Grand Canyon National Park

Sunday morning, we boarded a flight to Pheonix, AZ. Being an aircraft mechanic, Zac likes to look up flight information before we take off. He told me this plane could seat up to 180 people so we were surprised that there were only about 30-40 other people aboard this flight. The flight ended up being one of the emptiest flights I've ever flown on. Passengers were allowed to spread out wherever they wanted and we all had a row to ourselves. We ended up having the best in-flight service as well. The flight attendants kept us well fed and hydrated as they circled around multiple times with snacks, drinks, coffee, and more snacks. "I could get used to this," I said. We lost three hours traveling so when we arrived in Phoenix, it was only 8am. More daylight for our four-hour road-trip to the Grand Canyon. Perfect! 

The drive from Pheonix to Flagstaff, AZ was beautiful. We left the airport surrounded by tall cactuses and slowly, the rising elevation transitioned into a forest of pine trees. When I pictured Arizona, I imagined the entire state would be covered in cactuses. Who knew so many different landscapes were hiding in one state? I was loving the scenic surprises coming our way. Signs along the drive kept signaling a change in elevation; 1,000 feet, 2,000 feet, 3,000 feet and so forth. I think we topped out at 7,000 feet in elevation at one point. 

As we'd climb and descend in elevation, the temperature would fluctuate between chilly and warm. As we were passing through Flagstaff, I spotted an elk grazing on the side of the road. That was one of many animals we saw to be on the lookout for. The yellow signs along the interstate also warned you to watch for moose and deer. 

A couple of pee breaks, snack breaks, and a wrong turn later (oops-my fault), we arrived at the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon park pass was $30 and valid for 7 days of entry. 

After we paid, we received a map and brochure highlighting the two bus routes in the park, orange and blue. I believe the orange route stopped at 5 viewpoints, and the blue stopped at 9. The viewpoints are located within different regions of the canyon, making each view a little more unique than the last. 

We decided to ride the orange route, which I thought was plentiful and beautiful. 

There were a lot of people crowded in the more popular spots, so we had to take turns getting pictures. I was surprised by how busy the park was since I figured it being August, schools would have been back in session by now and being a Monday, I also thought that would play out in our favor. A large amount of the crowd appeared to be an Asian tour group. I was disappointed that I couldn't eavesdrop on anyone's conversations while we were touring. Lol, just kidding. 

When the bus drops you off at the next location, you can wander wherever you'd like to go. Zac and I  walked away from the crowds and found some quiet and less populated spots that offered more unique views with nature. 

After finishing the bus tour, we were heading back to the car to get ready to leave. When I saw the sun setting in the distance I grabbed my camera and ran! I was searching for the nearest ledge to see the sunset from.

Bingo! I wasn't alone. The side of the cliff was filled with a crowd getting ready to witness this beauty set behind the canyons. 

What a beautiful way to end the first day of our road-trip! 

Check out our other adventures in Arizona:

Horseshoe Bend