Airstream RV Blog – The Grand Canyon from Sean Michael on Vimeo. |
I was once trying to talk a friend into taking a road trip with me. My friend was skeptical about the idea. “Suppose we go,” he said, “what will we actually do once we arrive?”
“Learn,” was my one-word reply. And I was serious.
The ultimate goal of our journeys is to learn — to learn about other places and peoples, as well as ourselves. You can’t really appreciate your own world until you have the benefit of seeing others.
Visiting other places provides context. It’s among the best learning opportunities you’ll ever have. It’s also a lot of fun.
“Alright Mr. Smarty Pants,” you may ask, “what have you learned during your crazy long, long honeymoon journey?”
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After spending months on the road in our RV, traveling over 15,000 miles in the process, I’m ready to draw a few conclusions. What this trip taught me, perhaps above any other lesson (yes, even above the importance of dump station etiquette), is that we Americans live in a spectacular country. The depth and breadth of natural wonder in this country is so immense, so vast, that one could spend a lifetime exploring it, and still leave massive sections untouched. It’s an embarrassment of riches, but in a good way.
The Grand Canyon is symbolic of this dilemma. Kristy and I visited the Canyon together on a beautiful summer day. Our eyes drank its natural beauty from the South Rim. We enjoyed a pleasant sunset, which was quickly followed by the most spectacular harvest moon we’d ever seen.
And then, before venturing too deep into the Canyon, we moved on to our next goal. We never hiked the Canyon crevasses, never rafted the Snake River. We didn’t take a helicopter ride, or a burro ride. It felt a little like being presented an eight-course four-star meal, yet skipping out after the appetizer. I want to go back.
But that’s life in these wondrous United States. There’s so much to see and do, it’s just about impossible to see and do everything. But we can have fun trying. We can be thankful for the opportunity.
Whenever I leave a place while feeling I’d like to stay longer, I’m reminded of what Frank Sinatra used to say upon the conclusion of a concert. The audience would ALWAYS be clamoring for an encore. Yet sometimes Ol’ Blue Eyes wouldn’t give them one. His reasoning? “Always leave ‘em wanting more,” he said.
That sums up our time at the Grand Canyon. It left me wanting more.
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My wife and I honeymooned aboard our RV! For more RV travel videos like this one, check out our website: www.thelonglonghoneymoon.com.
Dick & Ailyn
We, like you, had a tendency to RUSH on to the next destination. The fuel situation should cause most of us to slow down and enjoy not only the scenery, but the people, cultures, foods and pleasure to be gained from just relaxing more and driving less.
PS: I don’t think the Snake River is the water you were viewing at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Folks around here call it the Colorado. I believe the Snake River runs thru the Northwest from Wyoming to Washington state.
Sean Michael
Thanks guys, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I look forward to our return visit to the Grand Canyon — whenever that may be!
Really, I think ALL travel is beneficial. Kristy and I have done our fair share of both domestic and international travel. About 15 years ago I taught English overseas (in the country that was then known as Czechoslovakia). It was a fascinating time to be in Central Europe, as the old regimes had just fallen, and the times they were a changin’. My time in Europe helped me appreciate the wonderful opportunities we have in America.
To me, RVing is arguably the best way to dig DEEP when traversing our country. The RV experience brings a sense of adventure to domestic travel. In addition to the comforts of a (nomadic) home, you get the upside of camping and the great outdoors. Hotel stays seem quite insular by comparison.
Brian
I agree Sean, visiting other place is a great learning experience. Some places are simply amazing to see and it’s best if you share these experiences with some one.
Darrel, yes there are tons of places right here in the USA but I must say experiencing other cultures is a great thing as well. For those that are fortunate enough to have seen most of the US already owe it to themselves to travel abroad, just my opinion.
Thanks again Sean! Keep em coming…We’ll be waiting and watching.
Darrel
Hi Sean, I’ve never understood why people like to travel to Europe and other countries when we have more in the USA than we could see and do in a lifetime. Why give money to the rest of the world when we have more than enough here? Thanks.
Jim Burnett
Thanks for sharing this. You’re exactly right that visiting other places is one of the best learning opportunities we’ll ever have.
I’m glad the Grand Canyon – and so many other places in our country – left you “wanting more”! That’s one of the wonderful things about our world – we can never experience it all, if we just take a little time to appreciate what’s out there.
Happy travels 🙂
Jim B