As summer is officially here. I am thinking back to last year’s summer vacation. Last summer my family traveled out west. AKA The Pallop’s Wild Wild West trip. I had never been to the western part of the US and really wanted to explore it. We flew into Arizona, then drove to the Grand Canyon for a couple nights and days of exploration. From there we drove to Zion National Park, where among other things, we hiked the Narrows..that is another whole blog. I HIGHLY recommend hiking the Narrows. From Zion we had a few nights in Vegas, treated ourselves to a spa treatment and flew home. All in all it was a terrific trip, lots of driving but along with it, new and interesting landscape. As I mentioned I had never been to any of these places and I knew I wanted to hike in Zion. I was unsure of how to tackle the Grand Canyon portion of our trip. I am not the type of traveler who drives to the overlook, takes it in, snaps a pic and moves on. I like to explore, touch and be part of the environment. My kids (teens) however are not quite as zen as I am. They hike with purpose and hardly look back, or stop. I prefer to look up and around and down (so as not to trip). I like to soak it in, sunshine or shade, maybe even have a sip or two of water. They forge ahead, never stopping for a glance back, not even to see if Mom is still there. Solely focused on the endgame/summit (getting it over with so to speak). Knowing this, I knew that I could not convince (force march) them in both the Grand Canyon and Zion. I was intent on hiking in Zion. So I had to find another way to explore the Grand Canyon. There had to be a compromise. What I planned was brilliant if I do say so myself. I found an amazing place right inside Grand Canyon National park. It is called Bright Angel Bike rentals. And yes they rent bikes, but it is oh so much more than that. They rent a family friendly afternoon in the Grand Canyon. When I looked at their website, I saw all the positives, first they were located in the park, no driving around an unfamiliar place looking for a bike shop. Second, they had electric bikes to rent..maybe Mom can keep up with the teens. Lastly they had a package deal with lunch included. Maybe it is just me, but when I am traveling somewhere for the first time one of my main worries is where we are going to eat. Is there somewhere easy to get to that everyone will like. Furthermore when we are in the national parks, I wonder if we will be able to get lunch before everyone is super cranky from hiking. And so sign up, I did. Bikes for the family and lunch too!
On our arrival day at the Grand Canyon it was nearing dinner. However there was no way I was going to sleep that night just minutes from the Grand Canyon without actually seeing it. We went and took a look at the Canyon. We took a short walk around the rim to see the vastness of the canyon. We also went to the visitors center, and scoped out where the bike rental was. With that checked off the list we headed to bed. The next day we were up early and had breakfast at the general store/Starbucks and off to Bright Angel Bicycle rentals. When we arrived there was a bit of a line of families waiting to rent bikes for the day. However Because I had a reservation, we were moved right along. The workers had everything running smoothly. Pick up your lunch, grab a helmet and then have your safety training. Part of training is taking a short test ride and then we were on our way. It was simple, efficient and quick. Also they gave us a map and explained where the best paths to go would be and told us where bikes were prohibited. The employees told us what to expect along the way, where we could get water and bathrooms, even where the big uphills were. So due to good advanced planning we were off before the heat of the day. We biked from the visitors center to Hermits rest, on the Rim Trail. This is the route many of the park shuttles take. It was terrific, we could stop at every overlook if we wanted or every other one, or none if you just wanted to bike with a great view. I am not sure exactly what I was expecting of the Grand Canyon itself, but I was surprised and delighted at how different the Canyon looked and felt from one part of it to another. The more we explored it the more amazing it became. With so many different looks, it was like a Cher concert.
The electric bikes were a lifesaver, none of us had ever ridden one prior to this. The extra power boost really did make a difference. We stopped at several overlooks along the way. Many had restrooms we could use if needed and some had picnic areas or benches but all had amazing views. It was a terrific way to spend the day. As a bonus we got some exercise. We saw a lot of the Canyon without hoards of people, and at our own pace. Occasionally we would hit the overlook at the same time as the shuttle stopped, and it would get crowded, but we just waited it out. Having a longer break suited me just fine. Once we arrived at Hermit’s Rest, we explored that part of Grand Canyon National Park. Hermits Rest is a historical building used for visitors to have a last stop/rest before descending into the Grand Canyon. I found the building just fascinating, and the view was stunning. What a neat place to visit, especially if you are someone like myself who enjoys old buildings and the history that lies within. As an added bonus they sell ice cream at Hermits Rest.
We opened our lunches and ate heartily. The lunches from Bright Angel Bicycle included a sandwich, no ordinary sandwich. Turkey, bacon and lettuce on cranberry ciabatta bread or if you are less adventurous, peanut butter and jelly. There were other options to choose from as well. Along with the sandwich was a piece of fruit of your choosing and a bag of chips. Included with the lunch package, Bright Angel Bicycles provided us with a water bottle we could refill as we biked along. After our lunch break, we began our return ride. We made a few more overlook stops and went on one or two of the smaller bike trails off the road. We also stopped at the market plaza in Grand Canyon village. We bought cold drinks and a snack, it was amazingly refreshing and much needed to have an iced cold drink. Then to the bike shop for drop off, which of course was even easier than pick up. We all felt accomplished and ready for the hotel pool. I was elated that my plan worked, everyone was happy with the way we were able to see the Canyon and do it at our own pace. The only drawback was Helmet hair in your photos. But truly well worth it.
For travel planning..@missy-pallop
For Bright Angel Bikes in the Grand Canyon.. https://bikegrandcanyon.com/
