The Best Spot to Propose at the Grand Canyon: Bright Angel Point

Seven years ago, my then-boyfriend Dennis and I are at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is my first visit. My boyfriend is a cowboy and a native of the Southwest, with all that implies, and he and his family have endless stories about their adventures hiking down into the Canyon. I am glad to finally set eyes on this special place.

The earth and the tall pines that stretch up into the unbelievable dome of blue are covered in snow. And even though I have lived at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains for years and am used to the high country with its winding roads and endless vistas, I hold my breath on the drive into the park and let it rush out of me in one long exhale now, because Grand Canyon National Park is truly a wild gem, the kind of place that makes you feel rather small and insignificant, especially in the dead of winter. Only a few hardy souls have been tenacious enough to come to the north rim of the canyon this time of year, including us, and it's getting late in the day. Our stop at The Grand Canyon is part of a big westward driving trip we're taking from home in New Mexico through Colorado, Utah, and Arizona.

We can see the Grand Canyon Lodge precariously perched on the edge of the rim from the parking lot. Built in 1937, the rustic lodge of stone and timber is a historic landmark, and I'm tugging at my boyfriend's hand, wanting to go there first, even though I know this only in-park lodge on the North Rim is closed this time of year and I'll probably only be able to peek in the windows.

Dennis tells me, "Come on, there's something I want you to see."

We stomp across the parking lot through the snow, past cabins that are closed tight against what I can only imagine to be the steely north rim winter weather. And then I get my first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. It is gorgeous and terrifying at the same time. The type of wild beauty that strikes me as God painting in bold brush strokes on the canvas. The ground beneath my feet suddenly ends and I'm standing on the edge where there are no fences or railings, and the hues of gold, amber, purple, and blue rise up out of the canyon to meet me. I can see for hundreds of miles across.