Seeking a quieter path through the Grand Canyon leads to an unexpected encounter with fear, humility, and awe.

"Many glamping places are right off the highway. With Backland, we wanted an immersive nature experience-total comfort, with unobstructed views. The camp sits on an immense and grassy meadow ringed by an unnamed forest. Ten nature suites looked more like futuristic Quonset huts than white tents."

"I shared those intrusive thoughts with my trail guide. The French have a phrase for that, he said. It translates to the call of the void. Apparently the feeling is not uncommon, he said, though he had never experienced it himself. Neither had I, at least not before my forties."

A visitor to the Grand Canyon experiences intrusive thoughts while hiking a narrow trail, later learning the French term 'l'appel du vide' (the call of the void) describes this phenomenon. Initially avoiding the Grand Canyon due to concerns about crowds, the visitor discovers Backland Luxury Nature Resort, a glamping property opened in 2022 near Williams, Arizona. Located on 160 acres of wilderness outside the town, Backland requires a flight to Phoenix followed by a 2.5-hour drive north. The resort features ten futuristic Quonset hut-style nature suites set in a meadow surrounded by forest, designed to provide total comfort with unobstructed views and an immersive nature experience away from typical highway-adjacent glamping locations.

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