The Grand Canyon - Vol. 1

Last week was my spring break from work. I hopped in the car and drove what I thought was going to be a seven hour drive and turned out to be more like 10 hours. I'm not sure how long it actually took to get there. It felt like forever. I took my Grandma along and we headed for the Grand Canyon. It has been on my bucket list for ages. She is cooped up in the house more these days and wanted to get out so I figured why not take a short road trip.



We hardly made any stops at all. Twice for gas and bathroom breaks and once for food but it still took ages to get there. We stopped at McDonald's for dinner and I asked my Grandma if she wanted to try my chocolate milk shake, which she promptly finished off.



I would have loved to stay in the park but it turns out you've got to plan ahead and make reservations oh a good year in advance not two weeks so maybe next time. We were able to stay in Tusyana which was about five minutes outside of the park and the beds were super comfy.

We spent all day on Sunday exploring the southern rim. The park has a great shuttle that takes you from stop to stop in between walking. The weather was a bit cooler up there. I left LA where it was a balmy 85 degrees for a nippy 55 or so on the rim. You'd have thought it was -12 the way my Grandma bundled up but she was comfortable and cozy all day.



While we stopped at most of the points there is still a lot I'd love to go back and see and do. Definitely more hiking. It turns out there is a train that runs straight into the park. For a weekend visit I think the train and staying inside the park at the El Tovar would be lovely.







The colors in the canyon really were spectacular at sunset. We saw loads of elk and some deer and one turkey vulture flying overhead. None of the critters were very photo cooperative though.





Monday we drove through the park exiting the eastern exit. We passed through the Kaibab forest and into the Navajo Reservation. The views were stunning. I found the plateau inside the reservation land to be so much more than the canyon itself. Of course there were no pullouts or anything on the side of the road we were driving so I could stop for a photo. If you ever get the chance to drive into the park from Flagstaff to the park go up the 89 and into the eastern entrance of the park. I bet that view at sunset is unbelievable. Flagstaff wasn't that exciting. The downtown area is cute. Stopped for a great bacon cheeseburger.





Then we headed to Sedona. The drive was beautiful. The town itself didn't have all that much to see or do. Fairly small and touristy. The people were pleasant though and some good food stuff.



Tuesday we drove home through the Mojave desert where it was a cool 95 degrees. It was another LONG drive. I thought my butt was going to be molded to the seat by the time we got home. But it was a really nice trip.





Two days home and I was back on the road for Yosemite…