November 7-12, 2022

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

Arizona

“Grand Canyon National Park, in Arizona, is home to much of the immense Grand Canyon, with its layered bands of red rock revealing millions of years of geological history. Viewpoints include Mather Point, Yavapai Observation Station and architect Mary Colter’s Lookout Studio and her Desert View Watchtower. Lipan Point, with wide views of the canyon and Colorado River, is a popular, especially at sunrise and sunset.” ― Google

The Grand Canyon has always been on my bucket list of places to see.  It did not disappoint.  I have no words that would appropriately describe the magnificence, vastness and beauty of this amazing place.

I spent five days at the South Rim, staying at Trailer Village Campground in the park.  The campground had full hookups, which is unusual for a lot of national parks.  It may have been a little expensive, but in the long run, the access to the vistas was worth it.  The South Rim runs a shuttle bus service allowing visitors an easy way to navigate the park without having to worry about parking.  I tried to drive some of the park on my own, but in the end found the shuttle buses to be the best method of transportation.

The Red Shuttle runs along Hermit’s Road, from March through the end of November one must take the shuttle to visit the sites on this road.  This eight-mile road had nine hop-off/hop-on sites to view the canyon along the route.  I took this trip on the first afternoon I was in the park.  Each stop had amazing views; the colors were incredible.  The next morning, I boarded the shuttle again, and as I suspected the views were just as stunning, however because of the morning sunlight vs evening sunlight, they were different from the first trip.  That afternoon I went in the opposite direction, driving (there isn’t a shuttle in this direction) the 20 miles to the East Entrance, stopping at several overlooks along the way out or on the return trip, and experiencing more magnificent vistas. Again, because of the afternoon sun I knew I would have to return in the morning, which I did later in my stay.

On my third day in the park it rained, which turned to snow.  The conditions kept me in my RV all morning.  By mid-afternoon the skies cleared, but cold temperatures prevailed.  To escape the RV, I took a short jaunt just to see how the snow affected the canyon.  Other than the roads along the rim were wet and hiking trails a little icy, nothing else changed much.

On the last two days in the park, I revisited both the Hermit’s Road shuttle and drove to the East Entrance again and spent time visiting some of the historic buildings in the Grand Canyon Village, such as Verkamp’s Visitor Center, the first visitor center in the park, the Kolb Studio, an art museum with an exhibit featuring paintings of the Grand Canyon by renown contemporary artists, and the Yavapai Geology Museum, featuring the best vantage point for an overview of the Canyon’s geology.

My visit to the park was during the second week of November.I was struck by the number of visitors in the park, especially near the weekend.I can’t imagine what it must be like during prime tourist season.I would love to visit again, probably at a different time of year.I would also like to go to the North Rim, which according to literature is less crowded and a little more desolate.But for now, I am glad I have crossed the Grand Canyon off of my bucket list.