The Grand Canyon

via Joshua Tree Park

So, there we were, ready for our RV adventure! We grabbed our new wheels at lunchtime, got everything sorted inside, and made a beeline to Walmart to get stocked up on all the essentials. Our grand plan was to head to the Grand Canyon, but, with it now being well after lunchtime, and with an 8 hour journey ahead of us, we made an overnight pit stop at Joshua Tree Park along the way to break the journey up.

That first night was magic. The park owners had left a bunch of logs for us, ready to be turned into a roaring fire. Dan took charge of the flames while I whipped up some soup to warm our bellies. We cosied up around the fire, slurping our soup and roasting marshmallows, under the moonlight, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere that enveloped us - a big change from our time in LA!

After a disastrous night of sleep and discovering that will be the final s’more binge for Fin at bedtime (that sugar rush was clearly too much!!), we wake up and pack up the RV, hello epic RV travel day! Armed with our trusty Alexa blaring some top-notch country tunes, we give the kids a little lesson in the ways of Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, along with some other golden classics for good measure. Our RV turns into a Destecroix-style karaoke party on wheels - move over James Cordon! The roads seem to go on forever, surrounded by a whole lot of nothingness. Suddenly, Dan hits the brakes, insisting we all hop out to soak in the sheer vastness of our surroundings. The landscape sprawls out endlessly in every direction, not a soul in sight! An absolutely spectacular sight.

We finally arrive to the Grand Canyon campsite just as the sun is setting, and luckily we manage to book for three nights. We get everything set up and then decide to venture out into the darkness to explore the village. As we stroll through the woods, we come across signs warning us about bears and wolves that could be lurking around. Our minds start playing tricks on us and suddenly every rustle in the bushes is a potential threat! The ten minute walk felt like an eternity, but finally we reach the village! As we are walking into the pub, what do we see? Actual living, breathing, gigantic deer casually chilling outside the pub - I thought they were a statue! We get inside for a cold drink and to calm all our nerves after the long travel day and over-active imagination of the last ten minutes! As we head back out we realise there's a free shuttle bus inside the National Park and it will take us back to our campsite, meaning we don’t have to put ourselves through the walk back. Safely back in our various cosy beds, we all collapse in a mix of relief and amusement, happy to rest our heads on our pillows!

After another unsettled sleep - this time due to rain and winds where it felt like the  RV might rock over at one point, we kick off our day with a leisurely morning and a delicious breakfast, waiting for the rain to clear and finding our wet weather gear ready to conquer the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. 

As we approach the rim, bubbling with anticipation, we are all left completely speechless by the breathtaking view in front of us. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, could have prepared us for what we were seeing. It's beyond belief, absolutely jaw-dropping. Our minds struggle to process the sheer depth and vastness of it all. The girls liken it to a computer screen-saver, appearing flat and so unreal that they couldn't wrap their head around it. Every single one of us was left in awe, completely and utterly mind blown!

I couldn't wait to share this special moment with my parents, knowing they have been dying to experience the Grand Canyon in person themselves but for one reason or another, haven't quite managed to make it, I was glad to be able to video call them. Although we weren't sure if the magic would translate through the screen, I hope they felt a bit of the same awe and wonder as we did. It was a priceless moment to be able to share a little bit with them.

Before we set off for our hike, we stopped off at the visitor centre to pick up Junior Park Ranger booklets for Poppy and Fin to complete during our stay. There are various challenges they need to complete and, if they manage it, will be presented with a Junior Park Ranger badge when they finish. We decided to take a 7km journey from Mather Point to the Historic Village, with a pit stop planned at the Yavapai Geology Museum for some extra learning opportunities for the kids. There, we all delved into the world of Grand Canyon rocks, got hands-on with interactive lessons, and learnt about the geologic forces that sculpted this incredible wonder. I still can't quite understand how it was created through a process of erosion by the Colorado River. 

We completed the rest of the walk along the Trail of Time - this is the worlds largest outdoor geoscience exhibit. Every metre covered on this timeline trail represents one million years of the Grand Canyon's fascinating history. We had to reach out to my nephew, a geologist, for more insights on it all. He tried to explain in simpler terms about radioactive dating and uranium isotopes - I think we might just be able to grasp it! History on this scale is so interesting and mind-boggling to us all. A really interesting day for us all.

Now we are back at the village pub, thanks to the trusty shuttle bus again, ready to feast like there's no tomorrow after our long day walking and taking everything in. Feeling like we missed out on the sunset the previous evening as we arrived, I insisted on catching it tonight. Not everyone was thrilled about the idea, but they all kindly rallied behind me. After polishing off our dinner, we headed back towards the rim, excited for the grand sunset spectacle. But then, plot twist! Despite the guy working at the camp desk swearing it hadn't even rained since April, a massive snow cloud gathered. Ever the optimists, we soldiered on, only to find ourselves at the viewpoint being pelted by snowflakes and not being able to see two feet in front of us. Definitely not the picture-perfect moment I envisioned, but definitely one we're all laughing about already!

Waking up to snow covered ground the next morning, we decide to hike inside the rim today, where it can be up to 20 degrees warmer at the bottom compared to the top. About six million people visit the Grand Canyon every year and only around five percent make it below the rim so we are feeling proud to be walking ourselves and the kids down there. (Apparently only one percent makes it all the way to the bottom - next goal!) There is a photograph point on the South Kaibab trail called Ooh Ahh point, about a mile and a half down, so we head for that.

This is a really lovely trail and, as hoped, the weather has really warmed up down here.  As we reach the Ooh Ahh point, we decide to stop for a picnic, all while witnessing the spectacle of people striving for that flawless Instagram shot. The previous day we'd picked up this cheery little book titled, "Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon", filled with stories of all the not-so-lucky incidents that went down here. So, there we are, adding some extra drama to our day by watching people living life on the edge - literally! Once we've finished our picnic and show, we commence the uphill journey back up to the top of the rim, pausing only to give way to a parade of mules transporting supplies to the camp below.

After conquering the inside rim trail, we head back to the RV feeling like true trailblazers. We decide to call it an early night - no push to chase sunsets today! But somehow we unanimously agree that witnessing the sunrise over the canyon would be incredible. So, everyone sets their alarms for a 5.30am wake up call tomorrow - who needs sleep when you can have a sunrise show at the Grand Canyon?

I'm pleased to report another turning point here, as the girls are now cosying up in their beds with their books in hand. Reading to our kids every night has always been a tradition, but as they started secondary school, the pressures and challenges they've faced seemed to have dimmed their love for reading. Being 6/7 weeks into this new journey and being a big reader myself, I'm absolutely thrilled that they both feel they've got the space in their brains to enjoy reading again.

So cue 5.30am the next morning! With it being pitch black and no buses running this early, we find ourselves on another exhilarating walk through the woods, letting our imaginations run wild yet again, as we make our way to Mather Point, known for its breathtaking sunrises on the south rim. I love the way sunrise offers a serene and peaceful start to our day - short-lived of course - a truly special way to begin our last day here together.

Fin has been itching to rent bikes since we arrived here. The freezing weather kept holding us back, but today the sun is shining bright! So, after our sunrise start and a hearty breakfast, we all excitedly head off to the bike hire. They handed us a 12km route to Yaki Point - a viewpoint we've been dying to check out. Despite some initial grumbling from the older girls, we all ended up having a blast and felt chuffed to have crossed that off our list.

As we wrap up our adventure, we make our way back to the visitor centre to turn in Poppy and Fin’s junior park ranger books. A park ranger puts them through the ultimate test - a quiz about the Grand Canyon. And guess what? They aced it like pros! After proudly reciting their pledge, they officially become certified Grand Canyon Junior Park Rangers. How cool is that?

The Grand Canyon - we’ve walked around it, we’ve walked inside it, we’ve ridden it and now we have two Junior Park Rangers amongst us. Mission accomplished!

Now onto the next stop.. toot toot!