Abroad Edit: Majestic Grand Canyon

A couple of weeks ago I wrote this post about our trip to Las Vegas last year and how much I loved it. We had no idea what to expect of our time there and so we didn’t book anything to do up front apart from a trip to the Grand Canyon.

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There are two main options for trips from Las Vegas – you can either fly with a helicopter or take a jeep which takes about 3.5 hours one way. Given that I have a fear of helicopters we had no choice but to opt for the long drive and were picked up at our hotel early in the morning before setting off with about 6 other tourists in a fabulous pink jeep.

In hindsight I’m so glad we chose the drive, our driver was absolutely lovely and very knowledgeable keeping us informed of everything as we made our way there. We went over the Hoover Dam which I wasn’t expecting and had a quick pitstop for photos, a truly awe-inspiring structure and area of beauty.

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Setting off on the road again, we gradually climbed higher and higher above sea level, watching the landscape change as we went. The beautiful red rocks looked so familiar from old Westerns and we drove through expanse after expanse of Joshua trees which can only be found at a certain height in order to survive.

Arriving at our first stop at the western rim of the canyon, I was completely unprepared for two things – 1) how utterly cold it was (lots of people went straight to the gift shop to buy extra emergency layers) and 2) how breathtakingly beautiful it would be. I’ve been to some of the world’s most beautiful tropical islands and I never thought anything would compare to those in terms of scenery but the Grand Canyon is truly something else.

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What struck me as slightly crazy is that there are NO safety cordons so you’re literally standing right on the edge of the world. It’s why I had to sit down at some points, I’m that clumsy that I could have easily toppled over the edge. There’s also a viewing platform which you can pay extra to go onto with a glass bottomed floor but it’s really not worth it bearing in mind how close you can get to the edge anyway and there are so many great photo-taking opportunities.

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We then took a bus ride to another area of the canyon where we had a catered for lunch along with all the other visitors, nothing fancy but it was well-organised and much needed after such an early start. Thankfully it had warmed up and we had an hour or so to go off exploring before we had to regroup for the journey back.

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Needless to say on the way home, as try as we might to stay awake I think everyone in our jeep drifted off and we got back to the hotel around 7pm. It was absolutely fantastic and should you find yourself in Vegas and fancy a break from the craziness of lights, noise and gambling, head to this most tranquil and stunning of scenes, nature at its very best.
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Have you been to the Grand Canyon? What one place on earth would you love to see?

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13 Comments

  1. Tara
    May 20, 2015 / 12:59 pm

    wow these are just amazing photos. My friend visited the Grand Canyon last year and said exactly as you have, that she was unprepared for just how stunning it is and she stood on the side and cried because she was so overwhelmed!
    I would love to visit. We had booked to do this on hour honeymoon 14 years ago on September 9, 2001, but obviously something else happened on that date that stopped our honeymoon in it’s tracks. One day though, one day . . .

    • Lins
      May 20, 2015 / 1:13 pm

      I really didn’t want to leave, I was just trying to drink with my eyes and imprint permanently onto my memory, thank goodness for photos eh? I hope you get there one day (and whatever else in your honeymoon you may have missed). Thanks for hosting!

  2. May 20, 2015 / 5:12 pm

    Wow – your photos are amazing. It’s definitely on our ‘to visit’ list when the kids are a bit older. x

    • Lins
      May 20, 2015 / 9:26 pm

      Thanks Libby, I definitely recommend it, it was so much more amazing than I ever imagined it would be! x

  3. Tinuke
    May 20, 2015 / 6:44 pm

    Oh wow! I love the photos. I never imagined it would be cold up there, so that’s a very good thing to know in case I ever get a chance to visit : )

    • Lins
      May 20, 2015 / 9:28 pm

      Oh my goodness Tinuke when we first got there all I could think about was how cold I was!! Goose bumps and everything, I was so grateful when it warmed up 🙂 X

  4. May 20, 2015 / 9:07 pm

    Yes I have been to the Grand Canyon and it was the Best Thing Ever. We did go up in the helicopter which was a truly magical experience. If I could I would return there tomorrow and try that new jetty jutting out over the canyon – that wasn’t there when we visited in 2006.

    • Lins
      May 20, 2015 / 9:28 pm

      I would love to go back, it feels that no matter how good the camera or photos you just can’t replace seeing it first hand.

  5. May 20, 2015 / 9:11 pm

    We went to the Grand Canyon when I was around 10 and it was amazing. We didn’t go too close to the edge but my dad was sitting with his legs dangling over the edge! It’s such a magnificent site to see.

  6. May 21, 2015 / 11:21 am

    Oh wow what a great set of photos I would love to go to Gran canyon at some point in my life

    • Lins
      May 23, 2015 / 10:11 pm

      It’s definitely worth a visit, I wasn’t expecting to be so blown away by it. Thanks so much for stopping by x

  7. May 21, 2015 / 3:14 pm

    Wow it looks amazing here.I’d love to visit here one day. #thegallery

    • Lins
      May 23, 2015 / 10:12 pm

      Thanks lovely, it really is stunning and such a reminder of the power of nature to create something so vast and awe-inspiring X

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