The Grand Canyon

My husband and I recently visited the Grand Canyon! No doubt you have seen countless pictures in books and periodicals, and perhaps you have seen Ken Burn's fascinating documentary on the national parks, but when you first glimpse the Grand Canyon in person, it steals your breath.  It is so vast, so complex, so majestic, so geologic (if that 's a word), and well, so grand in the true sense of the word.  It doesn't even look real.  Viewing 2 billion year old plus geologic layers of rock is a sight to behold.

Expecting the Grand Canyon park to be completely touristy,  I was pleasantly surprised to find that it really wasn't.  The park places a lot of emphasis on environmental sustainability and controlling the crowds.  Recycling bins are everywhere.  They encourage reusable water bottles and offer water bottle filling stations with fresh canyon spring water.  The shuttle buses run on clean compressed natural gas.  Scenic roads are actually closed most of the year to individual cars to limit pollution that could affect the views.  They have installed solar and wind energy sources. The restaurants and lodges use biocompostable beverage containers among many other green practices.  The National Park Service is clearly trying to preserve the Grand Canyon for future generations to enjoy.

Make it a point to visit here at some point in your lifetime!  It never hurts to be reminded why we need to take care of our incredible world!

For more green tips, visit greenwithbetsy.com.