Spring Break Part 1: The Grand Canyon

Spring Break has come and gone and we are still relishing the great memories.  We had an absolute blast on our trip to Flagstaff, Arizona.  The kids continue to talk about it and we will never get the images of the magnificent things we had seen out of our heads.

We decided to make the 14 hour drive to our destination.  If we were able to drive to California last year, we knew we could make this trip.  We enjoyed checking out a Vintage Car Show at a gas station in New Mexico.

Once we entered Arizona, the scenery was so nice and different than what we are used to seeing.

We loved the welcome sight of snow on the mountains once we reached Flagstaff.  We had a little terrace off of our hotel room, so we were able to enjoy the view everyday.

After a long day of driving, we went to bed early to get plenty of rest for the Grand Canyon!  The Grand Canyon is just over an hour drive north of Flagstaff.  It was very scenic and were so excited to get there.  We decided to do a 2 hour guided motor coach tour of the Grand Canyon so we can learn as much as we could about the Grand Canyon.  Plus, the guides can always give you more info than what you'll find in a book or reading online.

We didn't realize that Grand Canyon, AZ is also a community for the employees of this national park.  There is seasonal housing as well as permanent housing.  There is also a school, library, post office, and other basic amenities.

As for the canyon, it was gorgeous!!!  When you first see it, it literally leaves you speechless.  So many beautiful formations and colors.  To know this was not made by a man, but by our great Creator, is so heart-warming.

We visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  In the picture below, the plateau in the distance is the North Rim.  It's only 12 miles away from the South Rim.  However, it is a 4 hour drive to reach it.

This is the Colorado River that runs through the Canyon.  It's usually a pretty blue-green color.  However, because the snow is starting to melt from the mountains and bringing dirt and mud with it, it causes the river to turn brown until the snow is gone.

Of course, we had to get some pics of us with the magnificent view in the background.

One of our stops on the tour had a gift shop.  Kaitlyn and I immediately got hot chocolate and coffee because it was actually a cool morning.  Posted outside the gift shop was this lovely surprise.

We had a great time and the kids were listening so intently to our tour guide.  We actually spent several hours around the canyon because there was so much to explore.  Definitely a must-see for any traveler.