The Grand Canyon

            It was about six years ago on a summer vacation.  The people I was living with wanted to drive to San Diego to visit some of the navy bases.  My friend’s dad was stationed in San Diego year before.  So, we packed up the car and headed out west.  We drove route 40 starting in Tennessee.  On the way to San Diego we stopped at a few places along the way to make the trip more interesting.  The first tourist attraction was Roswell, New Mexico.  Our next stop was the one that changed everything.  I’ve always heard about this place and have seen pictures, but never have I actually been there.  That place was the Grand Canyon, my first National Park.

           
The Grand Canyon is in northern Arizona and in parts of southern Utah.  After a debatable 2 billion years the Colorado River managed to carve out this 277 by 18 mile canyon.  Parts of the canyon can reach 6,000 feet in depth, which is over a mile beneath the earths crust.  The average summer temperature can reach the 100’s, and lows during the winter can be below zero.  Though it is not the deepest, nor the widest canyon, it features a wide variety of color (especially during sun setting).  Pictures could never capture the overwhelming feeling of being at this geological masterpiece. 

           
An average of 5 million tourists are attracted to this magnificent wonder each year. A wide variety of activities are offered at the Grand Canyon; activities such as hiking, helicopter rides, horseback rides, white water rafting, tours, and camping.  Another cool feature added a few years back is the Grand Canyon Sky Walk.  The sky walk is a walkway with a glass bottom that allows you to walk out over the northern rim and look down into the canyon, as if you were walking in the sky. Whether you’re there on a family vacation, an adventurous exploration, or a romantic getaway, the Grand Canyon is a must see before I die attraction.