Views From the Edge

Up and out early from our campsite just outside of Bryce Canyon, we were eager to make our way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We planned - and waited - over six months ago, to reserve the only site in the campground large enough for our trailer that was directly on the rim of the canyon. We couldn't wait to get there - set up our chairs, put our feet up, and take in the views... And as an extra bonus, we even gained our hour back that we lost going into Utah - because Arizona doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time...more time to soak it all in. Unfortunately, I think that will catch up with us soon.

The North Rim is quite remote - the nearest town is Kanab, UT, over 80 miles away. So we made a quick grocery stop and headed on to the park entrance. As we got closer, we drove through the Kaibab National Forest and over 10 miles of wildflower-covered meadows approaching the park entrance. I imagined the Grand Canyon as a more arid, rocky environment - more like we had just come from at Zion or Bryce. So to see the lush, green meadows, and watch the temperatures falling from the upper 80's into the mid-70's as we climbed higher and higher toward the rim was a wonderful surprise.

We arrived at 11am, thrilled to see our wide-open, forested campsite - so unlike some of the recent RV parks we've stayed in. No hook-ups here, but so worth the trade-off for room to spread out and enjoy relaxing outside. I could just see the canyon through the trees, and didn't even stay behind to help Matt get the trailer into the site before I jumped out to see the view... WOW. It is immense - indescribably huge, and glowing with every shade of red and orange imaginable - and I was only seeing a very small part of it (as I would learn later). I made my way back to the campsite quickly and we enjoyed a hot lunch of soup and toasty sandwiches in honor of the perfectly breezy 75 degree weather.

After lunch we headed to our first Ranger-led program called "Way Cool Canyon", where we had a private lesson on predators and prey and each of their important roles in the ecosystem. At the campground amphitheater, we were the only four people in attendance - a major change from the crowds at some of the recent parks that we have visited...I could get used to this change. Then, relaxation and hammock time was in order at the campsite for a couple of hours until we decided to pry ourselves away to check out more views and another ranger-led program on the California Condor. So we hiked the Transept Trail from the campground over to the Lodge and Bright Angel Point - taking in the views and gawking at deer and wildflowers along the way - amazing.

After dinner, we sent the kids off to a relatively early bedtime (after all, it was really an hour later than they were used to because of the time change). There was a campfire to enjoy and stars to be seen - and Matt and I were looking forward to a few hours alone to reflect on the trip and ponder the wonders of what we have experienced...a precious commodity on this trip. But Abby is in the middle of reading the fourth Harry Potter book, so it wasn't too difficult to convince her that some time to read in bed was a good idea. Matt and I kicked back in our zero-gravity chairs and enjoyed the evening with a few glasses of red wine and time to catch up. After it was really dark, we made our way back down to the rim of the canyon and carefully picked a spot near the edge where we could see forever. The night was clear and the stars were out - so many stars that we could barely pick out any but the most basic and brightest constellations. All of the other stars, and the brightness of the Milky Way had us confused. I could have laid there forever, but sleep called and the sun would be up early here...

Tracy