Travel diary: Grand Canyon

When I was a little girl, my parents packed up our family of five and moved us from southern Ontario to Southern California. We made the trip in an old, wood-panelled Chrysler Minivan.

I remember feeling excited by the idea of taking a road trip, not to mention the thought of a new home, but I don't recall many of the smaller details. And one of the details I had forgotten was the first time I ever laid eyes on the Grand Canyon.

On our trip to California, we stopped, for a brief few minutes, to stare into the basin, and then we were off again. But, despite not remembering it well, it must have left an impression on me, because I've wanted to go back pretty much ever since.

Well, last month, I did.

My mom and I flew to Phoenix, picked up a rental car and drove to Sedona, Ariz. After an overnight there, it was on to the Grand Canyon, via Flagstaff, and then on to Kingman and Las Vegas. It was an amazingly memorable trip to share with my mom.

And, the Grand Canyon was more breathtaking than I imagined. Even despite the crowds of tourists clustered together in the viewing areas, bracing against the chill of the wind, it was an absolute pleasure. And, yes, I saw several people climbing precarious cliffs in order to get that 'perfect' shot for Instagram.

I wasn't sure if I would share a photo my mom took of me, with my back facing away from the camera, sitting on a rock. It appears like I was dangerously close to the edge and I don't want to promote that type of reckless behaviour in pursuit of a photo. But, the fact is, I wasn't close to the edge. In fact, there was a large area in front of me. In the end, I decided not to share it, choosing instead to share the image of me standing very clearly away from the rocky ledge.

If I get the chance to go back, I would definitely like to camp there. The hotels book up at least a year in advance, and camping at the bottom seems to be a near-impossible feat given the waitlists, but you can camp up near the top in the national park, and that seems like a pretty grand time to me (sorry, I had to). If you're going, I'd recommend buying your park pass to get into the national park in advance, online. It can get busy paying at the gates. Oh, and either go first thing in the morning, or later in the day to avoid all the day-trippers and tour buses.

But, whatever you do, go. See it. Because it is absolutely amazing.

Jacket: Brunette the Label | Jumpsuit: Gentle Fawn 'Arthur'