Visiting the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the most beautiful and adventurous destinations in the United States, or the entire continent for that matter. The Yarlung Tsangpo canyons in Tibet are slightly larger, but more resemble a mountainous river valley rather than the dramatic sheer desert cliffs and viewpoints found in Arizona.

Despite how amazing the canyon is, and despite the fact that I’ve been here three or four times, the most I’ve done is take in the impressive views. Of course, each trip was well worth it for me, but I owe it to this place to experience more of the adventures it offers. Everything from scenic flights and canyoneering to hiking, camping, rock climbing, kayaking, and more is available here.

The photos posted here were all taken with old cameras of mine during my early photography days, so that is something I will have to fix as well. The photo below is a shot of the canyon from nearly 20 years ago, taken with my first digital camera ever.

I returned to the canyon maybe a year or two after my first visit, and then again nearly a decade later. My trip to Arizona hadn’t been to see the canyon on my latest visit, and by the time I arrived I could only catch the sunset. These photos were taken from one of the main vantage points on the South Rim.

Wildlife at the Grand Canyon

While some of the best views in the world will always be the main reason people visit, the Grand Canyon is also an excellent place to view wildlife. As a matter of fact, the very first time I entered the canyon I nearly had a deadly encounter.

I entered the park at 5am and was driving in darkness when a whole herd of elk suddenly crossed the road. I didn’t have time to stop and literally drove between them in one of the closest calls I’ve ever had. On my last visit I had a much safer experience when I saw the elk above.

Elk are some of the largest mammals that live here, while below you can see something considerably smaller: a tiny desert mouse.

Grand Canyon Souvenirs

Lastly, I’m only throwing these up since I have so few photos to share. The souvenirs are a bit unique here, where you can purchase everything from beautiful rock gems to tiny cacti.