Genna Cottingham '23
Over Christmas break, I had the pleasure of taking a family trip to Grand Canyon National Park. Being a part of “The 7 Natural Wonders of the World”, the Grand Canyon is a wonderful place to go on vacation, regardless of your age. With hundreds of different trails, excursions, tours, and activities, there is something for everyone. Even if you are the non-adventurous type, there are many spots where you can get a great view of the canyon without taking a long hike. One spot I visited on my first full day at the Grand Canyon was called Mather Point. There, we saw the beautiful sunrise in the bitter cold of December. It was quite honestly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
My family and I stayed at the Marriott Bonvoy in Tusayan, Arizona, which is about a 20-minute drive to the canyon. We arrived mid-afternoon on December 26th. Although we were tired from the long plane ride, we longed for a memorable adventure we were not accustomed to while living in a large city. After a two-hour car ride from Phoenix Airport, we stopped in Sedona for an early dinner. We had a view of the colorful sunset over a vibrant background. If you are going to the Grand Canyon, definitely make a stop in Sedona on the way from the airport for some delicious food, cool shops, and a phenomenal view. Finally, after another two hours in a rental car, we arrived at the Grand Canyon!
After seeing the sunrise on the first day, we spent most of the day relaxing and exploring the shops near our hotel. The hotel was gigantic with indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs, several buildings of rooms, a gym, and a lobby with a large fountain and its own gift shop! In the mid-afternoon on the same day, we took a catamaran sunset tour. The catamaran driver picked us up from the hotel and took us to two of her favorite spots, the first one being Grandview Point. We, unfortunately, could not make all three of our originally planned stops due to sunset crowds. We ended up watching the sunset at Shoshone Point, which is roughly an hour from the Marriot. I had never seen the sunrise and sunset on the same day, and to see it across the Grand Canyon was extra special. The next day, my family and I had an early start because we were going to take a long hike into the canyon! I must add that, of course, the day we were taking this intense adventure it was snowing very heavily. I wore lots of layers, however, it didn't end up being very frigid. I only
remember being cold because the snow was melting on me and making all my clothes wet. We hiked with Wildland Trekking and they provided my family with spikes to put over our boots, hiking poles, and very official hiking backpacks. We hiked about a mile down into the canyon which was definitely the easy part. Hiking back up was much harder because the change in altitude was roughly 1,000 feet in only an hour. As time went on, the view became more obstructed because of the snow, but we were still able to take amazing pictures.
After three long yet adventurous days, our action-packed vacation sadly came to a close. Tons of delicious food were eaten, hundreds of pictures were taken, and countless memories were made that I will cherish forever. It is immensely difficult to put into words the undeniable beauty of the world that we definitely take for granted. You just have to experience it for yourself. I would highly recommend booking a trip to the Grand Canyon. I promise you won't regret it!
Fun Facts, Tour and Restaurant Recommendations!
All Photos Courtesy of Genna Cottingham '23
Edited by: Faith Lam '23, Natalia Cseh '23, and Ms. Brilliant
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