A few years ago, I came face to face with the sublime in the Grand Canyon. I was on an 8-day rafting down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The river encircled the terra cotta colored walls like an emerald serpent. I spent time sitting in the “tea room” or the highest spot on the raft for the best view. The canyon walls rose on either side, on average, to three miles high. The walls changed moment by moment in shade, shape, and height. It was as though I were seeing lives unfold, lives from stories that went back thousands of years. I saw a panorama of human history, people plodding by, seeking to satisfy an inextinguishable desire. Here and there their paths were broken by an altar to an ancient god, or a city gate, or even battalions of armored men on horseback, bristling with banners and lances. But in the end always these people emerged, a vast anonymous group who never stopped marching. They were the everyday people in history, plundered but never exhausted. Hordes of them settled continents, farmed wilderness, won wars, and rebuilt cities: the earth’s nameless but powerful.
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
“Nature is a great teacher and inspires us to have uplifting thoughts. Beauty always teaches us more about the world and about ourselves. The national parks carry out this function. they are the starting point for us to change our lives.”
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