July 15, 2018 by Darren Clarke

When my wife and I decided to spend part of our Vegas trip at the Grand Canyon I didn’t feel much of a connection to the place beyond a Brady Bunch episode from the 70’s, “Grand Canyon or Bust,” which involved a gold claim, a ghost town, and Bobby and Cindy getting lost in the Canyon (and of course learning some life lessons).

Like all Brady Bunch memories it was a good memory but somewhat limited in terms of assisting with a greater appreciation of the world at large.

The first moment I laid eyes on the Grand Canyon’s, “as far as the eye can see,” wonder, was profound, it was moving. It simply was beauty beyond my reckoning.

I could take pictures all day every day for a thousand years and not grab a fraction of what the Canyon offers in that first moment seeing it live. So, never mind the one day I did have to take pictures.

Being the week of July 4th in the United States the park was bustling with people. Families, friends, retired couples, newlyweds, strolled about the tar path that at times ran inches from steep cliffs, pointing cameras, holding selfie-sticks, sitting side by side drinking in the vast beauty of the Canyon.

I have over the years tried to slow down on my photo taking, particularly when with my lovely wife Caroline on vacation. But I struggled to stop clicking when faced with the Grand Canyon. When going through the photos I couldn’t help but notice how many involved couples seated together absorbing the site before them. And I couldn’t help but feel a bit of a jackass.

Part II of this series will involve more Grand Canyon photography as well as some shots taken on the way there including a roadside attraction that brought joy to my heart.

In the meantime, here’s a little excerpt from that Brady Bunch episode from Youtube–