The Grand Canyon for Real: A natural wonder vacation ~ Nature to You

Weather forecast for Northern Arizona: 100% chance of snow on Jan 1, 2023. In the days leading up to our family’s December 31, 2022 departure, my husband and I exchanged weather websites, nervous looks, and turns with the kids. I took our boys on shopping trips for warmer wear and helped them pack in case of long periods stuck in a car or hotel. To cancel or keep our hotel reservation? We kept it. We went to the Grand Canyon for real.

This trip took us to a natural wonder as planned, as well as through an active snowstorm and on icy roads that commanded attention for safety. My husband Tim drove 80% of the trip. I did 80% of the navigating and itinerary. The kids wished equally for a view into the canyon (the original goal) and for time to play in the amazing white stuff. For a virtual tour of our 100% successful trip, enjoy the gallery and trip tips below!

Kid 2 is in 4th grade this year, so he navigated the Every Kid Outdoors website prior to our trip – and scored our family a free pass to ANY National Park! Do you have a 4th grader in the house?

Somewhere along Route 64 between Williams and Grand Canyon National Park. The kids were marveling at “so much snow!!”, which was true compared with nearly all of their life experience up to then.

My husband and two boys taking in one of many views we stopped for at and near Mather Point on December 31st.

Dark but visible. I was relieved we could see into the canyon at all.

Can you find the water?? The Colorado River is epically important to modern human habitation of Arizona. Catching views of the river in its course was like spotting a celebrity.

Nature was also beautifully near. The diverse colors of lichen on bare oak trees caught my eye along the short stretch of Rim Trail we walked.

The view from inside the Geology Museum. The building is designed to showcase the Grand Canyon through wide picture windows (originally an open patio!) as well as excellent interpretive displays inside. Excellent for warming the kids up after we’d been outside about an hour.

Kid 2’s top question before the trip had been “How wide is the Grand Canyon”. He was satisfied to find an answer. I was satisfied that he let me hang out in the Geology Museum.

We successfully stayed long enough to see the sunset, from Yavapai Point outside the Geology Museum. This view is looking east, where a gap in the clouds allowed for a brief and slight increase in color.

Kid 1 saucering down a hill across from our hotel in Tusayan. Both kids wanted to play in the snow soooo much. They were thrilled with the time we granted them the morning of January 1st before returning to the canyon.

Kid 2 building a snow ramp. His snow gloves failed at keeping his hands warm, but he decided it was more important to keep playing than go back to the hotel.

After about an hour playing outside, we were all OK with warming up. Kid 1 found dry clothes, hot cocoa, and comfort-food muffins.

Lunch at the El Tovar dining room was a priority our family picked before the trip. We had a delicious meal, cheerful service – and live entertainment of the forecasted snow falling and blanketing the landscape.

We sought indoor attractions while the snow came down. Hopi House was a real treat I may not have experienced otherwise! Thousands of Indian arts and crafts are on display and for sale in a unique, pueblo-inspired building. The boys liked the art and architecture too, and I’m soooo thankful we didn’t break anything. We learned a lot.

Time to play again! Both boys briefly danced on this outdoor stage, then Kid 1 and Tim went back indoors. Kid 2 stayed longer to finish eating a snowball.

The snow was still falling in the late afternoon. Views into the canyon were completely obscured, but the transformation of trees, walls, and walkways was fun to capture with my camera. I like that this shot came out looking like a painting or a silver print.

We tried the view from the edge of the canyon a couple more times. And we agreed to drive out before sunset because the road conditions were worsening.

“Can you take a picture? That’s more snow than I’ve ever seen on the trees,” requested Tim while crawling towards the park exit. Throughout this trip we happily managed to blend safe choices and a mutual love of nature’s beauty.

The view from our hotel room. By traveling right after Christmas we enjoyed some leftover festive-ness in addition to the winter wonderland.

This windshield wiper trick was brand-new for us, and the sight still makes me giggle. We brushed off and warmed up the car, packed, and departed by mid-morning on January 2nd.

By driving super slowly until we reached 1-40, we had a wonderfully UNeventful trip home.

When did you last go to the Grand Canyon? How did it compare to Disneyland?? The “Happiest Place on Earth” happens to have been our prior family vacation. Both are popular tourist destinations that were new to our kids and to the parent version of me. Both involved stress to plan and frequent conversations about how to proceed. Both promised adventurous rides, amazing sights, and time together.

Remember the beautifully rendered fake Grand Canyon along the Disneyland Railroad route? This nature fan was richly rewarded for the effort of taking my family to the real canyon. Both boys were truly awed and appreciative of the view from Mather Point after the daylong drive from Tucson. I’m just as awed by the care and calmness my husband demonstrated while driving.

By going to world-famous Grand Canyon National Park during challenging weather – and by attempting just a tiny portion of a gigantic place – we were actually more relaxed on this winter trip than last summer at line-packed Disneyland. Access to the nearest sights was easier, keeping track of our kids was easier, getting food was easier, getting along was easier. Our snow-packed first Grand Canyon vacation with kids was a happy introduction to one of the great wonders of the world.