For me, the Grand Canyon is on the list of must sees. I don’t think anything beats the first time you see it opening up in front of you, but I’ve been 3 times (twice south rim and once west rim - the south is more spectacular) and have no doubt I will visit again at some point. I am admittedly something of a national parks junkie, though. There are many we have yet to see but our favorites so far apart from that are the Utah parks, particularly Arches and Bryce, and Death Valley.
Can he stay at home with the cats and you do a friends’ trip, maybe once your relationship is not so new? (I am also a crazy cat lady but cat sitter fees get factored into the cost of our vacations.)
I live in AZ. Been to the Grand Canyon twice (second time unwillingly). It’s just a big underwhelming hole. The coffee table book is much better.
Count me in. I just don’t get “travel.” Did enough in business for a lifetime and have always found professional photos way better than standing in the actual place. DH has been around the world without me.
ETA: I also watched enough westerns growing up that I felt like I’d seen all there is to see of the desert before moving here. Funny thing, though, for a long time, every time I’d see a cactus-covered hill, I also expected to see The Marlboro Man cresting the top on his horse.
I am not a big fan of travel, and especially dislike long drives. However, it was worth these negatives to see the Grand Canyon. I visited 1 year ago, almost to the day. As others have noted, pictures don’t capture the magnitudes, distances, and general experience. It’s something you need to see in person to take in. Different people have different reactions. Some love it and can’t wait to return again. Some regret visiting and do not wish to return.
I found that the views from the rim were impressive, but I could do without the crowds and tourist nature. Shoshone Point was a pleasant exception, which is something of hidden gem that gets relatively few visitors. In the point pictured below, there are steep cliffs on 3 sides, and one can see for many miles in 3 directions.
However, the highlight for me was instead hiking within the canyon, which had far more impressive views than any point within the rim. With most trails I go on, there are occasional amazing views, but the the bulk of the trail is unremarkable. In the Grand Canyon, I was instead constantly inundated with awe inspiring views that are not comparable to anything I have seen before. It was one of the most amazing hiking experiences of my lifetime. I went down on South Kaibob trail, then returned up on Bright Angel trail. I know I said, pictures don’t capture the experience, but I included some anyway. The rocks in the pictures were the size of mountains.
There are several trails down. All are more than 5 miles from top to Colorado River. The 2 most common routes are both 7-8 miles down (and the same or greater distance back up). However, the overwhelming portion of visitors don’t go all the way to the bottom. There are numerous interesting break places one can stop, then turn back, allowing you to choose a route that is whatever distance you prefer.
My dad was that contrarian. We were Phoenix based, and he adored the varied SW topographies. But he was negative about the Canyon, “overrated.” He preferred Arches and Canyon de Chelly. My brother and I, who now live far from AZ, have decided he had an odd snobbishness about it. We adore it. Though as a former canyon backpacker, in my ‘20s, that was the best Canyon experience. I hiked it twice while pregnant, as I was leaving the state soon after. Now I’d love to be in shape to do it again, but achieving that level of older age hiking fitness while living in the Midwest, not so easy.
Yes, I guess I was thinking of trail length, not vertical distance. A mile vertical distance is still pretty amazing, when you think about what it’s like to be in a plane one mile up.
I have an adventurous aunt who took my sister and I on the GC, Bryce, Zion loop when we were kids and out visiting her in AZ. She was a camper, so we camped in one of those tow-behind campers that you crank up each night. No bathrooms or real comforts. While I am thankful for the experience (kinda), I have no pull to go back and revisit, certainly not on a cross-country drive. If I happened to be out that way already, maybe. I’m hearing that national parks are crowded in the summer months, so that’s not overly appealing to me either. FWIW, I also don’t feel compelled to go to Iceland as many people do.
If you really want to go, take a friend - or fly in to get as close as you can and be back within the cat-window.
My SO and I travel together in one week increments and I stay longer than a week if I wish.
It’s also perfectly fine with both of us if I plan solo trips and I will be visiting Greece with a girlfriend in September.
I’ve just never prioritized visiting the National Parks. I’m not sure if I really just don’t have an interest or just never stopped to consider them as a vacation destination.
I do try not to go places that have tons of tourists.
It was strange in the Grand Tetons to have a traffic jam of cars due to people wanting to experience the wild life.
Also – driving cross-country – as influenced by “On the Road” – there is a romantic notion that this should be on everyone’s bucket list, preferably as a youth.
I do hate driving though, so that’s a disincentive.
For me this is entirely dependent on where we’re driving. For example, driving through Utah or Alaska is gorgeous (at least where we were driving). Driving on an interstate with nothing to see, nah. (Yes I5, I’m talking to you.)
Different people have different interests and if national parks aren’t your thing, go do what is! I travel a lot but have no desire to see some of the places everyone else kind of has first on their lists of places to visit, so I get it.
Not everyone likes the great outdoors or has any interest in travel. If that is you, great. Enjoy cities or being at home. However, it sounds like you might be questioning whether you want to see these sights, even if your partner does not. If so, go for it, even alone or with another friend or family member. There are tours you can do that allow solo travelers. But as others have said, seeing GC or other national parks is very doable in a one week trip.
I love traveling and being in nature is very healing for me. However, I greatly prefer not going during peak season and if I do, always attempt to get to the popular spots as early as possible. The Grand Canyon is amazing and hiking even short distance in is a memorable experience. My favorite NP is Yosemite. Have been there in the summer but have stayed in the tent cabins and made our way to the popular hikes early in the day which reduced the crowds.
I’ve been to the Canyon in all seasons. Fall is nicest. As a family, we went to the bottom doing the mule ride, staying at Phantom Ranch. It was in Feb and we came back up in a terrible snowstorm. My kids were 10 and 12 at the time. It was very scary and also very exciting. We came across an ill-prepared “hiker” in sneakers. No backpack, no appropriate clothing, just a bottle of water. She was in early stage hypothermia. They rescue people every day, and sadly, people lose their lives every year.
I went once in March. The whole canyon, as far as could be seen from the South Rim, was socked in with clouds. I felt bad for the boyfriend I was with. He was from overseas and could not see anything. Moral: plan for the weather.
I’m unclear on your intent after seeing your reply. Do you want to visit the Grand Canyon and he doesn’t? Will you only go if he wants to go? If that is the case, yes, I think you’ll one day regret that.
My stepmom and dad were together for 50+ years and many times she said she wanted to go to Egypt. When she was well past her travel days, I once heard her say she had always wanted to go, but knew now that she never would. It was just really sad. If your partner doesn’t want to go, go with someone else. Join a tour group and he can stay home and look after the cats. I personally feel that you could easily spend a week or more visiting Zion, Bryce, and GC. But I think missing GC especially would be a shame. Here in the US, we are lucky to have this spectacular sight in our backyard.
Edit: @tsbna44 that Brady Bunch episode was what inspired me to beg dad to take us!
Another edit, just for fun: The woman at the very front could not get the hang of her mule and struggled not to fall off! The rain had just started turning to snow as we ascended the canyon. My kids are in the middle. It was cold and the guide told us to keep our hands under the saddle blanket.
Interestingly there were no crowds when we went to the canyon. Only the 16 of us from the plane. We had a couple of hours to walk around and hike the rim. I think we were there in July. (Vegas was hotter than blazes but the Canyon was cooler).
Other parts of AZ have some interesting national monuments to explore instead of the Grand Canyon, like:
Wupatki National Monument
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Vermillion Cliffs National Monument
Tuzigoot National Monument - I’ve been to this one. Really cool.
Tonto National Monument - cliff dwellings that you can walk right up to
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - in southern AZ south of Tucson, near Mexico border
Sonoran Desert National Monument & Saguaro National Park - in Tucson area. Go to Sonora Desert Museum, too…it’s a mix of botanical garden & zoo. There’s some beautiful vistas out there.
Plus, there’s:
Madera Canyon - in Santa Cruz county south of Tucson. Beautiful hiking, much cooler than surrounding area
Mt Lemmon Sky Center - solar observatory 1 hr drive from downtown Tucson. They have evening guided tours where you can look into the gigantic telescope.
We spent time in tombstone/bisbee, it was a fun trip. There were some caves near there we went to as well, i forget the name now. Would that have been Kartchner Caverns?
I’m a believer in “Hike your own Hike”. Though not necessarily applied to hiking (though I am a hiker which is where I’m stealing the saying from). Do the things YOU want to do and feel no need to justify to anyone else why you’re doing those things and not the things that the other person values.
H and I love road trips and travel the west for 2 or more weeks every winter skiing. We like to stop at National Parks along the way to break up the drives. I first went to the Grand Canyon when I was 6 years old and H and I went in 2021. I love all of the parks we have seen, but I totally understand if this is not your thing.
My Mom always took my brother and I to visit her family south west of Pittsburgh when we were young. My Mom moved to Southern California in 1963 and always insisted on going “home” for vacations. At some point my Dad finally told her that he wanted to do other things besides visiting her family (Dad’s family all lived in Southern California). I am happy that my parents got to travel to many other places in the world because my Dad finally said something. Ten years ago when my Dad wanted to go to Africa on a safari my Mom was not too thrilled. I took her aside and said that Dad had gone to visit her family for over 40 years so she needed to do a trip he really wanted to do. They both loved Africa and my Mom has told me many times how thankful she was that I spoke up.
You asked here, so maybe you care a little more than you think
It’s interesting that you’re considering not going to a place because your SO has already been there. Can your SO have a good time sharing in your new experience? I don’t feel the GC is a once and never again type of place. I get that they don’t feel a need to see it again, but can they consider doing it for you?
Lots of people revisit places they’ve been but their SO hasn’t. There are so many other interesting places to visit in the region. Maybe create an itinerary that incorporates the GC as one destination. I’m thinking of Sedona, or Monument Valley, or Santa Fe or so many other magical places in the Southwest.
We’ve done this a lot over the decade since we moved to the US. I spent about 8 months in the US after college so my backpack and I saw a lot in that time, and we have had fun taking my spouse (and kids) to places I had loved before (even though obviously a lot has changed since then). This ranged from (drum roll) the Grand Canyon and other natural beauties to various cities.
