iced or snowy and the scenery is nice.

The lines aren’t that long and now my annual pass has paid for itself with this visit.

First stop is the visitors center of course, and the parking is sooooo crowded. I had to park in lot 3 and walk. Speaking of walking, in this kind of weather, getting out of the car takes a bit. Jacket, scarf, hat, gloves, trekking poles, and backpack.

At the center, you can learn about the trails, the history, and which shuttle buses take you to which points. We then bought all our official souvenirs because I didn’t want the places to be closed when we were done for the day.

We took the orange route that went east and the first stop was the Kaibab trail. We only walked a very short part of it because it was very icy.

But we got our first view of the rim, and it was breathtaking!

Back on the shuttle to the next viewpoint:

And another beautiful view before heading into the El Tovar hotel to warm up!

Here they had also a Hopi shop with more souvenirs but I’d skip this place, it felt gimmicky.

My daughter was digging her hands in the snow because she couldn’t get enough of touching it and found one of those painted rocks that people leave in parks which is wrong to do so we took it with us to remove it.

By now it’s almost 4 pm and we’re starving! The hotels just have fancy restaurants and a lot of them close at 2 pm and don’t reopen until dinner time at 6. And they need reservations. So if you’re looking for a family friendly and budget option, go to the Maswik Grill at ** and you won’t be disappointed.

It’s cafeteria style type grab and go but you can wait for a fresh burger or chicken strips to be cooked. Since I’m having a hard time warming up, I choose some soup and fruit.

After eating, we go back to the * stop on the shuttle and get off to cross back to the viewing area by the rim. We have to cross the train track and come across a lone deer strolling along in the snow.

We go by the shop down from El Tovar, find a quiet spot away from the crowds, and watch the Canyon change colors as the sun sets slowly. It’s beautiful and I stare in awe happy that I’m finally seeing this in real life.

After the sunset, we ride the shuttle bus back to the visitors center, where after a brief panic because I was disoriented, I find our parking lot and our van. I’m surprised that the lot which was so full this morning is now empty except for about 5 cars.

But I can’t leave yet! We wait until the sun completely sets at just before 7, and enjoy the millions of stars that you can see thanks to the Canyon’s Dark Sky status. The Milky Way slowly appears, and even though we’re sitting in the car (it’s really cold!), it’s a wonderful sight.

Back to Flagstaff for the night, but first a quick stop in the town right outside the canyon, Tusayan, to get some cold medicine for my runny nose! Be aware that everything just outside the park is more expensive because you pay for the convenience.

My daughter asks if we can come back again this week and I say: definitely. 😊