I finally got a chance to try out my Tent Trailer that has been sitting by my house since last spring. Packing everything up, headed for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I guess you could say this was another learning experience. I found out it was easier and more enjoyable than I anticipated, with the set up and tear down taking about 15 minutes and the battery system my nephew Robert set up for me worked just fine. It was pretty cold at night with the Temps getting down into the 30’s, so I really need to get a better sleeping bag. Finding a camping site was my initial worry as I knew the park campground were already booked. So without taking too much of a chance I stayed at Jacob’s Lake and then headed towards the North Rim to check out the views and get a feeling of what to expect. Driving from Jacob’s Lake to the Canyon is about 45 miles and I found out it was a great ride. There was forests and valleys with lots of color from the Aspen that had turned into their beautiful fall colors. There was also a lot of burned out areas from earlier forest fires. The parks have a policy of letting forest fires burn themselves out and let nature replenish the area.
I ran into a herd of Buffalo on my way into the Park. I”m glad I pulled over and took the time to get some shots as that was the last time I saw them.
When I got to the Canyon, I went to the camp site to see if there were any cancellations and was pleasantly suppressed that there was one. I reserved it for the next night and went to Bright Angel Point for some sunset shots.
Some good news about the cost of camping and visiting our National Parks. Now that I am over 62 I have a lifetime park pass for $10. With the pass my camping fees were $9 a night, another pleasant surprise.