When my half-brother’s in-laws began having lots of old-age problems, he said he wasn’t fooling with all that getting-old crap; he was just going to jump into the Grand Canyon. When some friends and I hiked Tonto Trail in 1988, we spent a night at Indian Gardens. We took a short side trip out to Plateau Point, a 3,000-ft. drop down to the Colorado River. “Jumping into the Grand Canyon had become such a metaphor for him, I felt comfortable sending him a post card picture of Plateau Point, saying "I found the place!!” As it turned out, he did go through all that getting-old crap, but every so often he would say he felt like it was time to jump into the Canyon. So when he died in 2011 (at age 91), most of his ashes were placed next to his wife, some were scattered over my parents’ (his father’s) graves, and we saved a handful to scatter in Grand Canyon in the spring of 2012. Don’t know if that’s permissible, but it sure seemed a perfect thing to do.
Sincerely,
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
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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,…
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Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park
I returned to the Grand Canyon a few months after my father passed away. I hiked solo down the crumbling switchbacks below Horseshoe Mesa and across the stark plateau to Hance Rapids. My dad introduced me to the Canyon; as a reluctant teenager we hiked down to Bright Angel campground.…
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Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park
We’re a family of four from South Carolina that includes a son in fourth grade and a daughter in college. A tradition of ours is to take at least one vacation each year to a national park. For Christmas 2021, we planned to visit Grand Canyon National Park and Saguaro…
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