Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park

Miles Davis and the Grand Canyon NP. Strange? During the summers of 1967-68-69 I worked as a seasonal park ranger. During 1967 & 68 I was assigned to Desert View District with three other seasonals and a District Ranger. We only were officially on duty from 7am to 10pm. I often finished at 10pm on Saturday night and would drive out to one of the vista points on the east rim. At that time the vistas would have no park visitors(we were not to use “tourist”). My car radio would pick up KSL from Salt Lake City and a weekly jazz show hosted by a Wes Bowen. During that time he played the now legendary jazz album by Miles Davis called Kind of Blue. It became, and still is after almost 50 years, one of my favorites. When I hear one of the five cuts on the album it reminds me of siting in my car looking out at the Canyon on those Saturday nights many years ago. Music and memories. Those three summers at Grand Canyon were very important in my life.

Sincerely,
Mac Erwin

Grand Canyon National Park

America’s Southwest is full of breathtaking canyons, but none as famous or as widely visited as the Grand Canyon. This world-famous landmark offers wondrous views, spectacular hiking, exhilarating whitewater rafting and countless adventures. One look across the enormous chasm confirms just why this inspirational place is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a must-see destination for so many travelers. The park also protects a wealth of biological diversity, including numerous endemic and threatened species and several rare ecosystems.

State(s): Arizona

Established: 1919

National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!

{{ active ? "Cancel" : "Begin"}}

Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.

In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!

Here’s your unique story page link:

{{ storyUrl }}

* indicates Required fields

Click to choose a file to upload

Submitting your story means that you agree to our Terms of Service

More Stories

  • Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park

    Circa 1999 husband, son age 10 and me hiked down the Grand Canyon to Phantom Ranch, camped and returned. Rangers at the strt gave us info on properly lacing shoes for down vs up. Other ranger's at a rest stop on our way up amused son with a card game…

  • Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park

    I began working as a tour guide at National Parks on the west coast of the US in the summer of 2023. This photo is from one of the first times I had the privilege of joining my passengers on a helicopter ride (which could often be subject to cancellations…

  • Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park

    Twelve years ago, my husband and I spent 3 days visiting the Grand Canyon. One of those days I suggested taking a hike down into the canyon on the South Kaibab Trail. It was amazing! You don’t realize the vastness of the canyon until you’re down in it, looking up,…

Donate

Preserve Our Parks

Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.

Donate Now