Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon was designated as a National Park in 1919. The Colorado River carves out this spectacular geological gorge; from top to bottom, it is about one mile high! You can hike to the bottom in about one to two days. At the bottom is a town that even has a Post Office! There are many things to do at the Grand Canyon; you can even ride a mule to the bottom, or do white water rafting along the Colorado River.

My aunt and I went to the Grand Canyon as part of my cross-country road trip. We met up with my friend Ellen who guided us through this area.

What to Do

Visitors Center

With the short amount of time that we had, Ellen had us park at the South Rim Visitors Center and take pictures along the Rim Trail to Mathers Point.

Bright Angel Trail

We did a few switchbacks along the Bright Angel Trail, where we saw the historic Kolb Studio. From 1904-1976, brothers Ellmsworth and Emery Kolb used this as their photography studio and home. They pushed boundaries and took hard to reach photographs of the Grand Canyon. The studio is open daily.

See the Stars

At nighttime, my cousin told me to look UP at the stars. It was one of the few times my breath was taken away on this cross-country trek.

*Road trip route from here: Prior to the Grand Canyon, we were in Sedona, AZ. After the Grand Canyon, we headed to Page, AZ.