Driving to the Grand Canyon National Park
from either Santa Anita or Del Mar is doable
in a day. Both fall roughly on either side of
eight hours and 500 miles depending on your
chosen route and the weight of your foot.
However, we decided early in our planning to
split up the drive.
When we started searching for lodgings, we
realized how barren a path lay ahead. Through
the magic of determination and Google, we
found the solution to our problem: glamping.
Cynthia's China Ranch in the old mining town
of Tecopa, California, is slightly out of the way
directionally, but seemed full of promise. The
website enamored us with this sales pitch:
"Experience luxury camping in our authentic
Indian-style tipis. You'll sleep soundly under
a starry night sky and awaken to spectacular
views of pristine ancient desert hills. Heated
beds take the chill off the winter nights, and
air conditioners cool the summer heat."
Upon booking a tipi, we accepted just how
remote it would be based on the very specific
confirmation email informing us there would
be no cellular coverage. In addition, Cynthia's
is on an uncharted GPS route.
Danielle Nichter, in her role as champion
navigator, secured maps and also made what
turned out to be a key decision as we got clos-
er and closer to the desert – we should prob-
