A Very Grand Canyon

"Leave it as it is. Man cannot improve on it; not a bit. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children and your children's children and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American, if he can travel at all, should see. Keep the Grand Canyon of Arizona as it is." --President Theodore Roosevelt; Speech at Flagstaff, AZ [near the Grand Canyon], 6 May 1903

There may be larger canyons around the world, but ours is very grand.  My children and I have made various trips to the Canyon over the years.  Timing often meant we went without their dad.

In summer 2017, we recently went to the less-travelled North Rim, which is higher in elevation. [2026 edit: In 2025, there was a serious fire at the North Rim. It destroyed the lodge there, which the children and I visited in 2017, and which my husband and I had previously visited. To date, none of us have returned to the North Rim. My husband and I were at the South Rim during part of the time the fire raged.]

We also saw Roosevelt Point on the North Rim:

Here's a picture from October, 2010, when I took them to the South Rim:

(Both times, my husband had either work or study obligations.  But he & I went to the South Rim a few years ago for a milestone wedding anniversary.  We were also there shortly after our second wedding anniversary and hiked to the bottom of the canyon on that trip.)