We were coming from the east so we entered the park through the East Entrance and drove along Desert View Drive on our way to the Visitor Center. I think that most people coming to the South Rim enter through the South Entrance near the Visitor Center on their way in from Flagstaff or the airport. I am glad we came through this less traveled way and got to experience our first views of the canyon in a less crowded place.
Our first stop was the Desert View Watchtower. It was built to look like it was a part of the landscape. There are observation points outside the tower, but Morgan insisted we go straight to the top.
Morgan's first view of the Grand Canyon from the window of the watchtower while walking up the stairs. I worried that the kids would be numbed to beautiful scenery by this point of our vacation and not appreciate the vastness and beauty of the Grand Canyon. This was not the case. We were all awestruck. This is also my first time to see the Grand Canyon so I didn't know exactly what to expect. Pictures can not do it justice (although we did take 251 pictures today anyway).
We went to the top and looked at the view through the windows then headed down to the outdoor observation deck.
"All the earth worships Thee; they sing praises to Thee, sing praises to Thy name" - Psalm 66:4. Amen!!
I was able to zoom in on the rapids of the Colorado River. The canyon is 1 mile deep so this is pretty awesome to get a close-up from this height. Rodney got me a new camera lens for my birthday that replaces two separate lenses I already had. This was the best present ever and saved me from going insane on this trip while trying to take pictures.
Rodney pointed out the rapids to Caleb and Caleb said "What?! Rabbits can swim?". We got a good chuckle out of that one.
Look at that crazy man on that rock! After Rodney climbed back up, Caleb said "My nerves are shot!" Where does he get this stuff?
Some questionable parenting decisions happening here, if you ask me. ;-)
We drove along Desert View Drive and stopped off at many viewpoints. There were dark clouds and rain in the distance.
We thought about stopping for a picnic lunch, but it was starting to sprinkle so we decided to keep going in hopes of a picnic area with a view. As we got back in the car, the rain got harder and we were glad we hadn't stopped.
Further down the road, the rain was letting up so we attempted a picnic. We ate a few bites before the rain started up again so we finished in the car. The rain had really cooled things off as well so it was chilly.
We arrived at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, put on our jackets, and headed inside in the light rain. The kids picked up their Junior Ranger booklets and got to work on them while we waited for the Grand Canyon movie to start.
By the time the movie was over, so was the rain. We decided to check out Mather Point, along with a thousand other people from all over the world. If you're one of those people who just drive up to the park, walk to the edge, look over, and leave - this is where you do it.
We walked along the Rim Trail and enjoyed several more viewpoints. It got a little less crowded the further you got from Mather Point.
Those are people on that rock. Not sure how they got down there.
There are squirrels (or maybe chipmunks?) all over this area. I think people feed them so they will come right up to you. They will bite, however, so don't try to touch them.
Morgan identified the spot where the picture on the front of her Junior Ranger booklet was taken. Eagle eyes!
One of Caleb's Junior Ranger activities was to sit and look at the canyon and draw a picture showing his experience. Both kids have been really into the Junior Ranger program. I have been immensely impressed with the National Parks we have visited on this trip. We've done a lot of activities, but National Parks most definitely give you the biggest bang for your buck. I'm proud to live in such a beautiful country with protected areas that are made accessible to enjoy without spoiling their natural beauty.
Caleb's picture of the Grand Canyon.
Next stop was souvenir shopping. As excited as they were about seeing the Grand Canyon, they were also pretty excited about shopping. We went to the Park Store next to the Visitor Center. This store was a huge disappointment and they are missing out on a lot of tourist dollars here, if you ask me. The selection of items was small and pricey. We try to encourage the kids to pick souvenirs that at least have the name of the place printed on them because they always gravitate toward the cheap toys that you could buy anywhere. With the pathetic selection here, we allowed them to get what they wanted. Morgan chose a stuffed coyote (that she is calling a wolf instead) and Caleb chose an adventure tool that hangs around your neck and does 7 different things.
In order to complete their Junior Ranger activities, they were required to attend a Ranger Talk and have their booklet signed by the ranger. We chose the Critter Talk. It was interesting and we learned a lot about elk and coyotes.
The kids turned in their booklets and took the Junior Ranger pledge. There was no choice between badge or patch, which I was surprised by since this is such a major park. Plastic badges it is.
We wanted to take a hike below the rim, but we had a picnic dinner first. This picnic was more successful.
The park ranger recommended the Bright Angel Trail for hiking with young kids. She said that it is the widest and most well maintained trail. Ninety percent of people who visit the Grand Canyon never go below the rim. We didn't go far, but it was worth it for sure.
The sun was going down as we hiked into the canyon and the light was gorgeous.
Self-timer selfie with the camera propped on a rock on the side of the canyon. Not bad!
This trail has two tunnels. The first is only .3 miles from the start of the trail. The next is .9 miles from the start. We had hoped to make it to the second tunnel, but Caleb was complaining of being tired before we got there so we turned back. I read to expect it to take twice as long going back up as it took to come down and that the return trip is definitely more difficult. I think we were very close to the second tunnel when we turned around and probably went at least 1.5 miles roundtrip and hiked for 1 hour. I think we definitely could have gone further and been fine, but we didn't want to push our luck.
Since we all survived the hike, we decided to celebrate with ice cream.
We were close to sunset by this time so we drove back to the less-crowded viewpoints on Desert View Drive to enjoy the sunset over the Grand Canyon at Grandview Point. We hadn't seen any rain since lunchtime, but there were plenty of clouds in the sky so this was shaping up to be a gorgeous night.
Morgan brought her notebook to write a poem while watching the sunset. Caleb had to get into the action as well. He wrote "I saw the Grand Canyon!".
Morgan told me later that she felt very mature while writing her poem in front of the beautiful sunset. I have to agree. She said I could share her poem on the blog.
The Sunset
A bright ball of light lights up the canyon.
Red, brown, yellow, green, and white are lit up by the sun.
The leaves of the trees are like stained glass
and the light of the sun reflects on the fluffy white clouds.
As the sun starts to disappear behind the mountain, the clouds start to look like fire.
Then the clouds start to look pink like sunburn above the silhouette of the trees.
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