Grand Canyon

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Grand Canyon National Park

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soobax
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4 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Grand Canyon

  • July 8, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Temagami from Austin, Texas
The Grand Canyon is a 6 hour road trip from the Las Vegas Strip. We elected to take the historic Route 66 to get to this natural wonder. Unfortunately though, there were no kicks on Route 66. It only added travel time to an already long journey. My recommendation would be to take the faster highway instead and spend more time at the Canyon.

Once at the Grand Canyon it took awhile to find parking and get ourselves oriented. It was, however, well worth the travel time and parking hassles. The view was spectacular and we were fortunate to be there on a comfortable, clear day.

I would strongly recommend purchasing the special panoramic style disposable cameras to capture the sights. It's hard to take in the majestic views with a traditional camera. Better yet - capture the experience with a camcorder. I really wish I had one with me.

Oh, to have had the money to take a helicopter flight over the canyon - or a hike down into the canyon, or a trail ride through its depths... Will have to plan that for next time!

From journal Out on the Razzle in Las Vegas

Grand Canyon National Park

  • April 22, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by kathyjohanna from Stratford, Wisconsin
Grand Canyon National Park

I've heard the Grand Canyon referred to as the "Canyon of all Canyons". Once you lay eyes on it, you have to agree. The canyon is unbelievable, but the park is also crowded and a little hectic.

After waiting in line on Highway 64 for about two hours to get into the park, we started at the Yavapai Point View Point. This was a nice place to begin because you can really see and imagine how the Colorado River ate away the rock to form this massive canyon. Next, we headed to the Yaki Point. At this point you can see some of the hiking trails. We didn't have enough to hike around at the canyon, but we prepared before you attempt to hike.

The Grandview Point is one of the better view points. You can identify a few rock formations including the Horseshoe Mesa, Angles Gate, and Vishu Temple.

We also enjoyed the Lipan Point and Desert View. What I liked about the Lipan Point was the Colorado River below makes a huge curey "S" with a some vegetation along the banks. We heard that this is the area where most wildlife (mule deer and white elk) can be seen, but we were only lucky enough to spot a few squirrels. By the time we got to the Desert View, it was late in the afternoon and their was a huge shadow over the canyon and the rocks appeared dull and gray. Although the view was still impressive, it was as brilliant as other view points earlier in the day.

The cost for the park is $25. We chose to purchase a National Park Pass which is $50 for the family and is good at any National Park for 1 year. The Grand Canyon South Rim is open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

From journal Las Vegas Road Trip

Editor Pick

Revolutionary Mary: Hopi House and Other Wonders

  • April 3, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by btwood2 from Rodeo, New Mexico
Revolutionary Mary: Hopi House and Other Wonders

The Grand Canyon is where many of this ground-breaking architect’s work can be found. Not only was Mary Jane Colter one of the first female architects in a male-dominated profession, but the structures she created were truly revolutionary. For 46 years she was the chief architect and decorator for Fred Harvey Company. Rather than imitate European styles of architecture, she sought inspiration from nature and local indigenous peoples.

Red stone and adobe Hopi House was designed by Colter after she’d visited pueblo-style dwellings in Old Oraibi. It was constructed mainly by Hopi Indians themselves. Indian arts and crafts were sold on the ground floor, and the Hopi artists, craftsmen, and dancers lived upstairs. Nowadays gorgeous Indian artwork is found inside on all levels of the multistory building. Corner fireplaces, wall niches, and low doors add to the cozy and fascinating interior. Ceilings are thatched with layers of saplings and timbers.

Lookout Studio’s walls of indigenous Kaibab limestone intentionally blend in with the Rim of the Canyon. Irregularity of features is the keyword in many of Colter’s creations, and at Lookout, both rooftop and chimney are made of oddly shaped stones, allowing desert plants to take root in soil between the cracks. Inside the studio, books and souvenirs are for sale, but the real attraction is climbing downstairs outside to the multi-leveled terraces to gaze out over the Canyon.

Bright Angel Lodge is Colter’s latest work in Grand Canyon Village, built in 1935. It replaced an old dilapidated turn-of-the-century hotel, but several historic cabins of Bright Angel Camp remain, most notably, Buckey O’Neill Cabin and Red Horse Station. Bright Angel Lodge was not built luxury-style as were many of the grand old national park hotels. Attractive yet functional, it was built for tourists with more modest incomes. One of Colter’s most famous creations, the Geologic Fireplace is found in the History Room. From the hearth built from ancient Colorado River bottom rocks, up strata by strata, are the geological layers of the Canyon represented in the ten feet to its top.

Hermit’s Rest, at the endpoint of Hermit’s Rest Route, is one of my favorite Colter buildings, slapdash in appearance only. Named for a prospector/miner/hermit who’d lived nearby, it’s similarly camouflaged as Lookout Studio. An earthen mound behind it slopes into the roof, sporting whimsical rubble-masonry chimneys. Indoors is souvenir and bookshop, and best of all, an open area with hide-covered chairs where you can sit and contemplate the cavernous stone fireplace.

The Watchtower at Desert View, on the east side of the Rim, is the other of my favorites. Colter designed it to resemble a prehistoric Puebloan tower. The ground floor has log ceiling and big picture windows. Stairs lead to the Hopi Room, with pictographs by Hopi artist Kabotie (Lomawywesa), depicting the Snake Legend and other stories. Other galleries contain reproduced petroglyphs by artist Fred Geary. The fourth and highest level is an observatory and the highest point on the South Rim at 7522 feet.

From journal Lure of the Canyon

Grand Canyon Tour

  • October 24, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by kona from Pompton plains, New Jersey
Grand Canyon Tour

Words can not express the beauty of this natural wonder. You can take a tour which you can book through a travel agency like Liberty Travel or directly through your hotel when you get in. An excursion by small plane is about 45 minutes or you can drive there yourself, which is about 5 hours. The tour is fun, you're with about 8-10 other people, you fly over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and onto the Canyon. The plane itself is small and the ride is quite bumpy, but seeing the Canyon is worth it. On the tour you get lunch and water and when you land an air conditioned bus picks you up and drives you around the rim, stopping at various locations so you can take pictures and soak in the beauty. I like this tour because you do get to walk around. The helicopter tours have pretty views, but you never get the chance to experience the Canyon for yourself. Be forewarned, excursions leave usually very early in the morning and can book quickly, so try to book a spot first thing; also tours don't run everyday or in very windy conditions.

From journal Memorial Day Weekend in Vegas

Day Trip to the Grand Canyon

  • September 21, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by xigel from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You cannot do justice to the scenery with words or photos. Perhaps an Imax movie can get close but this is something you really have to see for yourself. We started at the east rim just a few minutes before sunrise. Dark skies slowly became different shades of purple pink white and red and kept changing little by little as the earth rotated toward the sun. The cliffs plateaus and deep crevices kept changing too from grey and black to white, red, orange, and purple. It is more incredible than you can imagine.

 After regaining our composure we drove about 25 miles along the rim to Mather point where we met up with our traveling companions who had come in the south rim entrance a little later than us. They went off to take a helicopter tour and my wife and I went to park in the village because we wanted to stop at all the views along the free bus route. I think I took about 80 pictures. I was able to download my memory card onto a CD. There's a Kodak machine at the General Store. The download and the CD were under $5 total for both. I got great shots of the California Condors in flight which I hope to share on this website as soon as I can figure out how to upload them. Anyhow, we went all the way to Hermit's Rest which has a very interesting history. I will be back to the Grand Canyon someday soon to camp on the Havasupai Indian Reservation.

From journal Week in and Around Sedona, AZ

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