Rafting the Grand Canyon has always been on the bu...

Rafting the Grand Canyon has always been on the bucket list, and we finally did it during the height of Covid-19. Thanks to a last-minute cancellation, we finagled our way onto a motor trip down the entire length of the Colorado River over 8 days and 7 nights. This trip goes on the best-ever vacation list, alongside the Galapagos, Fiji and African safaris, and I m even not that much of an outdoorsman!

First - the adventure. Over 100 rapids, amazing geological formations, wonderful Native American history from the indigenous tribes, beautiful side canyons with hikes, waterfalls, pools, lounging areas, great spots for lunch and overnight camping, and 150 years of history starting with the first river-runner himself, John Wesley Powell. Learning during an adventure is the best combination, and this trip does both. Personal suggestion: read the Emerald Mile book before you go on the trip, you ll learn a ton.

Now, the guides. Arizona Raft Adventures is rated #1 on TripAdvisor for very good reason. They are attentive, they are informative, they prepare well, and that s before we even get on the river! Once we re on our way, the guides are helpful, insightful, careful, fun-loving, and entirely focused on ensuring we had a great time. They work 16 hours a day, from before sun-up to well after sun-down, and their entire focus is on ensuring the trip is as memorable as possible. Great meals 3x a day, excellent camping gear, very well-outfitted raft, and a Groover to take care of the unmentionable acts :-)

Our trip was with two larger families and our group took up an entire motor raft - 11 of us in total. Being on a trip where we knew everyone when we put into the water at Lee s Ferry made the adventure even sweeter. We even had four children on the raft who were under 14 years old. Seeing the Canyon and the adventures through their eyes made it even more memorable. Plus having the motor was really appreciated during the long hauls between rapids. A paddle trip or even on a Dory would be even more beguiling, but not with kids.

We had a chance to see some of the other operators in action during our trip, and that made it that much more obvious how great Azraft is. They participate in every adventure, they helped us through the gnarly parts, they never tired of informing us of what was coming up next (even though I m sure they ve shared many of the same stories many times over), and they knew every rock in every rapid like it was their back yard.

So, about as easy a 5-star review as I ve written for TripAdvisor . If you re going to raft the Grand Canyon, call up Arizona Raft Adventures first. There may be quite a wait to get on one of their boats, but it will be worth it. And if you re one of the 6 million who only see the Grand Canyon from the rim and not from the river, find a way to raft the river. It s a tremendous life experience.

Freddie, Jan, Delaney, Tiana - you re the best! Thanks for the memories...