Posted on June 15, 2026

One aspect of my ideal vacation is the freedom to exercise outdoors while enjoying God’s creation.

The Grand Canyon is the first of the seven natural wonders of the world that I have experienced—and it is far more breathtaking than I envisioned. I felt very small standing at the edge of its great depth and width as I admired its perfectly carved and colored layers of rock.

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon and delivered a speech. He said, “… Arizona has a natural wonder, which, so far as I know, is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I shall not attempt to describe it, because I cannot.”

I cannot describe the canyon either, but I certainly experienced it during my 6-day stay.

My favorite memories are of the 15-mile South Kaibab trek, the 6-mile Bright Angel hike, and the stargazing party sponsored by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association.

South Kaibab Trail

My 15-mile round-trip hike from the South Kaibab Trailhead to the Colorado River was an all-day adventure, spanning 9.5 hours and requiring me to descend and then climb 4,860 feet.

Along this hike, I experienced it all—wildlife, wonder, sweat, sickness, beauty, bravery, fear, and faith.

Around 8:30 a.m., I stood alongside several other hikers who were all waiting patiently behind the mules, which have the right-of-way. The mule drivers were readjusting the ropes and packs on the mules. At this point, my energy levels were high, and the air was cool as I stood in the shade of the canyon. I even had chill bumps.

The trail was a steady, steep decline into the canyon, so I used my hiking sticks to keep myself from slipping on the dirt and rocks. Exactly 0.9 miles later, I arrived at Ooh Aah Point, a popular lookout where hikers pause to take photos. After hiking 2.91 more miles, I reached Skeleton Point and saw a sliver of the Colorado River for the first time.

Of all the sights, the vibrant blue-green Colorado River winding through the canyon was the most gorgeous to me. At this point, I could have turned around, headed back up the trail, and called it a day.

But I was determined to keep going. I did not want to miss the opportunity to reach the bottom of the canyon.

I picked up my pace because I knew I needed to be back before sunset—and I was not sure how long it would take me. About 4.5 miles in, I passed The Tipoff, which features a pavilion where hikers can rest and cool off.

During the descend, I felt like I was saying “good morning” to fellow hikers for hours upon hours. Eventually, morning turned into afternoon, so I started saying “hi” or “hello” instead. To my surprise, I passed a family with young children, who carried their own backpacks. Their plan was to stay the night at the bottom.

As I rounded switchbacks and neared the base of the canyon, I heard the roar of the Colorado River. The details on and around the river—the bridge, the boats, the people—also became visible to me.

A whole world of its own was alive and well within this natural wonder of the world.

I followed the mules through the Black Bridge Tunnel and then across the Black Bridge. The rushing river, surrounded by towering rocks, was even more magnificent up close. I wandered around Bright Angel Campground searching for a restroom and water station, but there was a broken pipeline—so while I found a restroom, I did not find water. That was poor planning on my part.

Rather than hiking further and burning daylight to find water, I turned around and headed back up the trail. At this point, the sun was blazing, the air was dry, and my lips were chapped. I was certainly not alone on the trail, and many strangers were encouraging—telling me “good job” and “you’re a trooper.” The hike had the same encouraging, positive vibes as an organized 5K race.

But on my way back up the canyon, there were extensive stretches of uphill paths in direct sunlight where I saw no one.

I sang a few worship songs in my head, prayed for strength, and thanked God for the breeze. Even though the wind was drying out my mouth, the rest of my body needed it. By mid-afternoon, I reached The Tipoff, where I rested inside the pavilion, alongside a couple people. After about 15 minutes of lying on the bench, I pulled on my backpack and hit the trail again.

I started rationing my water and took breaks in pockets of shade when I noticed my heart rate climbing over 150, even though I was moving at a snail’s pace. For reference, my resting heart rate is around 44, while my “high” heart rate is around 180 while working out.

Though I saw lizards and “rock squirrels,” no critters bothered me. The plants, the animals, and the insects were all thriving in the desert. I was surviving.

One step at a time, I eventually started seeing other hikers again. One hiker handed me an extra bottle of water (an answered prayer), and I kept walking until I passed Ooh Aah Point. I was somewhere between 0.75 and 0.5 miles from the top of the canyon when I became sick and had to lie down.

A park ranger volunteer named Steve found me on the ground and handed me a couple of Triscuits and more water. I also sipped on my LMNT electrolyte drink. He was like an angel; he was a lifesaver. He stayed with me until I felt steady and confident enough to venture back.

Around 6 p.m., I arrived at the top of the canyon, where I began that morning—not knowing what my day would entail. Reddish-brown dirt was like paint on my legs and white shorts, and I smelled like I’d been sleeping outside for days. I contacted my family to let them know I was safe as I walked to the shuttle bus waiting station.

By the end of the night, I had ventured 17 miles, burned nearly 3,000 calories, and earned two new Garmin badges: Intense 200 (for getting 200 intensity minutes in a day) and Stepping Up 40K (for walking 40,000 steps in a day).

I was ready to shower, curl up in the hotel bed, and drink a banana smoothie.

Bright Angel Trail

Compared to the South Kaibab Trail, the Bright Angel Trail was a cakewalk—a fun cakewalk.

With tight, sore calves, I hiked along exposed trails overlooking magnificent, wide-open views of the canyon. I took my time navigating the switchbacks and felt no pressure to move quickly. I made an acquaintance from Spain named Ferran, and we talked from the 1.5-mile resthouse until the 3-mile resthouse. I had plenty of time to hike further down, but I was concerned about the afternoon heat—so I turned around, but Ferran kept going.

I was happy with my 6-mile round-trip hike this time. After driving back to the hotel, I took a break to shower, eat, and journal before getting ready for the star party.

South Rim Star Party

At 8 p.m., tourists were gathered outside the Grand Canyon Visitor’s Center for an educational presentation by Dr. Logan Pierce, an astronomer with the University of Michigan. I sat criss-cross applesauce on the ground and listened to Dr. Pierce teach us about the life and death of stars. She said that our sun has about 5 billion years left in its life.

After the presentation, we walked to a large lot, where volunteers set up their telescopes. The volunteers let us look through the telescopes and educated us about what beauty in the sky we were seeing. As 10 p.m. approached, the air became cooler, and the night sky became brighter—lighting up with a zillion planets, stars, and galaxies in the universe beyond us.

Leading up to the event, I was listening to Hillsong United’s song “So Will I (100 Billion X).”

“If the stars were made to worship so will I.”

Eyes on the Stars, Feet on the Ground

Though I was reluctant to leave Arizona, I looked forward to seeing my family again.

On Sunday morning after church, Callie showed me her quilted dress that one of her friends made. Mary asked Callie to turn around so that I could read the tag on the dress. Printed on the tag was the following quote by President Roosevelt: “Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.”

This quote is not about the Grand Canyon; its deeper meaning is about being grounded in life while dreaming big.

But all I could think about was the Grand Canyon—how it brings together the twinkling stars and the colorful rocks into one place, where dreamers can live out their wild adventures.