The Grand Canyon and Beyond

The USA is home to so many incredible national parks, national forest, and countless adventure opportunities to connect with nature! These are also relatively easy to explore and affordable for planning vacations. We planned to visit The Grand Canyon, “the HUGE and extra deep”national park. 

Day 1 and 2: Before starting a trip it's always advisable to explore the information about the destination place. The Grand Canyon consists of mainly two rims and each rim has their own destination place to experience.

South Rim:

Grand Canyon Village 

Desert View

Grand Canyon Visitor Center

Yavapai Geology Museum

Verkamp's Visitor Center

Kolb Studio (1905)

Backcountry Information Center

Watchtower (1932)

Tusayan Ruin and Museum (1928)

While planning for the trip, you want to book the accommodation depending on how much you want to explore the grand canyon. There are five hotels located in the Grand Canyon Village (El Tovar, Thunderbird Lodge, Bright Angel Lodge, Kachina Lodge, and Maswick Lodge). We booked the accommodation at El Tovar Hotel. Staying here gives you the advantage of easy access to the shuttles, short walks to several of the viewpoints, and no hassles driving into and out the park every day. However, the hotels get mediocre reviews and many people say they are expensive for what you get. On day one and two we mainly explored Duck on a Rock Viewpoint<Grandview Point<Sinking ship< Grandview lookout tower< Moran Point <Tusayan Museum<Lipan Point<Navajo Point (Highest Vista on the canyon's south Rim<Desert View Watchtower. 

Duck on a Rock Viewpointis the place where you can experience nature's artwork, which in itself is breathtaking. Sinking Ship is a 7,344-foot (2,238 m) elevation summit located in the Grand Canyon. It is situated 1.7 miles (2.7 km) southeast of the Grandview Point overlook on the canyon's South Rim, and 1.25 miles (2.01 km) southwest of Coronado Butte.  Desert View Watchtower which is a Stone tower rising 7 stories designed in 1932 by Mary Colter, a pioneering Grand Canyon architect.

Day 3: On day 3 we mainly drove to “North Rim”. There are few important things you have to consider while you visit the “North Rim”.The North Rim is over 8000 feet (2438 m.) in elevation. So the only season North Rim Season provides full services is between May 15 and October 15, each year. But if you want to visit after this time span you have to check Between November 1 and November 30, the North Rim is open for Day Use only.Most importantly during winter months, the North Rim closes because of snow. 

North Rim:

North Rim Visitor Center

Bright Angel Point

Point Imperial and Cape Royal 

North Rim Visitor Center is a very fine place to visit to learn about the history and important vista sides. Point Imperial, which is the highest point on the North Rim at 8,803 feet (2,683 meters), overlooks the Painted Desert and the eastern end of the Grand Canyon. Travelers also visit Cape Royal, which provides a panorama up, down, and across the canyon. With seemingly unlimited vistas to the east and west, it is popular for both sunrise and sunset.

Tips:

1. Visit the Museums

Yavapai Geology Museum 

Tusayan Ruin and Museum

1. You can find wonderful guided bus tours with minimum cost to explore east and west rims.
2. Do not miss the sunrise and sunset; these are worthy for a lifetime experience.
3. Make sure to have a hat, sunblock, walkable shoes, and plenty of water/snacks on hand.
4. If it’s summer, bring all your light, breathable clothes for those hot hikes!