From the TDN Weekend: Going Places…The Grand Canyon

[Wandering Eyes]

The American West–that fabled stretch of land still brings to mind a great deal of romanticism, even in these modern times. Often people will say you cannot understand it until you see it. When two of my cohorts and I had the opportunity to find out for ourselves, we jumped at the chance.

What ensued was five days of hilarity, isolation, beauty, and, yes, conceding that you really just have to–and should–see it for yourself.

Setting Off

Driving to the Grand Canyon National Park from either Santa Anita or Del Mar is doable in a day. Both fall roughly on either side of eight hours and 500 miles depending on your chosen route and the weight of your foot. However, we decided early in our planning to split up the drive.

When we started searching for lodgings, we realized how barren a path lay ahead. Through the magic of determination and Google, we found the solution to our problem: glamping.

Cynthia’s China Ranch in the old mining town of Tecopa, California, is slightly out of the way directionally, but seemed full of promise. The website enamored us with this sales pitch: “Experience luxury camping in our authentic Indian-style tipis. You’ll sleep soundly under a starry night sky and awaken to spectacular views of pristine ancient desert hills. Heated beds take the chill off the winter nights, and air conditioners cool the summer heat.”

Upon booking a tipi, we accepted just how remote it would be based on the very specific confirmation email informing us there would be no cellular coverage. In addition, Cynthia’s is on an uncharted GPS route.

Danielle Nichter, in her role as champion navigator, secured maps and also made what turned out to be a key decision as we got closer and closer to the desert–we should probably buy some wine ahead of arrival. What is important to note is that we went from reachable to untraceable whilst traveling down the charmingly named Death Valley Road. There were no other cars on our two-lane path, and there wasn’t radio reception either.

We arrived at the check-in cabin–not the tipis–where we were greeted by a man in a headlamp. He proceeded to give us a warning about how steep the drive down was and how many people thought they were on the wrong road.

While all three of us are well-traveled, adventurous types, nothing prepared us for the winding descent that awaited. At one point, we stopped the car, convinced we were driving off a cliff based on the shadows of the unearthly rock formations around us. We were not.

Upon finally arriving, our host showed us the three-person tipi we had booked, equipped us with lanterns, and warned us about the preponderance of coyotes before disappearing back into the night.

Once settled into our rather delightful dwelling, we wandered out to look at the moon, and then we heard something move. What it was we will never know, but after sprinting back to the relatively safe confines of our tipi, we opened the wine.

On the Road Again

The next morning, we got up for the sunrise and wandered to the main cottage to make hot tea and use the provided facilities, which were charmingly functional if not exactly high-end.

With the gift of the sun, we could take in our surroundings. The date trees, formerly menacing in the night as they swayed with netting around their fruits, were comforting. We got back on the road, ready to make our way to the Grand Canyon. We only made it a few miles before stopping the car.

Driving up and out of what we had driven into the night before was stunning. Leaving the car parked next to the “Pavement Ends” sign at the top of the pass, we all wandered among the hauntingly beautiful rocks and listened to the wind.

Eventually leaving Death Valley behind us, we looped around Las Vegas and Hoover Dam. The Grand Canyon is accessible from multiple locations, but the most popular is the South Rim, which was our destination. Reservations are strongly recommended months, if not a year, in advance. Although we booked well ahead of our trip, we missed out on staying on park grounds. However, several miles out is where you will find all the other hotels and restaurants, and it is an easy commute. Even though we were there in the off season, the whole area was busy, leading us to wonder what the summers must be like.

Our accommodations for this leg were far less adventurous than our tipi and came via a Holiday Inn Express. There is something to be said for heat and attached plumbing, though, and we were content travelers upon arrival.

A Worthy Name

Armed with the Grand Canyon version of the guidebook produced by Lonely Planet, we had mapped out our destinations, starting with the simplest–the sunrise.

Entrance to the park is $35 for a vehicle, and the pass is good for one week. The friendly park ranger apologized for the weather–overcast and misty–but when we arrived, it didn’t really matter.

Both fellow travelers and our handy guidebook warned us that nothing could prepare us for what we were about to see. No pictures can do it justice, and your memory will struggle to try. It’s cliché, and it’s entirely true.

Bundled up, we watched the sun make its appearance just after 7:00 a.m. It is important to get there ahead of the actual sunrise to appreciate the changes and shifts in light as it fills the canyon. There are plenty of places to take this in, but Mather Point is a very short, easy jaunt from the visitor center and doesn’t disappoint.

Click here to read the rest of this story in the December TDN Weekend.

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