There are truly no words (or pictures) to accurately showcase the canyon’s beauty. It’s one of those places that just leaves you completely speechless while your brain tries to comprehend how something so vast is right in front of you.

It’s almost like a dream– something too majestic to be real.

The entire experience was nothing like I imagined and the pictures I had seen online didn’t even come close to the experience.

Once we entered the park, we drove down this long road, parked, and walked down a little shaded path like we typically would at any park. Except this time, the top of the path was an open, flat rock with views of the canyon.

Epic. Mind-blowing. You name it.

If it wasn’t a national park, we wouldn’t have even known the canyon was there until we came right up on it, which is so difficult to even fathom – probably because I have seen way more mountains in my lifetime than canyons.

We used our Annual Park Pass to enter the canyon, which meant the entire experience was covered – including parking.

I recommend allowing 1-2 hours for viewing the canyon.

• If you’re heading to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff, make sure you take road 180. You will pass gorgeous trees, the spectacular Humphreys Peak, and a cool Flintstone Raptor Ranch.
• Eat ahead of time. Even the McDonalds outside of the park entrance costs much higher than usual.
• Take a bottle of water with you. Dry heat is a real thing in Arizona. You won’t even realize you’re dehydrated until it’s severe .
• Do not go to the edge (even for cool pictures) due to the updrafts. Many people have died from these wind gusts.
• Stay away from the squirrels. They’ve been known to bite.
• Bring a coat! Even though we visited the park in May, it was still chilly with the wind.
• If you bring children or pets, keep them close by. There are some places that do not have guard rails.
• Drive to other canyon lookouts to get a better view of the turquoise Colorado River.
• Lastly, find time to just absorb the moment without taking pictures. Actually take time to experience the experience.

Next Time: I would love to take a helicopter ride over the canyon. I can’t imagine how amazing that would be. Something else to add to my bucket list, indeed.

After visiting the Grand Canyon, we headed towards St. George, Utah. On our way we saw signs for Horseshoe Bend and decided to stop. One of the best decisions we made the entire trip!