In 1992, after I broke up with a guy I’d lived with for four years, I took a road trip from CO to visit my best girlfriend in Phoenix, with a side trip planned to the Grand Canyon. For the prior four years my boyfriend had driven us most places, despite the fact that I drove by myself from OH to CO several times, starting when I moved to CO in 1983 at the age of 18. After reviewing my road map, I decided to drive the extra two plus hours each way to the lesser visited North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Thus, I got to experience the Canyon with significantly fewer people around. I recall feelings of deep peace and tranquility that were not as present when I visited the much more popular South Rim several years later with my sister.
That road trip was so freeing to me; I felt as though I got the independent part of myself back. It also inspired me to take other road trips to parks all over the US. These trips shaped who I am as a person and how I feel about nature and the importance of conserving it.
Sincerely,
Grand Canyon National Park
America’s Southwest is full of breathtaking canyons, but none as famous or as widely visited as the Grand Canyon. This world-famous landmark offers wondrous views, spectacular hiking, exhilarating whitewater rafting and countless adventures. One look across the enormous chasm confirms just why this inspirational place is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a must-see destination for so many travelers. The park also protects a wealth of biological diversity, including numerous endemic and threatened species and several rare ecosystems.
State(s): Arizona
Established: 1919
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