It is amazing to come to a national park after having seen so many incredible national parks, and being blown away once again. That’s the amazing thing about America’s national parks. They are all worth a visit. We just can’t get enough of them.

Grand Canyon is, as we expected, spectacular and inspiring. I really want to go for a hike down into the canyon to the Colorado River, and camp for a night or two at the bottom, but that’s not possible in this short visit. Also, I’ve been told that you need to make reservations months in advance for the mule-camping trips. We’ll get the lay of the land on this three-night stay and plan another long trip for next year.

We’ve gotten a small taste of the south rim so far, by hiking part of the Rim Trail, riding the shuttle bus around, attending a campfire program, and starting Emma’s latest Junior Ranger program. Today our plan is to browse the rest of the Rim Trail, drop in on everything along the way, and attend a Ranger Talk. No rush, just a leisurely walkabout.

The altitude here means a few adaptations. We’re at 7000 feet and so it cools off quickly at night. Last night it dropped into the 40s. Also, we all felt a little tired at first, which is a result of the thinner air. Based on our experiences last summer at high altitude in Colorado, we should adjust quickly.

The “Trailer Village” (the only place in the park with hookups for campers) is not particularly attractive, but it is very convenient and has all the amenities (store, full hookups, even cable TV!) We’re not spending much time at the Airstream, however. It’s easy to hop on the LNG-powered bus and get anywhere in the park in just a few minutes.

Our reputation seems to precede us. Only a few minutes after arriving, one of the park volunteers drove by and said, “You’re that Airstream Life guy!” Turns out she knows David Tidmore of Roger Williams Airstream and has followed the blog. Another “small Airstream world” story.

(As with most pictures on the blog, you can click these to see a larger version.)

This blog entry comes to you courtesy of someone in the campground with a satellite connection and an open wi-fi signal. Thank you, “WhitewaterVideo”. When we are camped in a remote spot and our Verizon cellular Internet system works, I always leave my wifi open for others to share, and it’s nice that someone has returned the favor.