Grand Expectations

I finally get it. I mean, I have always realized that the Grand Canyon is huge and spectacular, but I still just thought of it as an overhyped hole in the ground that is overrun by tourists. To be fair, there were a ton of tourists; we went on a Monday, but it was still almost impossible to find a parking space. However, if you venture more than half a mile from the visitor center, the crowds thin to a point where you see the number of people that you might on a stroll though a local park. And it is just a huge hole in the ground. But the point is that it is absolutely spectacular. The size is something that you can’t even fathom until you see it in person, Every time we would turn a corner, I would see it from another incredible angle and I finally understood the hype.

Me jumping around in the Grand Canyon. It was actually kind of scary to climb out to that point (although it didn’t phase John at all).

We explored the canyon by biking around the top and then hiking a few miles down. We had the bright idea to try running intervals on the way up, and got completely exhausted. On the plus side, my daily average step count for the week is now up to 14,000. I think I’ll need to up my goal a little…

John and me biking around the rim of the Grand Canyon. I swear the matching shirts were an accident!

Besides the Grand Canyon, we’ve been packing in a lot of touristy things, and managing to get over 20 miles per gallon in the process (which is incredible considering the size and weight of that thing)! We did get a chance to do some brief climbing at The Pit and Paradise Forks – two very different climbing areas near Flagstaff. Otherwise, here is the quick overview of the other places we visited:

Lava River Cave
A free cave located northwest of Flagstaff that is nearly a mile long, I tend to avoid caves, because claustrophobia is yet another fear you can add to my already extensive list. However, I had no problems here. Most of the cave is big enough to simply stroll along down the tunnel without stooping or feel cramped, and there’s no way of getting lost in the straight path. At the end, we reveled in the complete darkness that can only be found deep in a cave and bonded with a traveler from Seattle.

The entrance to the Lava River Cave

Sedona
We went to the Red Rock State Park, and at that point, it’s the only place we had paid money to enter (including climbing areas and camping sites). It was also the least exciting of all of our visits. Shortly after leaving, we pulled onto the side of the road and took a random path down into a canyon and found it to be more fun and more beautiful than the official state park.

Me in Sedona

Montezuma’s Castle
A national monument that consists of a 20+ bedroom complex built into the side of the mountain over 800 years ago. It’s in incredible condition after all this time, and it’s amazing to think about how they could have built something like that so long ago.

John and me at Montezuma’s Castle

Monument Valley
Monument Valley is another hyped place that cost us money and probably wasn’t worth it. It was gorgeous, and has some world class climbing routes –that are no longer legal to climb – but you can see it from the highway before actually entering the park and there isn’t must benefit to paid entry.

Reading the guide at Monument Valley

Four Corners
The four corners consist of a tiny monument in the middle of nowhere, but John was insistent that we go. There’s not much to it, except that it’s the only place in the US in which four states meet.

Getting in each of the four states at the same time