After Utah we drove to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. And then we headed back to Las Vegas after two days of the Canyon. It's about a 4-5 hour drive to/from Vegas.
Ah - the Grand Canyon. Call me a farmer, but I hadn't realized how big the freakin' Canyon was going to be. Sure, I've seen it on t.v. and I've seen pictures of it and people tell you "it can be as much as 18 miles wide in some parts" but you just can't fathom what that will look like. Until you see it. It's so huge and mammoth and deep that you break out in an anxious "what if I fall in" sweat.
It's awesome.
We stayed in the park. There are a couple fancy places you can stay right ON the Grand Canyon. But we stayed a short ways away at the Yavapai Lodge. Cute little rooms. Plus the whole park has a great bus service so you can just park your car and be taken to the brand spankin' new visitor's center or the scenic over-looks. (side note: I kept calling all the scenic turn-outs we would see "turn-offs". And then I'd crack some clever joke like "oh - stop at this turn-off! We'll get to see crappy tippers, long fingernails and bad breath." Get it?)
When I was at the Canyon, I bought a great book titled "Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon". It's brought me hours of grisly entertainment. The chapters are divided into stories about people having stupid accidents, people having true unavoidable accidents and people committing suicide - all in the Grand Canyon. It's like a 400 page book so there are a ton more chapters. You'll love it.
I'd like to hike and camp in the Canyon the next time I go. Or raft the Colorado River and camp - that way I don't have to hike my ass down and back a vertical mile. We ended up walking the Rim Trail (it took me two full days to not laugh when I said "Rim Trail") which extends about 13 miles around the South Rim of the Canyon. We walked about 4 miles. It's all paved and has some excellent viewing points.
Here are some brilliant facts for you:
Physical Creation: The Canyon was formed about 5 million years ago. Some of the rocks exposed at its bottom may be 2 billion years old.
Popularity: About 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon each year.
Size: The Canyon covers 1,904 square miles. Its length at the Colorado River is 277 miles. The Canyon's width from rim to rim is 18 miles.
The Bottom: The inner Canyon is accessible only by hiking in by mule or by rafting the Colorado.
Wildlife: There are about 1,500 flowering plant species, 305 bird species, 88 mammal species and 58 species of reptiles.
Trails: There are 400 miles of trails in the Canyon. The Canyon's first trail, the Bright Angel, opened in 1891.
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