Mike and I have been planning to visit the Grand Canyon for a very long time. In the first or second year of dating, we went so far as to book a camp ground (and pay for it) but not go. When we lived in Colorado we talked about going…a lot…but didn’t. Since moving here to DC we have planned the trip 3 times! Memorial Day, Fourth of July (both cancelled due to ‘Rona), and then a random weekend in August. August was the answer, we finally made it! And my mom got to come too! Yay!
FLIGHTS
We flew out of DCA through Detroit and then to Phoenix. This was our first time flying since the lock down and we weren’t sure what to expect. DCA was an early morning flight – 0500 – so it was dead and hard to tell if it was because of the time or COVID-19. We wore our masks throughout the airport and for duration of our flights. No one got mad or yelled at anyone regarding the wearing of the masks. It was really unremarkable.
Detroit was also dead. We went to the lounge and there was no one there. It’s pretty surreal seeing the airports so empty. It kind of feels like something really bad happened and destroyed the world and somehow we are the only people left.
Landing in Phoenix, again unremarkable. Barely any people, very few stores/restaurants open. Really quite barren.
We flew Delta. The middle seat was left open…except when Mike decided he needed to sit closer to me. They handed out “goodie bags” with water, hand sanitizer wipes, Cheezits, and Biscoff cookies.
Returning home was Phoenix to Atlanta to DCA. Really nothing any different than the flight out. We had 30 minutes to transfer in Atlanta, which typically is a little nerve racking – in any airport, but especially Atlanta – but in this instance, it was a breeze. So bizarre.
Grand Canyon
We drove to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix after grabbing lunch.
One hiccup was that we reserved a Jeep Wrangler for our rental but they were out. We initially settled on a BMW convertible but soon realized that wasn’t going to be very enjoyable for longer drives. We returned the convertible and got a VW Atlas. It was big and comfy, and a very smooth ride.
We got to see the sunset on the first night. The canyon just takes your breath away. I’m sharing my photos with you, but don’t let that be your solution to seeing the canyon, they don’t do it justice. The colors are amazing, they change with the sun and each layer is very unique.
Our first full day, I made everyone get up at 0400, at first I think they thought I was crazy, but by the end they were grateful. We stepped on to the trail at 0521, it was still dark. Mom was in charge of the flashlight, she did a good job, but she would accidentally shine it right at our faces which was…blinding. The first stop was “ooh aah” point. You can see, it was aptly named.
We turned around at “Skeleton Point”, which as a great idea. The hike up was steeper than it feels on the way down! We made it to the top around noon.
On the way up, we saw the donkeys hard at work. They were headed back to the top, presumably for more materials for the village at the bottom.
We were pretty worn out at the end of the hike. We drove to town and got some less than mediocre pasta and pizza. Once we replenished our energy, we drove the rim to see all the sights. I managed to capture a lightning strike at one of the overlooks. And we saw some elk wandering around.
The last day at the canyon, Mike and I decided to go sky diving! It was our second time jumping out of a plane and it went pretty well! The first time we jumped out of a plane was in Iowa, and I puked after…motion sickness will get ya! This time, I just felt hungover all day. Really not sure which is better, but it was really cool seeing the Grand Canyon from a parachute!
On our drive back to Phoenix, we stopped in Flagstaff to see Jay and Chloe! A great surprise, as I had forgotten they lived there. Refer to Unexpected Blessings for more on that!
At the end of the trip, Mike serenaded us…
A fun, quick trip with lots of memories! It’s crazy how different the vegetation is throughout our country. Being in places like Arizona remind me how much I like lush greenery! Mike and I want to go back though, and hike rim to rim, so…maybe next year!
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