Day 4 – A “Grand” Father’s Day at the Grand Canyon

Day 4
A “Grand” Father’s Day at the Grand Canyon

Not many dads can say they celebrated Father’s Day in as grand a way as Ross did today. We took him to the Grand Canyon. I hope he appreciated the view, because that was also his gift – considering we forgot his present amidst all the chaos of leaving for the trip.

We chose to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, instead of the traditional South Rim. It’s harder to get there, which means fewer crowds.

As we drove the last 45 miles, it was hard to believe you were in Arizona. The North Rim Plateau is covered in green meadows and pine trees.

Our first stop was the Lodge. Upon entering the sunroom, we were facing a wall of windows, two-stories tall. They provided us with our first stunning view. It was like watching a movie of the Grand Canyon at the IMAX – only this was real.

When we walked out the sunroom doors and onto one of the viewing platforms, Ethan commented, “I imagined it being big, but I had no idea it would be this big.”

We selected one of the hiking trails and began our descent into the canyon. We started at an elevation of 8,800 feet, and turned around after descending about 800 feet. Between stopping for pictures and stopping to admire the view, the hike took 2+ hours.

The trail was dusty, but it was surprisingly shaded by trees for much of the way. Also, a nice breeze kept the temperature cool.

As we enjoyed the uncrowded trail, we congratulated ourselves on having chosen to drive the extra distance to the North Rim. We only saw a couple dozen people (and 8 mules) during the entire hike.

As we hiked back up the dusty trail (why do all hikes seem to have the UPHILL climb at the end?), Autumn kept reminding us how nice a shower was going to feel. (Hey, I’ll take my motivation in any form I can get it.)

After the hike, we drove to Point Imperial. To give you an idea of how curvy and narrow the road was – RVs longer than 30 feet aren’t allowed. At 28 feet, we squeaked by.

When I walked out to the overlook, I felt like I was on top of the world. As far as I could see, there were cliffs and colored canyons.

It was also very windy. The gusts were at least 40 mph. I kept thinking that Autumn and I might just get blown sideways. Hmmm. Maybe that would be a good excuse to eat more dessert – I need to gain weight so I won’t blow away? Nah! I don’t think that will fly.

After a long day at the Canyon, we drove the 45 miles back to Jacob Lake and finally got those hot showers Autumn had been dreaming of.

Westward Ho!

Kelly’s Comments (If You Go . . . )
Kaibab Camper RV Village
The night before our trek to the North Rim, we stayed here. We ate breakfast on a picnic table against a backdrop of pine trees.
It was a 45-mile drive to the Park Entrance.

Jacob Lake Inn
The night after our trek, we stayed in a hotel room. It’s about a mile from the Kaibab RV village, where we stayed the night before.
We also ate dinner at the Jacob Lake Inn. Isn’t it amazing how delicious food can taste when you’ve cleaned up from a hot and dusty day of hiking? Not only was the food tasty, but they are famous for their cookies. Of course, that meant we were forced to buy several.

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Accommodations
When venturing to the North Rim, there aren’t many places to stay. Jacob Lake is one of the closest, other than staying within the Park.