It really is that GRAND

11 years ago this month Scott and I visited The Grand Canyon.  It was my first time seeing it and it took my breath away.  Now, 31 parks later, it is still my favorite of all the National Parks.  Many rank high on my list, but if you could only see one, I feel like this should be the one.

The day before we took the kids, I had a little fear, much like the fear I had before taking them to Disney World.  “What if it isn’t as magical as I remembered?  What if I’ve built it up too big in my memories?” 

No worries.  You can’t over hype the Grand Canyon.

And pictures don’t do it justice.  Pictures can’t possibly convey its depth and magnitude.  It’s not just about one view from one vantage point.  It’s huge.  You can take a 40 minute bus ride up the cannon and see different part of the canyon that are equally as vast and majestic as the first. 

It is AMAZING!

 

We started the day just taking the kids to the rim and letting them look out at it.

 

And ummm… do handstands on it.

Then we visited the visitors center and got the kids their booklets so they could work on their Junior Ranger badges.  These badges are really great.   You get a booklet that you have to fill out… things you need to look for, write about, do… at the park and when you fulfill all your requirements, you earn your Junior Ranger badge.  At this park, each kid had to do 4 age appropriate assignments, plus attend a Ranger talk before they could earn their badge.  We went to a song/story time led by a fabulous ranger.  We picked it because we thought all the kids would enjoy it (even our youngest).  It  was pretty cute and afterwards they got sworn in for their badges right on the rim of the Grand Canyon. 

From there, 4 of our crew went on their hike (see previous post).  After we were safely reunited, we boarded the national park buses to see various look out posts along the rim.  The kids loved this.  In fact, if you asked my three year old his favorite part of the day, he would say riding the bus. And he eagerly pointed out each and every bus he saw.

While posing for a group picture our youngest fell asleep in my arms.  At first Scott thought he was being difficult and not wanting to pose for a picture, but then we realized he was falling asleep.  He slept in my arms for well over an hour.  I carried him all around the canyon… off and on the bus, to the overlooks and back.  He slept through it all. 

He woke up in time for a picnic at the far west portion of the rim and then we headed back to watch the sunset over the Colorado River in the beautiful Grand Canyon. 

It was a fantastic day enjoying God’s creation as a family.  This vacation really is shaping up to be everything we hoped it would be.