#42 Visit the Grand Canyon: A Photo Diary




Ever since I've first laid my eyes on the Grand Canyon on the internet, with its unspeakable grandiosity, I knew that I have yet another item worthy of my bucket list. So, there goes # 42! Visit the Grand Canyon :)

Just to give you some introduction, Grand Canyon is a masterpiece made by nature (of course! It can't be man-made!), outlined by the Colorado River in Arizona, USA, it stretches far and wide having the area of approximately 4926 sq. km (approx. 3060.87 miles). It is basically divided into North and South Rims.

Its pictures are already mesmerizing, how much more to see it right before my eyes. Mother nature has given mankind a truly wonderful gift. And I am very much thankful! :)

So I told my friends my plan on visiting the beauty; and luckily, the gang is always up for great adventures. YAY! :) We only planned an over-the-weekend trip because our work schedule doesn't permit, it would have been better if we could spend at least a night there and experience both the sunrise and sunset. But I figured it's still gonna be worth it. And it was! (I can always come back!)

Here comes the day of our most awaited trip. It was on Friday. We left work early in the afternoon and booked an Uber ride to Union Station in Los Angeles where we rode the Amtrak train to Maswik.

At the Flagstaff Station. | excuse my puffy eyes :))
Here's the whole gang. From L-R: Jean, me, Ralph, Nudge and Nikko
We spent the night on the train. We left Union station at around 6pm on Friday and we reached Flagstaff at around 4:30am of the following day. And then we  rode the shuttle to Maswik.

We had our breakfast at Mike and Rhonda's The place. Very home-y and cozy plus the food are delicious and servings are massive.
Yay! Aaaaaaand we're here! :)
From the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, we took the purple bus to National Geographic Visitor Center and IMAX Theater. They have their own bus system that you can ride for free once you are inside the Grand Canyon National Park.

You may visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/shuttle-buses.htm for more info about the bus schedules and other things to know.

We visited the South Rim because there's more attractions than in the North Rim (which I bet is still equally breath-taking!). North Rim has the glass bridge, though, which I also love too see. We decided to go South Rim because it is more practical especially for a short visit like ours.


All set to watch the "GrandCanyon: The Hidden Secrets" in IMAX
 After watching and exploring the beauty of the Grand Canyon in IMAX, we grabbed some quick lunch and prepared ourselves to get mesmerized by the real and far-beyond-IMAX beauty of the Canyon.

We had the Pink Jeepney tour to explore the Canyon more and make the most out of our short but sweet trip. For more info visit: https://www.pinkjeeptoursgrandcanyon.com/

The gang with our tour guide! :)
But first lemme take a selfie with the pink jeepney :)
We booked 'The Grand Deluxe Tour'. Tours depart every hour starting 7:15am. We did it after we had lunch. Tour time is approximately 3 hours. PRICE: $94.00 per adult, $70.50 per child (ages 15 – 18 months) Price does not include tax. 15% gratuity added for parties of 8 or more. TOUR INCLUDES: Personally guided and narrated tour All fees included Desert View Watchtower Navajo Point Moran Point Grandview Point



First stop: Desert View Watch Tower
Navajo Point
Moran Point
Some more breathtaking sights!
...aaaand moooore!
Grand View point
Look how little I am! Just a speck of dust within the galaxyyyyy! 
Can you tell how afraid I am? I'm literally shaking, good thing pictures don't move :P
Feeling really adventurous at this moment. Buwis buhay haha! Thanks to my friends for the shots!
After the Pink Jeepney tours, we still have plenty of time to explore other points. Back in the Grand Canyon Visitor center, we took another bus to Yavapai point and its geology museum. We explore the museum then we started to hike. We walk the 'Trail of Time' up to the Shrine of Ages.
It's hiking time...
Walk into the past. Walking backwards in time as we walked the 'Trail of Time'.
And there's drinking fountain with water directly from Canyon spring!

There's a lot to see along the way! My eyes are so busog! :)




Unfortunately, When we reach Shrine of Ages, it was closed :( But no regrets! 
And we reached the end of the Trail: The Shrine of Ages
Now it's time to go back. The trip was short but nevertheless very worthwhile. Given the chance (and the money), I'll be back again. Next time, the North Rim! :)

Here are some more details of our round trip fare, if you plan to take the train as well (it's cheaper than booking a flight): 

Our round trip fare via Amtrak Train. Please note that prices may vary.

We also availed travel insurances which include the following:

CoverageLimits*Baggage Coverage $500.00Trip Cancellation Protection $500.00Travel/Trip Delay Coverage $150.00Trip Interruption Protection $500.00*USD per person unless noted otherwise.

The travel insurance is optional, but I recommend it. We only paid $85 for all 5 of us.
We also rode shuttles for transfers

***This is a late post from July, 2015***






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