Just like the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta was something I’ve always wanted to do, so was the Grand Canyon. Austin has been several times, but somehow I never have! I always viewed it as something I can always do so there hasn’t been any urgency. Well, it was finally time! We left Flagstaff to make the journey over to the Grand Canyon where we had a reservation at Mather Campground
Colleen was still with us, but it was her last night. We had a lot of exploring to fit into a night/morning! We checked out the visitor center and walked along the rim trail as the sun was setting. It was really nice! We stopped at the viewpoints and enjoyed checking it all out.
Ooh Aah Point
The next morning Colleen and I set out on a hike. We wanted to head down into the canyon and chose South Kaibab trail. We hiked down as far as Ooh Aah Point. It was really nice! The trail was busy, but not too crowded. We were very glad we are visiting not in peak season – I can’t imagine what it would be like then!
After our hike, we went back to the campground to pack and eat lunch. Then, I dropped her off at the shuttle where she started her journey back to Charleston. Austin and I worked the rest of the afternoon. We bought our wifi booster back in February and we honestly haven’t used it that much. However, times like this it has been crucial! We wouldn’t have had service at all in Mather Campground without it.
More Visitors
On the same day that Colleen left, Austin’s parents arrived! They planned a road trip through several National Parks around the time we would be at the Grand Canyon so they could meet up with us. It was so much fun spending a few days with them exploring the Grand Canyon and sharing our lifestyle with them. The first night we joined them for dinner at the restaurant at El Tovar.
Bright Angel Trail
The next morning we set off on the rim trail to check out the views with them. Then, we decided to make our way down into the canyon on the Bright Angel trail. Austin and his dad turned around earlier than his mom and I did (Austin’s back is still bothering him and his dad has foot issues). The two of us continued down the trail to Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse and had a blast checking out the canyon.
After we finished hiking, we all went back to the campsite and had dinner over the fire. This is one of our favorite things so to be able to share it with them was great! We had a delicious meal and hung out way past our bedtimes before deciding it was time to take them back to El Tovar and get some sleep!
The next day we took the Desert View Drive to check out more viewpoints. We drove all of the way to Desert View Point and worked our way back. At Desert View we climbed the watchtower and enjoyed the amazing views. It was so neat to see the Colorado River cutting through the canyon. Also fun to note – we were visiting the Grand Canyon as it was celebrating its 100th year!
After all of our hiking and exploring we went back to the RV and assembled a charcuterie board to take back to the El Tovar porch to watch the sunset. It was amazing. We brought our own snacks and a bottle of wine and enjoyed the sunset. I definitely recommend this if you are going to be visiting the Grand Canyon! Of course, I forgot to take pictures but trust me – it was perfect!
After a super awesome few days with family and friends at the Grand Canyon it was time to hit the road. I’m so glad to have visited the Grand Canyon. It truly is a bucket list destination!