Spring SB 17′: Grand Canyon Day 3

Today was our first day on the job! I think we were all a little nervous to get out into the parking lots, but it ended up being a successful day. Our day began with an education session at Grand Canyon Commercial Services. Commercial Services, in short, oversees the businesses and services who have contracts with the park. As a future law student, learning about the legalities and contracts was something I found interesting. After our education sessions, we made our way out to the lots! I was lucky enough to enjoy the calm and beautiful lot at Yavapai this morning. The views at Yavapai may be the best I’ve seen so far. Since there was not much traffic at Yavapai in the morning, my partner Lexi and I had an opportunity to see the Geology Museum and chat with visitors on the trails. I was sad to leave the Yavapai lot because I knew the Visitor Center would be intense. Even with all of the stress and initial confusion, volunteering in the parking lots turned out to be surprisingly fun. I helped a few tourists, met some TTU alumni, and could overall see what impact we were having on the visitor experience. I have never thought about how important the parking lots are to the overall experience of visiting the Grand Canyon, but now I realize the work we are doing is truly providing to the public. I am looking forward to the rest of the week!

-Alex Marie