With our daily lives so hectic and jam-packed, it's always good to pause and appreciate the wonders that Mother Nature has gifted to us. I have always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. We thought that we shouldn't miss our chance to drive there while living in California. Of course, time flew by so quickly, we didn't find a chance to go. After a few rounds of canceled travel plans, we finally got our chance to experience a taste of the majestic Grand Canyon.
I am going to share with you how we covered the Grand Canyon in one day. It is silly to say that you can see the Grand Canyon in one day, when in fact, the Grand Canyon is too huge to cover in even a week. At least we drove the popular South Rim before we left America. I am pretty sure that I will return and bring our future children there. While writing this blog post and looking at the souvenir map we kept, I got the feeling like we were driving there again ;)
Since we drove from the East coast to the West, our start point was Flagstaff, Arizona. From there, we started our journey to the Grand Canyon. We got up very early, before even the sunrise, and drove on 89-Hwy, turning to 64-Hwy, which led us to the South Rim. Our first stop was the Najavo Tribal Park (to find more info about park click here). To enter Navajo Tribal Park, you need to pay $5 per car for the 1st viewpoint. It was my first "Wow" moment, because I didn't realize how big the Grand Canyon was going to be. No travel show, picture, movie, or description can really prepare you for the immensity and grandeur you will see. From then on, I wanted to stop at every single view point. We continued our adventure to the Desert View Watch Tower. The Watch Tower is a replica of a prehistoric Indian tower, built in 1932. Sadly, it was closed when we arrived, but at least we got a beautiful view of the Canyon for ourselves. Most tourists start their trip from Grand Canyon Village (located at the drive's opposite end). We pretty much had the place all to us. Our only companion was a gigantic elk wandering in the empty parking lot. We snaked along the rim, constantly stopping, and simply enjoying the beauty of the drive. Later on, we arrived to Grand Canyon Village to have a small break for breakfast. The reason we decided to have breakfast at El Tovar Hotel, was because the previous night in Flagstaff, we randomly met with a young woman at dinner, who told us that the best place to enjoy breakfast is at the El Tovar Hotel. Because she works there, we can get best seats. And we did! Always talk to the strangers, you never know what they do ;). At the historic and rustic El Tovar Hotel, you will not only enjoy the food, but also you can get a graceful view of the Canyon.
After a mouthwatering breakfast of waffles, omelets, fresh trout, and fruit, we decided to leave our car and take the free shuttle that goes to the various Vista Points. Taking a bus made it an easy trip for us, because we got to see all of these breathtaking view points. To find more information about the bus click here. After a really long day, we finally returned back to Visitor Center to have a small break and watch a film about the canyon that was free. After the movie, we got quite hungry and decided to snack at Bright Angel Cafe, conveniently located at Mather Point. One can rent bicycles there too. Their sandwiches and coffee hit the spot!
After our quick bite, we decided to drive to our next destination. I was in awe and incredibly thankful to be able to see the Grand Canyon with my own eyes! What is your dream travel destination?
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