365betÌåÓýÔÚÏßÊÀ½ç±­

As a 20-something-year-old girl who grew up with technology budding around me, I’m always fighting with myself to live in the moment. Constantly, I’m resisting the urge to reach for my cellphone, begging my mind to shut off so I can slam my laptop shut or click the TV off.

There have been very few moments when I have felt fully free, not being tracked by the tiny GPS in my pocket, or even the GPS in my car, away from the buzz of social media likes and the dopamine rush of a perfectly curated TikTok “For You Page.�

When I have truly felt at peace and most alive, I have been in nature -- when that little reception bar goes dim and the little “SOS� message appears at the top of my screen, or even better, when the battery on my device dips too low and it's rendered useless. Our current society is unfortunately so far removed from the nature we have come from, and instead of being a way of living, it has, instead, become a luxury to explore the grand outdoors.

This is a reason I absolutely adore memories, essays and nonfiction pieces that focus on nature, especially the Grand Canyon and other glorious areas that make my state so special. While I’d love to explore them in depth on my own one day, at least I can throw my devices aside and explore them in my mind through a good book in the meantime.

Michael Engelhard’s “No Walk in the Park: Seeking Thrills, Eco-Wisdom, and Legacies in the Grand Canyon� was just that.

This collection of essays is a perfect escape for anyone interested in nature, whether you’ve been to the Grand Canyon yourself yet or you are simply dreaming of going and exploring one day.

Much like my last Pages of the Pines read, “Brave the Wild River" by Melissa L. Sevigny, Engelhard does an amazing job of mixing prose, passion and facts on the pages. “No Walk in the Park� sets itself apart in the genre because of its unique formatting, piecing together bite-sized essays you can put down and come back to at your own convenience. Instead of one long overarching tale, these essays intermingle, telling a larger story of the Grand Canyon through Engelhard’s travels -- night hiking, capturing and tagging endangered fish and exploring Navajo Mountain and Rainbow Bridge.

Leaning poetic at times, Engelhard toes the line of providing the reader with ecological facts of the area, such as how the leaves and ecosystem change every season, the history, politics and anthropology of the places he explores, with prose and internal thought.

We dive deep into his mind, interweaving the rushing streams, red rocks of the canyon and a spectator’s mental journey as he journeys on foot. Even stringing through some humor, the entire collection will make you feel nostalgic and happy while giving you a yearning to travel far and wide in hopes of finding beauty and peace in the Earth we are so blessed with.

While there are many collections like it on the market, this one felt modern and relatable, even to someone who has only scratched the surface of the vast Grand Canyon. Touching on the good and the bad of journeying through the canyon, we are mentally invited in on the quest, exploring tucked-away secret spots and well-known hiking trails.

Turn off your phone, shut the Wi-Fi down, light a candle and flip open this book to travel far and wide deep into the Grand Canyon, whether you’re thousands of miles away or it's basically in your own backyard. “No Walk in the Park� will provide you with the peace and comfort only a long hike or camping trip under the stars can offer.

Rating: 5 stars

"No Walk In The Park: Seeking Thrills, Eco-Wisdom, and Legacies in the Grand Canyon" by Michael Engelhard can be purchased at