Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

*Authors Note: As you can tell by the dates, I visited the Grand Canyon as part of my roadtrip this year in late January- thus the snow in the pictures. I didn’t know it back then, but this was the trip that inspired me to continue traveling and visit the remaining 59 National Parks!*

Wider than the State of Rhode Island and deeper than any crevasse on Everest, the Grand Canyon has become one of the most iconic spots to visit in the United States.

What is Adventure?

For me it’s about leaving my comfort zone behind and embracing the unknown. When I set out on this road trip in early February, it had been nearly two full years since my last major move, that being when I decided to quit my job in Florida and move to San Francisco. A lot has changed since then, but my desire to see new places hadn’t changed, and when I began to get restless at my job in San Francisco, I knew it was time to hit the road again.

On the road again- February 2016 at the Grand Canyon

January 2016 @ the South Rim- I remember this picture well. I had just found out that my car, which had carried me all over the country from Saint Louis, to Indiana to Miami to San Francisco, had just dealt its last breath. I was pretty miserable-but I was determined to put on a brave face, since I had told so many people that I was going to be chasing my dreams all year and I didn’t want it to look like I was giving up. While I’ve had no shortage of setbacks, I’m happy to report that 9 months later, things have worked out pretty well!

At the top of my bucket list was the Grand Canyon and it didn’t disappoint: while it is not the deepest canyon in the world (that honor goes to Mexico’s Copper Canyon), it is easily the most spectacular: for the three days I was there, I got up every morning and stayed up late every evening to see the splendor of the Canyon at sunrise and sunset, where the sky lights up and the rock faces glow every shade of red, orange and yellow.

It is incredible place that’s worth visiting multiple times in your life. Visiting during the winter had its challenges (hiking around the rim is extremely treacherous since there is ice everywhere), but on the upside there is no people around, so I highly recommend it if you hate crowds!