Post Number Two of a Five Part Series
Welcome to post number two of our series: Pick a Park for a Picnic! We hope you enjoyed our first post which featured Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Park. This post is dedicated to a well known park that you may have heard of: The Grand Canyon! So dust off your picnic basket (or in this case, your picnic backpack), get out those picnic supplies and get ready to explore one of the most beautiful places on the planet Earth.
The Grand Canyon is one of the most well known National Parks in the United States of America. It is located in the northwest corner of Arizona, close to the borders of Utah and Nevada. The Grand Canyon is divided into two sections, the North and South Rims. The South Rim of the canyon is located on the “Arizona” side. This is the side that receives the majority of the visitors as it is open 365 days a year. The North Rim is more remote and due to snow and extreme weather conditions, is only open from mid-May through mid-October. For obvious reasons, this side of the canyon only receives 10% of the parks visitation.
There are many ways to see this glorious park including by car, shuttle, mule, on foot, by bicycle, or even by helicopter. In my opinion, the best and most memorable way to experience the canyon is by foot, though I must warn you, the hike into the canyon is far easier than the up-hill hike out!
Tips for Hiking the Grand Canyon
Go Slowly - If you can talk and walk, then you are moving at the right pace. Don’t over exert yourself! When you move to fast, you can easily deprive your body of the oxygen it needs. Lack of oxygen can cause fatigue, heavy legs and exhaustion!
Stay Cool - If possible, hike during the cooler parts of the day. This makes for a more enjoyable hike!
Rest When Necessary - Listen to your body and rest when it tells you to! It is a good idea to rest once per hour for at least 10 minutes. Take this time to sit in the shade and enjoy the gorgeous scenery!
Eat and Drink Frequently - Your body needs energy to keep moving. Be sure to pack enough food and water in your picnic backpack to keep you fueled. Water is especially important in order to avoid dehydration!
If hiking is not your style but you still want to experience a Grand Canyon Picnic, no need to worry! Many different travel companies offer picnic tours of the Canyon. Grand Adventures, for example, offers a wonderful picnic tour of the Canyon that allows you to partake in a delicious meal as you gaze at some of the most beautiful scenery known to man. Their picnic lunch includes huge deli sandwiches, fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, gourmet cookies, and bottled water. Of course, the meal is served on an old fashioned red and white checkered picnic blanket! If you want something a little more adventurous, then the Grand Canyon Express Helicopter and Picnic Tour may be just what you are looking for! Trust me, this picnic adventure is one you will not soon forget. Not only will you see the Grand Canyon from above, you will also experience it by water! After an exhilarating tour from the air, you will descend 4000 feet and land on the Canyon floor. From there, a boat will take you to your picnic destination where you will enjoy the best barbecue you have ever tasted! The nice thing about hiring a travel company to assist you with your Grand Canyon Picnic is that you don’t have to bring anything with you! They do all the work and haul of the picnic supplies.
No matter how you decide to see the Grand Canyon this is one National Park that MUST be added to your list of places to see in your lifetime. Though it is not the deepest canyon in the world (Barranca del Cobre in Mexico and Hells Canyon in Idaho are deeper) it is certainly one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring, sites you will ever see. So, if possible, make the Grand Canyon your next picnic location and start planning the trip of a lifetime and stop by our picnic supplies store if you don’t have a picnic backpack!
Stay tuned! Post number three in the Pick a Park for a Picnic Series is coming soon!
Tags: gourmet cookies, grand canyon, grand canyon picnic, national park, picnic backpack, picnic basket, picnic blanket, picnic location, picnic lunch, picnic supplies, picnic tour, tips for hiking the grand canyon
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