Did you know that Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world?
Been wanting to visit the Grand Canyon for years but have been putting it off due to the long drive (5 hours from Las Vegas) and the crowd (think tour bus loads during the summer season). Sen and I finally decided to make the drive and went during December since it's a slower season for the park.
Many of the Grand Canyon park entrances are closed during the winter, so make sure you check out their official site and the weather before you go.
The entrance fee to the park is $35/car, valid for 7 days.
A few years back, Sen and I learned a lesson to always stay at least two nights at a destination (time to explore, travel delays, etc.). So we booked a two-night stay at the Maswik Lodge, it was a lot cheaper (at least $70 per night when we went) than the lodges right on the edge of the rim, and it's only a few minutes drive or walks away. I want to note, though, the rooms are not attached to the lobby, lousy reception in the rooms, and wifis only available in the lobby area, and it is spotty. Typically, it's not a big issue, but I was attempting to work on the road this time and failed. Also, everything in the park closes around 9 pm, so come early, or bring some food with you!
One more tip I have for you is to ALWAYS book the room rate with a very flexible cancellation policy and recheck the rates when the date gets closer. I did this about a week before our stay and saved $50 a night for the same room. That means more food in my belly!
The shots below were taken with a Nikon D7200 camera and 18-140 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Here is the link to my Amazon StoreFront to check out this gear.
First, some sunset/sunrise photos, my favorite time of the day. These photos were taken at Hopi Point, one of the most popular spots for Sunset and Sunrise in the park, also recommended by the hotel front desk. The park tram is not available, but private cars are permitted during December, January, and February.
Here’s some images during the day:
Sen got a little adventurous, I was too scared to go down, so I stayed up to take pictures:
We still saw some wild life during the winter season:
A few structures in the South Rim were built or a replica of the Native Indian tribe. This one has nested in the Grand Canyon Village, and the whole building is now a gift shop. Kind of a bummer.
This is the Desert View Watchtower. The tram from the Grand Canyon Village is not operational during the winter season, but you can drive there independently. It's about a 30 minutes drive from the Village, and we went there on the day we were leaving.
Its design reflects the architecture of the ancestral Puebloans in the Four Corners region. It offers an impressive view of the Colorado River.
We made a super quick stop at Arizona's Bedrock City, a roadside Flintstones theme park that opened in 1972. It is about 30 minutes from Grand Canyon South Rim's entrance. I believe this closed after summer 2019 and is now being converted into a pet/bird park. The new owners plan to keep some of its old decorations, so it may be worth visiting.
I took way too many photos during this visit; check here for more images. I hope to go back one day during Spring or Fall and hike down the Canyon and see it differently.
I'm a travel blogger, and photographer, recently moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Los Angeles, California with my husband Sen, our cat Shadow, and dog Lumi.
Our current mission is to road trip and eat around the USA.
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