This is the second post in a series on our trip to Utah. If you missed last week’s post, click here.

[Please note that as of this writing, the North Rim is closed due to a dangerous wildfire, Dragon Bravo Fire. On the evening of July 12, just last week, weather conditions were such that the fire quickly expanded to 500 acres. We were so sad to learn that the historic Grand Canyon Lodge where we had brunch that day last year was destroyed. But thank God that no firefighters or anyone else was injured or killed. But because of the continued active threat of fire, ongoing risks to firefighting personnel and the public, the potential loss of more infrastructure, and the need to protect the natural resources there, the North Rim is closed for the rest of 2025. Sad news, indeed, for all who love that area and all who want to visit soon.]

It was Saturday evening. The three of us—my husband, our adult daughter, and I—were playing cards on the deck of our rental house in Kanab, Utah, and talking about our week ahead. While planning the trip, we’d looked at lots of photos so I knew what we would be seeing on this trip. But I didn’t truly know, you know? Not until I saw these places in person.

When we first considered going to Utah, we didn’t realize just how close to the Grand Canyon we would be. Fortunately the owner of our rental house in Kanab told us: 90 minutes. We’d be an hour and half from the Grand Canyon—a place I wasn’t sure I’d ever see.

So, on our first real day of vacation in Utah, we went to Arizona instead. We stopped off at one of the many coffee/tea shops in town we wanted to try. Then, full of breakfast and caffeine, we headed south, on our way to the North Rim. After just a few miles, we crossed into Arizona, the first time I’d ever been there.

First, we stopped to see the Grand Staircase at the LeFevre Overlook. The USDA website says: “The Grand Staircase refers to an immense sequence of sedimentary rock layers that stretch south from Bryce Canyon National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, through Zion National Park, and into the Grand Canyon National Park. The view from Le Fevre Overlook is an incredible expanse of hundreds of square miles of these highly varied stair steps and geologic wonders.”

The LeFevre Overlook has a gorgeous painted depiction of the Grand Staircase and a set of high-powered binoculars to help you see some of the features. We saw on the painting two other places we’d visit in the next few days: Bryce Canyon and Zion. It helped me understand the geology of the land a little better. It was well worth the stop.

As we continued toward the Grand Canyon, we drove the Kaibab Plateau-North Rim Scenic Byway, passing low-growing shrubs like sagebrush, meadows, and a forest of evergreen trees. We even saw aspen trees with their tell-tale white bark and a herd of bison in the distance.

The Grand Canyon is a mile deep with an average distance across the canyon of only 10 miles. Still, it takes five hours to drive the 215 miles between the park’s South Rim and North Rim Villages.

Approaching the North Rim, if GPS hadn’t told us we were close, I’d never have believed it. The landscape gave no clues that a gigantic canyon lay just a few miles away. With very little traffic around us, we zoomed down the highway admiring all the evergreens and shrubs alongside.

When we arrived, we parked at the Grand Canyon Lodge, surprised that it wasn’t crowded with cars. A sign directed us to walk around the lodge for our first glimpse.

All I could think to say was “Whoa!” And “that’s amazing.”

Under a bright sun and a deep blue sky, the canyon went on and on. It wasn’t just a great gash in the earth; it was filled with many buttes and plateaus, many canyons. In the distance, the colors of some of the canyon walls appeared to be mostly reds with the greens of plants and trees on top. There were other colors, too, that weren’t as apparent from our vantage point.

I just stood there with my eyes wide and my mouth open. I couldn’t wait to see more.

We went inside the Lodge to get more information and solidify our plans. Then, when we checked the time and saw the restaurant, we decided to eat a late brunch/early lunch. Our table sat beside a wall of windows with the same incredible view that we had just seen. The food was good but the view made it the best brunch I’ve ever had.

Afterward, we drove the rim trail to Angel Point. Along that trail, we saw many informative signs about rock formations, wildlife, and plant life. But the best feature by far was a big hole in one of the adjacent limestone walls caused by erosion and called Angels Window. We could see the other side of the canyon through it.

Back in the car, we also stopped at Roosevelt Point Trail. This one afforded us different, deeper views of the canyon.

As my daughter and I stood looking down into the canyon, a large black bird began flying in front and above of us. We spent several minutes trying to get the perfect shot of him in flight with the canyon beyond. (In true mom fashion, I have almost as many photos of her taking pictures of him as I do of him.)

Later that afternoon as we headed back to Kanab, we were quiet, processing all we’d seen that day. I couldn’t believe I’d experienced such grand and glorious beauty in so wild and ancient a place, and I thanked God for giving me that gift.

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon or Arizona? I’d love to hear about what you experienced. Leave a comment below or on the Glimsen Facebook page.

This is the second post in a series on our trip to Utah. If you missed last week’s post, click here.

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