A top item on my bucket list has always been to take some parent/daughter trips. So a few years ago when I asked my dad what his number one bucket list place was, he said it was the Grand Canyon.
"Yup, I think I'd like to see the Grand Canyon before I die," he said, clearly not planning to act on this ambition any time soon. Little did he know how ambitious a daughter he had.
I set to work before my father's 70th birthday this year to plan a trip that I knew he would see as feasible. The itinerary couldn't be too strenuous or daredevil, as he certainly isn't the same fit 21 year old who drove to Florida with his buddies non-stop (not even to pee or change drivers). I knew that we would have to fly out of our smaller home airport and I knew it had to be as simple and unpacked of an itinerary as possible. My father likes to relax on vacation, and I wanted this to be just as much his trip as it was mine.
So the plane tickets cost a little more than I would've liked, but I knew a half hour drive to the airport was much more doable for him than driving four hours to Boston and THEN flying to Arizona. After it was all planned out, I made a card with print outs to show him what we would be getting ourselves into a month after his birthday.
It was important to me that this be time for just him and I, as my father and I have not ever done anything this big just the two of us. He was shocked, surprised, and very excited. I was just happy that he agreed to go with me as I wasn't sure if he would be up for such a trip physically.
On the day we left, my mother drove us to the airport at 4am (thank you mommy!). As we were waiting I realized that my father was a little more afraid of flying than I thought he was. The take off and landing required some literal hand holding, but we made it there safe and sound. I was also aware that my father had not flown in 33 years. The last time he got on a plane was to fly to Aruba with my mom before they were married. It was the only time either of them left the country other than Canada. Having not been on a plane since before 9/11, my dad had not experienced going through such intensive security. I think he tried to go through the scanner with his belt and his wallet. They sent him back twice. He was also quite baffled by having to take off his shoes and not being able to reach around the X-ray wall to grab his bag. Bless his heart for going along with it because they really just throw you into the fire with no instructions.
Since neither of us were carrying any illegal substances obviously, we made it to the rental car center early that day. Enterprise quoted me about $300 only to up it to $600 when we got there for "fees and taxes." Needless to say I wasn't very happy. We made the best of it though, the car was certainly the most essential part of the trip so it had to be done. We got out of the city and 6 lane highways quickly, heading north toward the Grand Canyon.
On the way there we stopped in Black Canyon City to find a bathroom. We wandered around for a few minutes in Rocki's Trading Post where the owner (and fabulous hippy) provided us with cold water and advice to visit Sedona on the way to the Grand Canyon. I am so glad we stopped there because Sedona was absolutely stunning! Sedona is a small town nestled in red rock mountains eroded by wind and weather. There are fantastic hiking trails, lookout spots, and scenic drives all over the town. We stopped a few places just to ooo and ahh.
Going north, after Sedona comes Coconino national forest, one of three national forests that collide in Northern Arizona. I had no idea that there were forests in Arizona. I had only just seen a little bit of it on my last visit out west. So I was surprised to feel like I was in an episode of Yogi Bear.
The view from the top of the mountain at Oak Creek Vista was gorgeous! It was also a great place to check out local artists. We stopped during a craft sale where the local native American tribes artist's could sell their work. I bought the copper hummingbird necklace you see in the photo above from a Navajo man. He said that hummingbirds were "the symbols of swiftness, the messenger, the protector, and the caretaker." It definitely resonated with me, and now I have this beautiful piece of art to last a lifetime.
When we finally reached Valle, Arizona (aka the middle of absolute nowhere) We were good and hungry. We stopped at what was probably the only restaurant in town or in a 50 mile radius; The Grand Canyon Inn, Lounge, and Restaurant. This place was such a good find! The food was very reasonably priced, the staff was so friendly and welcoming, plus it was located near where we would be staying. We ended up eating here probably five times throughout the duration of our stay due to lack of options, but also just because we loved it so much. We really made friends with our waiter Jesus, who told us that a few of his other family members worked there as well. It felt very welcoming, plus the bathrooms were clean, but more on that later.
After a wonderful salmon dinner, we headed to our accommodation; Wander Camp Grand Canyon. This glamping site was a spot I found on Airbnb with great reviews. It was close to the National Park and priced right. My expectations were high, but the reality was awful. No staff were present, the bathrooms were horrendous (and I'm no wuss when it comes to a place to pee), and I found a giant black hair in my bed (several times). I questioned whether the linens had been washed to be honest...
So we roughed it for a couple nights, but a bed is a bed. I certainly would not call it "glamping." On our way into camp we saw a jack rabbit right up close to the car which was very cool! I had never seen one before, and I think it granted us some good luck for the rest of the trip.
The next morning we set out on the mile long dirt "road" back to the highway toward Grand Canton National Park. We got up early so we wouldn't have to wait in line at the gate. Our jack rabbit was working for us when we arrived too. When the woman at the gate asked if either of us was a veteran my father said "yes." Long story short, he was in the army for a bit, but doesn't have the necessary paperwork to get any of the benefits. When I explained this to the woman she said "no problem!" Apparently they just take your word for it and veterans get into all national parks for free! So we saved ourselves almost $70 total both days by knowing that little secret!
We entered the park and drove through the forest of ponderosa pines. My dad was very excited about the name as he loves old western shows and books like Bonanza where they lived on "the ponderosa." We found a good place to park in the shade and headed for the edge of the Canyon at Mather's Point.
Most people who visit the Grand Canyon tell you "yup you just go and stare at it for like 20 minutes and then leave." Which you certainly could do, however we came here on a mission for the full view of the canyon and all it had to offer. So we did our twenty minutes and then headed back to the visitor center for more information. We did a little souvenir shopping, walked The Trail of Time, and got lunch in the park. We saw the Yavapai Geology Museum as well which was very interesting to see how the canyon formed. Apparently the layers of stone where dinosaur fossils would be have already been eroded.
The second day we decided to do the scenic drive through the park instead of doing something else in Arizona. It just felt right taking more time to see this national park. On my first trip to a National Park at Zion in Utah, I could have spent weeks there, but instead I only had a day to explore how amazing it was. So I was very grateful to have the time to relax and explore Grand Canyon National Park a little more. We started our drive at the South Kaibab Trailhead. Obviously my father was not about to hike the extremely strenuous trails in the Canyon on a hot day in May. However, I wanted to sneak down the trail just a little ways to explore the inside of the canyon.
Our next stop on the drive was the Desert Watch Tower. Built by one of the foremothers of architecture, Mary Colter. Although we couldn't go inside due to COVID-19 regulations (this was the only part of the park left unopened) it was still beautiful to admire from outside and read about its history on the plaques.
In the background of the photo below you can also see the Colorado River and one of its biggest rapids which is more than three stories tall to give you an idea of scale.
The canyon is a mile deep... on average. Meaning that when you look down, it starts to fade as if you're looking at mountains in the distance or little specks on the ground from an airplane. It is a weird feeling to have with your feet planted firmly on the ground. You can't see much detail at the bottom, but we did see lots of wildlife while we were there! We saw 2 young elk run out in front of us on a trail, an entire herd of deer, a bunch of Stellar Jays, and two massive elk on the second day.
We saw all this without even leaving the beaten path. This is what I love about national parks, they are the way nature and life should be. We can enjoy nature without destroying it or putting a 16 story hotel on top of it.
The strangest animal we came across was actually a brown-headed cow bird. Not as beautiful as the bright blue Stellar Jay, but it does have one of the weirdest bird songs I have ever heard. We had no idea what we were hearing for the entire first day we were there.
The rest of our second day was spent exploring the different look out points along the scenic drive. I sat at Grandview Point to video chat my mom and Ethan back home. Pictures certainly don't do the canyon justice though. I think that was why I didn't have the Grand Canyon very high on my own bucket list. I felt like I had already seen it through photos, but I will tell you now that it comes to life in 3D when you see it in person. I feel so grateful that I got to see it for myself and not just judge it from photos. There is certainly an important message about compassion to be said here. It's not just about having an open mind toward other people, but about places and things as well. Don't knock pineapples on pizza until you try it, or at least attempt to understand their craving for something sweet and juicy on top of savory and saucy.
Our last day in Arizona we went to Williams (the closest thing to civilization near the Grand Canyon) which happens to have Route 66 passing through it. Known for its historic and touristic route across America, only pieces of Route 66 remain. So it was very cool to be able to drive down a stretch of it. I even got to use my Spanish skills to help us find a bathroom. It was a very fun town with railroad roots similar to our home town.
Per the recommendation of the visitor center staff in Williams, a good stop on the way back to Phoenix was the ghost town of Jerome. Nestled in the mountains, Jerome has a very strange history of being a booming copper mining town, to a ghost town, to a tourist stop now. We visited the candy shop there and were greeted by the awesome staff who gave us a little history about the town. We visited the sliding jail across the street (it slid down the mountain at a max speed of 12 inches per hour!) and the historical society per his recommendation. Like he said it was "the best $2 you can spend in that town." We learned about the tiny town's history including a walk-through model of the copper mines, the schools and their yearbooks, and even the red light district.
Fun fact: I learned that the reason it is called a "red light district" is because the miners used to have to put a red lantern outside of where they slept at night in case they needed to be found in a mining emergency. So since most mining towns were filled with working men with no families, they spent their nights with sex workers and hung their lanterns outside their doors instead. Thus, the term was born. According to the historical society, rumor had it that one of the ladies "serviced up to 80 men in one night for a fee of $0.25 to $1." Jerome certainly had a wild history!
We made it back to Phoenix in time for our flight home rejuvenated, or in my dads case exhausted but excited and satisfied. I had missed traveling so much this past year and a half. I feel so blessed to have made it through the pandemic without any major losses or illness. It reminded me that there is no time like the present to cross things off your bucket list, even if you are 70 years old!
If you could bring anyone on a trip of their dreams (within your budget anyway!) who would you bring? Where would you go? and what would you do?
And remember to bring compassion wherever you go!