We checked out of the resort Monday afternoon and used an uber to get to the RV rental center. It was there that we picked up our twenty-five foot home on wheels for the next two weeks. The Grand Canyon was about four hours outside of Mesa, AZ by RV. We quickly learned how bumpy an RV ride could be! Harper loved the fact that she did not have to be strapped into a car seat while on the road. We read books, learned colors, and watched movies during all of our drives. We reached the Grand Canyon on the evening of Alex and my eighth wedding anniversary. We went out to dinner with our plus one to celebrate. We spent the entire next day exploring the Grand Canyon. This was our first day out west with no air conditioning. Alex and I, mostly me, had a difficult time adjusting to physical activity in such extensive heat and sun. Harper rode around like a queen and enjoyed every sight!
Our first RV park was just outside of the Grand Canyon National Park entrance. Through much research beforehand, we knew about the shuttle stops only a short distance outside of our camp. We had purchased an Annual Park Pass for the national parks before the trip. The cost of the pass is $80 and gains entrance for you and your family to all national parks for a year. As each park is around $30, we saved a lot of money and time at the entrance stations.
Happy eighth wedding anniversary!!!
Our first view of the Grand Canyon on the 4th of July!
Monkey came on a lot of our adventures.
The only hike we did at the Grand Canyon was the Bright Angel trail. This is one of the most popular trails and goes straight down into the canyon. We picked a 3 mile round trip. We probably turned around after about a little over a mile into the hike as the heat and sun were pretty intense and we were still adjusting to the west. I still cannot understand how Alex did all of the hikes with a baby (and snacks, sunscreen, water) on his back! I carried our three liter CamelBak and the camera.
We stopped a lot to take pictures in the beginning when we were still giddy. Harper refused to wear her hat which added to my anxiety.
The views were stunning.
We saw mules and horses along our way.
This is the view of part of our trail from across the canyon.
After the grueling hike, we spent the next couple hours on a shuttle bus going out to Hermit's Rest. The shuttle we took was an eighty minute round trip shuttle with hop on and off points at scenic overlooks. It is a great way to see the park without having to hike aka great for parents with toddlers. While you can drive into the park, the waits can be long and parking spaces can be hard to find, especially during holidays. We loved the shuttle system and it is worth reading about before your trip.
Happy 4th of July!
We drove forty-five minutes to Lipan Point to watch the sunset. I had read about this overlook and it seemed like the perfect place to celebrate the 4th of July.
We ate a classic American dinner in our RV on the 4th of July overlooking the Grand Canyon. It was perfect.
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