I typically use this space to post about writing (my writing, writing tips, places to get published). However, I recently came back from an overwhelmingly inspiring road trip that started in the Grand Canyon and went across the American Southwest. And you know what? I’m just going ahead and write about that. I would like to soon post about writing while traveling and how this was something of a reset for me, but I’ll save that for another time.

Thank you for humoring me. 🙂

The Grand Canyon

So I know the Grand Canyon is very basic American road trip material, up there with Disney Land (in fact I’ve heard that the Grand Canyon is considered the McDonalds of National Parks). But it’s popular for a reason.

As it turns out the Grand Canyon is big. Like REALLY big. Like I’ve seen photos of it my whole life, and I still wasn’t expecting what I would find there. I now understand why some people burst into tears when they first see it.

Staring at it reminded me of the couple of times my wife and I have gone skydiving. The free fall wasn’t really frightening. Honestly I literally can’t label the emotion because the human brain isn’t designed to experience falling from an airplane. Whatever that feeling was, it was similar to looking at the unbelievably expansive landscape.

My wife and I hiked three miles into the canyon (which was fairly easy) and three miles back out (which was considerably less easy). Fortunately we brought along plenty of water and electrolyte mix and were realistic about our limits.

Zion National Park

If you drive through the American Southwest and only visit one National Park, make it Zion. And if you only do one hike, make it The Narrows. Princess Mononoke is my favorite movie. Tacos are my favorite food. And this is my favorite hike. I’m not exaggerating when I say this was a borderline religious experience for me. It was like hiking through an endless cathedral, up to my waist in water. In fact it matched several dreams I’ve had throughout my life. In many of my dreams I’m wandering through an impossibly enormous building, much larger than humans could ever construct. This is the only time I have had a similar experience while awake.

The other unbelievably amazing hike we did at Zion was Angels Landing. The path runs along the edge of a cliff that’s hundreds of feet high and is so narrow there is a lottery system in place to keep the area from becoming overly crowded.

Here’s a video on that hike. Don’t watch this if you’re afraid of heights.

Bryce Canyon

I have the least to say about Bryce Canyon. We were only here for one full day before we headed back to Vegas and immediately flew home (my wife and I are not Vegas people, sorry.). However, I will say that this was officially the most surreal landscape I have ever hiked through. The hoodoos (towering rock structures pictured below) were absolutely incredible, especially at sunset. I feel incredibly lucky that we were able to visit a place that was so unlike anything I had ever experienced.

We seldom take relaxing vacations. Even if were were lying on some tropical beach and that’s all we’re aiming to do that week, we’d both become restless after a day or two and start to wonder, “I wonder what it looks like from the top of that mountain.”