I wanted to see Grand Canyon.. Add on to that, I really want to try snowboarding or skiing. I've only lived in Singapore practically all my life. And a short stint in California (which has no snow either!). So basically, I am CRAZY for snow.
My memories of SNOW was from when I was 9. My first encounter with snow at Lake Tahoe! Sledding, but no skiing (coz my parents didn't know how to ski either and that was also their first encounter with snow!).
I began planning the next road trip. Apart from planning to go to Grand Canyon, I had to find the nearest Ski Resort that had their ski routes (or even route) open!!
Here is a shorter road trip planned. Click here for the Itinerary!
DAY 1: Phoenix, AZ - Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim)
Do take note that the North Rim is usually closed during winter. The drive to Grand Canyon National Park should have taken us about 4 hours. However, we got LOST. It really is no surprise at all since we were too CHEAP to buy a map. And we were relying on MapQuest directions. (No... There wasn't Google Map then! That's how looong ago this trip was made. Needless to say 3G phones barely got into the market, data plans were non-existent, and
IPhones were non-existant then).So we were going in circles because I wasn't paying attention to the road signs. Purely my fault since I was not the driver and therefore should be paying
attention to the road signs. I got distracted taking in the amazing view.
By the time we reached Grand Canyon, there was not much daylight time to try any trail.We stopped at Mather Point and the Visitor Centre.And before we got caught in the HUGE National Park with no daylight..
Off we went to our night's accommodation. Being on a horribly tight bu
dget, we couldn't stay in the Park, or even the outskirts. But it's ok.. We went to Williams. It is a town worth going to!! I love all things vintage and THIS WAS IT!! Right smack on the famous ROUTE 66, it seems like a step back in time. It is also where the train to Grand Canyon starts off.It is truly a quaint little town with Route 66 memoribilia everywhere you turn.
dget, we couldn't stay in the Park, or even the outskirts. But it's ok.. We went to Williams. It is a town worth going to!! I love all things vintage and THIS WAS IT!! Right smack on the famous ROUTE 66, it seems like a step back in time. It is also where the train to Grand Canyon starts off.It is truly a quaint little town with Route 66 memoribilia everywhere you turn.
Day 2: Grand Canyon National Park
We set off in the morning so that we can start hiking the different trails Grand Canyon has to
offer.
We spent the whole day in Grand Canyon. It was truly amazing to see the amazing sight Nature had to offer. Lunch was spent in Grand Canyon too. It was great to explore all the different trials and going down the Canyon. Of course I normally hit the first lookout point, and head on up again. The trail were so narrow, it was scary when mules were sharing the trail with us.
Can you see the steep cut off from the trails itself? No barriers there..
Day 3: Drive to Sunrise Ski Resort
Since I am experiencing winter, I might as well experience it to the full extent! What did I plan? A snowboarding session. In the state of Arizona, there are only 2 ski resorts. And upon checking both ski resorts, I realized that only one was open. So instead of going to Flagstaff, I was going off into the the unknown White Mountains. Ok, not unknown.. But lesser known. But it does sound appealing! *grin*
Off we went for a drive to White Mountains. It was about 5hrs driving time (of course, you have to add in all the gas stop, and breaks in between). We passed by a small town called Snowflake
. What a name! And on top of that, it had the cutest Justice Court! It was exactly opposite the gas station we were at replenishing the car's needs and our needs too! *grin*
We thought we were in the wrong place. Mile and miles and we never saw ANY mountain, nor any snow. I was getting a little grumpy! And finally we saw the ski slopes!! Oh my.. the happiness!
By the time we reached the resort and rested, it was time for dinner. The nearest chinese restaurant. I was missing good 'ol Asian food already..
Just a little trivia: Sunrise Park Resort is owned and operated by the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
Day 4: Snowboarding at Sunrise Ski Park
We took a lesson to learn how to snowboard. That was half a day long. First thing in the morning we rushed out to the slopes, and we were not the only ones there! We had to rent all the gears, and join the beginner snowboarding lesson.
It was really fun!! Of course, we spent the rest of the day on the slopes. We ate Mexican food at a shop at the first drop off of the ski lift. The spiciness was AWESOME!!! Helped me combat the cold!!
Until the next time I get to Snowboard!!
0 comments:
Post a Comment