Grand Canyon National Park
- soobax
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 63
- Reviews
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226
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Editor Pick
The Big Ditch
- October 3, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Mandan Lynn from Smithwick, South Dakota
Of course, there are probably 1,000 or more Grand Canyon reviews, and a bazillion Grand Canyon pictures. But these are mine.
When I traveled overseas, listening to people talk about the things they wanted to see in the US made me realize how much I had left to see in the US. Much like the Statue of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, Hawaii, Yellowstone, and so many other American treasure, the Grand Canyon is just something you really need to see. And now, finally, I have.
We drove to the South Rim. My phone started going out of service around 8:30 am, and we passed through the fee station around 9:30. It costs $25 per car -- too bad we were one day too soon for the national museum and park day, where all national parks were free! Ah, well -- a small price to pay for such grandeur.
End of September and early in the morning meant we didn't have to compete very hard for parking or viewing areas. I can't help but envy some of my friends who have hiked and camped in the canyon -- however, you need permits for those things, and we didn't have the time anyway. So we contented ourselves with gazing over the expanse with the busload of French tourists.
The Colorado River looks so tiny at the bottom -- it's hard to believe that it is responsible for the beauty we were lucky enough to behold.
There are several stopping points along the road; we pulled over for about half of them. The Grand Canyon Village has a restaurant, post office, and a very well-stocked grocery store. We stopped to see what was there, but ended up just using the bathroom and continuing on our way to Phoenix.
As we drove away, Nick wondered how many people live in Arizona who have never seen it. I had to laugh, because isn't that the way with the things we have so close to us -- we take advantage, we think we can go any time we want. If you live close to the Grand Canyon, or whatever you have close to you, just go. Go now. See it, experience it, tell me about it.
From journal An Arizona Wedding (and Everything in Between)
Grand Canyon - YES, BestLasVegasTours.com- NO
- June 21, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
havinfun21 from Chicago, Illinois
I booked our south Rim tour from the BestLasVegasTours.com website. I was booking for six people so I read many different websites. I chose this one because the price was $83.88/person. Many others stated that there would be an additional fuel surcharge, but this one didn't. I booked with a deposit on my card of $118.00. I was emailed an email stating I would get a confirmation in 24 hours. Two days later I received an email stating 233.88 was billed to my credit card that included all taxes and a 7% group rate. An additional amt. of $300.00 would be due on the day of departure. Day of departure charged $360.00. It wound up to be 98.88 / person. None of this was on the website.
The tour is now being called Air Bridge-- Pickup from hotel @6:15 am, a few more stops and then taken to an empty building. Breakfast one juice and a sweet roll. We board the bus at 8 am. The bus is a double decker with very little leg room. We stop on the Arizona side and see Hoover Dam. Next stop is in Kingman at a truck stop with a Subway in it. Very poor choice. There weren't enough staff to service a couple of tour buses. Why not Wendy's or someplace similar? The scenery was interesting and our bus driver was very nice. We were shown a movie on the Grand Canyon and then a feature movie, a western that was filmed in the area. About 1:15 we arrive at the National Geographic Visitors Center to view an IMAX movie about the Grand Canyon and to eat lunch. The choice of food was good and the service was quick. There is a nice gift shop too.
We are now five minutes away from the Grand Canyon. We get back on the bus and find out the bus has a flat tire. The driver handled the situation very well and we were only delay about 45 minutes to getting to the Grand Canyon. When we get there we decide it was all worth it. Even if it is a very long trip. The website promised two spots to view the canyon, but we were told the morning of the trip we would only see two. The ride back was very long. The only stop again was at that truck stop with very few bathrooms and only one girl to make sandwiches for 80 people. The bus driver Gene was great. The company had another bus waiting to take half the people to their hotels so that one bus didn't have all the drop-offs. We finally got back to our hotel at 1 am.
I would not use this company again because of their deceptive practices about their fees and their choice of rest stops. If you go bring extra food. With everything I didn't like about the tour it was still worth going to the Grand Canyon.
Why You Should Visit the Grand Canyon in December
- September 29, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
ArizonaTourism from Phoenix, Arizona
The Grand Canyon is popular. Most people have it on the top of their list of places to see. And most people visit the canyon in spring and summer.
And when we say 'most' we mean millions.
So, to avoid the lines and still check off the Grand Canyon on your life list, why not visit the canyon in December?
I did and it was great.
It was my brother's first visit to Arizona and naturally he wanted to see the Grand Canyon. No problem, it is only about a 4 hour drive from Phoenix...not bad for one of the wonders of the world.
Plus, it was mid-December which meant that the spring and summer-time crowds were long gone.
Arriving a the canyon, you can immediately sense the space. Parking lots were near empty, only a few tour buses and your choice of spots along the rails at Mather Point.
On top of that, it was snowing.
I guess a lot of travelers don't picture Arizona with snow. Well it snows here and particularly in and around the Grand Canyon.
And if you think the Grand Canyon is breathtaking on a normal day, you should see it with snow. Red rocks, peaks, trees all coated in white.
Grand Canyon in December, the perfect time to visit.
From journal Visting the Grand Canyon...in Winter
Editor Pick
Grand Canyon (General)
Shopping at the Grand Canyon. Yes, it may sound strange. It may seem out of place, but please remember that the Grand Canyon is in the US a country that greatly prides itself on its capitalism and everything that goes along with it. This ‘it’ as it so happens to be is shopping at the Grand Canyon.
Now that is out of the way I will say that you will find no McDonald’s or Starbucks here. Don’t go looking for a Target or a Wal-Mart, but instead several well though out buildings that embrace the natural beauty of the area and work towards enhancing it.
One of the most beautiful buildings on the rim is the Hopi House. Situated near the El Tovar Hotel; the house was in 1905 to resemble a Hopi pueblo. The outside is stone and adobe with thatched ceilings. Hopi actually helped to build the structure and afterwards lived in the top floor and sold their goods on the bottom level. Today the shop continues on with this tradition. Native American arts and crafts are still sold here, but on both levels. Most of it is expensive jewelry, dolls, rugs, and pottery. I enjoyed looking through the shop, but the prices were out of my budget.
At Hermit’s Rest is a small structure built in 1914 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building contains a snack bar and small gift shop that sells knickknacks and other souvenirs.
My favorite place in the park is the Kolb Studio. I wasn’t surprised to find it listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built is in 1904 as a photography studio it is almost impossible to see from a distance. The outside is made of stone that blends into the surroundings, and from a distance it is easy to overlook, not only that but is literally built on the side of the rim. The top floor is now a gift shop, but the bottom floor is the true reason to visit. The studio hosts various art exhibits that are housed here as well as a collection of he art of the Kolb Brothers themselves. While I was there I got to see a beautiful exhibit of Canyon art. The majority of it from the bottom of the canyon, but there were glorious photos of every season as well as weather conditions present. My favorite was a black and white photograph of lightening in the distance from the bottom of the canyon.
My suggestion on buying souvenirs is to stop by the gift shop at the Bright Angel Lodge. The lobby at the Bright Angel has a very interesting exhibit on Mary Elizabeth Jane Cotter and the Harvey Girls, which shows some of their clothing and other items that belonged to them. However the gift shop is wonderful. They have Native American art mass-produced in China, which always fits my budget, t-shirts, stuffed animals, and all of the other normal tourist stuff that anyone could ever want. However they did have some other things unique to the Canyon. I found a small pot and kit for growing a Joshua Tree. I bought it as a Christmas gift for my grandmother, who loves to plants. Surprisingly enough it has bloomed into a nice plant and grown large enough that it had to be repotted several times. It also makes for a great conversation piece for all of her friends, back home in Pennsylvania, to talk about.
From journal The Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon - South Rim
- July 18, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
onesunday from Los Angeles, California
When I went to the Grand Canyon, I stayed in Flagstaff, which is about 70 miles away. The drive there was so beautiful. However, be very careful of deer, insane drivers, and fire. One of the areas that I passed was easy to see where it was destroyed by wildfire.
It took about an hour and a half to drive there.
Outside the Grand Canyon there is a small town where you can get hotels, airplane rides, food, and park passes. If you are planning to take plane rides, donkey trips, or stay in a hotel, book early. These places fill up fast. Even in Flagstaff. I got my hotel really late, two days before I arrived, and I got the last room. When I arrived in the town, I saw a bunch of cars on the side of the road and people running across the street. BE CAREFUL OF THIS!! People don’t pay attention here. If they see something, cars will stop in the middle of the road or while crossing, or cross without looking, so just be careful. Anyway, on the side were three huge elk, or what I was told were elk. I quickly turned into the parking lot of a hotel and got out of my car. I got within 20 feet of them to take pictures and they didn’t seem to mind.
From there I went to the park. I got my park pass form the ranger station for $20. It allows you to access the park for a week. Here they also give you a map of the park and list of the different activities that are taking place that day.
Needless to say that my first view of the Grand Canyon was breathtaking. There is no way to put into words the majesty of the park. My only regret is that I wasn’t able to view the canyon from the bottom.
I took the shuttle out to Hermits Rest, stopping at several points along the way. The shuttle isn’t a tour bus, but it gives you information about the park and the different stops along the way. One of the advantages of getting there early is that there are fewer people trying to get on the bus. At one point I was at a stop completely by myself. This was by far the highlight of my trip; taking in the scenery with no people near was close to a religious experience. Around the park there are paths set up so you don’t have to take the bus, but you can walk along the rim. There are also maps set up so you know where you are and the distance between each bus stop.
The park offers many great lectures and walks from experienced park rangers, who not only know their stuff but also obviously love what they do and where they are. The topics cover a variety of subjects and some offer opportunities to hike along the trails.
From journal A day at the Grand Canyon