Our first trip of 2018 is officially in the books! This past weekend, we ventured out to Arizona to catch the Dodgers' final Spring Training game at Camelback Ranch, and to explore the Grand Canyon!
March 24, 2018
It was an early Saturday morning, as we all met at the Union Station around 1 a.m. We were on the road a little after 2!
After about four hours of driving, we made a stop in Blythe so everyone could get breakfast or use the restroom. In no time we were back on the road, and awake to watch the beautiful Arizona sunrise.
During the drive from Blythe to Camelback, we decided to get everyone pumped for the game, so we did some Dodger trivia and a couple other games where people got the chance to win some awesome giveaways!
We made it to Camelback a little after 8:30 a.m. Once we were there, some of us lined up to get autographs, while others went to go checkout the players warm up and walked around the facility until the gates opened for the game.
Fun Facts about Camelback Ranch:
* Camelback Ranch opened on March 1, 2009 for the Spring Training opener between the White Sox and Dodgers.
* The facility has 12 practice fields (4 Major League, 8 Minor League).
* It is the largest spring training facility in the Cactus League, with a capacity of 13,000, which includes 3,000 lawn seats, 12 luxury suites, and a party deck.
* It features a 1,300-foot, 5-acre lake system with a river that serves as irrigation for fields and site landscaping. The lake utilizes reclaimed water and is stocked with fish.
The Dodgers ended up losing to the White Sox, but regardless of the loss, we were excited to start heading out to the Grand Canyon!
After a four hour drive, we arrived at Grand Canyon Village, checked into our hotel (the Red Feather Lodge), and settled in for the night.
March 25, 2018
Sunday morning was another early one for us! We left the hotel and were on route to the Grand Canyon at 7 a.m., the drive there was about 10-15 minutes.
Once we arrived and checked out the map, we decided to explore the Rim part of the Kaibab/Rim Route, located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. This route took us to a few stops that offered different views, to say they were beautiful is an understatement!
A few fun facts about the Grand Canyon!
* The Grand Canyon is 277 miles in length; it is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
* At its widest point, it stretches 18 miles across; at its narrowest point it stretches 4 miles.
* The rock found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon is around 2 billion years old!
* The Grand Canyon became a national park in 1919.
After exploring for a few hours, we were on the road around noon, on our way back to Los Angeles. Despite the 9-10 hour drive home (including stops), it was a great time to bond with everyone on the bus. Ultimately, that's what we strive for on all of our trips -- bringing people together, while creating memorable experiences!
Be sure to stay tune for our next trip (the first of the regular season) -- San Francisco on Saturday, April 7th, as the Dodgers take on the Giants!
Also, make sure to check out our trip video below.