9 Ways to Live in the Moment, Grand Canyon Style
Do a puzzle, create some art, play a game or read a book.
It’s hard to be in the moment these days when there’s an almost-gravitational pull to look at the news on our phones for the one-billionth time. But one of the most powerful lessons we’ve learned while traveling is how valuable it is to immerse ourselves in the experience at hand. To refocus your attention away from the news, here are 8 exceptional ways to have fun and be present, Grand Canyon-style.
We independently source all of the products. If you buy from the links on our site, we may receive an affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.
Focus on Wonder
Grand Canyon National Park is known for its gorgeous trails winding down the canyon and its amazing viewpoints along its rim. Put together its top most spectacular views when you do this puzzle. The puzzle is composed of 1,000 pieces, providing you a challenge and also satisfaction when you put that last piece on the puzzle and see the Grand Canyon appear before you in all of its breathtaking colors.

Start Coloring
A couple of years ago, adult coloring books started popping up in bookstores and online, promoting coloring as the newest Zen activity for stressed out adults. Here’s your chance to get in touch with your creative side with a Grand Canyon coloring book for adults.

After you’re finished, carry the momentum forward with the stunning The National Parks Coloring Book by Jen Racine. You’ll feel like an artiste as you work on these pages featuring 24 of the most popular national parks in the country.

Ignite Your Child’s Imagination
Are your kids complaining about being bored? Let them take themselves on a virtual trip to 20 national parks with National Parks of the U.S.A. Kids ages 6-9 will love this beautiful, award-winning hardcover book by Kate Silber and illustrated by Chris Turnham, which covers 20 national parks with gorgeous maps, illustrations and fun trivia about the animals and flowers that inhabit the parks. It’s available in hard cover.

Navigate the Colorado River by Armchair
Immerse yourself in an epic adventure down the Colorado River and through the heart of Grand Canyon in this book about John Wesley Powell’s 1869 expedition. Author Edward Dolnick uses diaries, primary research and modern-day interviews to tell the story of Powell and nine others that embarked on this harrowing 99-day journey through what was then was unchartered territory.

Think About Food
Lounge in your living room and discover the best culinary stops and the people behind them in this fun book called Road Food. It’s an eater’s guide to more than 1,000 best local hot spots in America.

Play a National Parks Board Game
Looking for an award-winning board games that highlights the amazing national parks across the country? Play Trekking the National Parks, in which players compete for points by claiming park cards and collecting trail stones as they travel across the country, stopping at national parks along the way. Every park card has a beautiful park photo accompanied by an interesting fact, inspiring and educating players.

Start Embroidering
Nothing keeps you in the moment more than embroidery, so pick up a needle and thread and try this cross-stitch embroidery kit that features a scene of wildlife in Grand Canyon National Park.

Laugh Out Loud
Order Subpar Parks: America’s Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors. This gorgeous book is from the wildly popular creator of @subparparks (https://www.instagram.com/subparparks/) and features illustrated one-star reviews of over 75 our nation’s national parks along with informative text, anecdotes and tips from park rangers and more.
