After enjoying a delicious breakfast at the Parry Lodge in Kanab, Utah we got on the road for the 2 hour drive to Grand Canyon North Rim. Our 4,750 mile road trip route for our Utah National Parks and Grand Canyon Adventure is here if you’d like to know our full itinerary. The drive went quickly on the uncrowded highway and the pit stop at the Jacob Lake Inn Bakery for some of the most delicious cookies ever helped pass the time as well. We were almost to the park entrance when the road in front of us was blocked by police because a semi had run off the road and caught on fire. The driver was fine but his entire truck burned and the black smoke filled the bright blue sky. It was a crazy thing to see and we spent the time chatting with some motorcyclists who were traveling through the area together. Dave would LOVE to do something like this with friends someday.
Grand Canyon North Rim:
After an hour or so the road was cleared and we drove inside the park to the North Rim Campground where we checked in to camp. The campsites on the Grand Canyon North Rim are beautiful and we were lucky to have a site with a great view inside the canyon. We set up our camp and spent some time exploring the campground. There is a well stocked general store with souvenirs and supplies, bathrooms and a shower house with pay showers. There is also an amphitheater for Ranger Programs which we attended later that night. The sites are spread out nicely with tent pads and picnic tables and pine trees throughout.
Once our camp was set up we drove to the Grand Canyon Lodge to eat lunch and see the sights. Due to the remote location of the Grand Canyon North Rim, the lunch at the lodge was very expensive so we shared a small pizza and decided we wouldn’t eat there for dinner. The lodge is beautiful and the rim cabins looked like a cozy place to stay. We picked up the kids’ Junior Ranger packets and the North Rim Guide which included a park map and a Ranger Program schedule. The views from the balcony of the Grand Canyon Lodge were amazing and after walking to several of the overlooks we sat in the comfortable rocking chairs for a while just soaking it all in. We also attended Ranger Programs about the geology of the Grand Canyon as well as the Condor conservation project which took place right on the balcony. As usual, the programs were great because Park Rangers have amazing talent for sharing the passion they feel for their parks. It’s pretty difficult to make geology interesting to me, but they managed to!
Knowing we had a big day the next one when we started our Rim to Rim hike we decided to take it easy the rest of the evening. After the kids got their Junior Ranger patches, we headed back to the campground. Purchasing burgers and fixings at the camp general store we grilled out at our campsite for a delicious dinner before attending the astronomy ranger program at the campsite amphitheater. The evening was chilly even in the middle of June and the stars were wonderfully bright in the clear skies. We settled in to our tents on the Grand Canyon North Rim to get a good nights rest. It had been a great day and we were super excited to start our hike the next morning!