101 Places to See Before You're 12 - A Canyon or Gorge

A Canyon or Gorge

No one in our family of four had visited the Grand Canyon before so this was a real treat.

As we got closer to our the National Park of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, this is the varied landscape we encountered.

First pines and snow...

...then desert-y Arizona scrub...

...then pines and a little bit of snow.  The change in landscape out west always amazes me.

Our first view of the Grand Canyon!

We spent the evening looking around.  We were going back the next morning to see more.

I really like that we got to see it in the early evening and early morning. 
The views and colors are different.

It was really breathtaking and we had only scratched the surface!

We were all ready for a good night's sleep, then we headed back first thing in the morning.

First a stop to see Smoky the Bear.

We walked along the rim, did the shuttle bus tour and stopped at several great vistas, visited the Visitors Center area, then on our way towards Utah that evening, we did the driving tour.  There was so much to see and I can't tell you how much we loved it.

You can see a walking path for those who hike all the way down.

The Colorado River 

My camera battery died at this point so I took a lot of iPhone photos, that actually turned out pretty well!

 

I love this photo of us - it was a great day.

From the Book:

#86 - A Canyon or Gorge

When you hear the word "canyon", the first thing you think of is "grand".  In fact, the Grand Canyon is so grand that all the other canyons in North America have kind of an inferiority complex because of it.  Quite a few canyons are so anxious to be favorably compared to the Grand Canyon that they call themselves "the grand canyon of" a certain area, just so that everyone knows they are impressive as well.  The truth is that there are many, many canyons and gorges that, were it not for the Grand Canyon, would be considered quite grand in their own right.  You really must see the Grand Canyon one day, but in the meantime, why not pay a visit to one of the less famous but truly spectacular canyons?  The canyon will be grateful that you remembered it, and you'll see an amazing sight.