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, 2 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 less 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 is 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.

The first thing I noticed, much to my delight, was that our bus was primarily filled with Japanese tourists. There was also a couple from Germany and two college age girls from Ireland. My husband and I were the only Americans. The bus was very comfortable and our driver, Louie, would speak into his intercom every so often to tell us interesting facts. Then the Japanese translator would translate. We made a brief stop at the overlook for Hoover Dam for some pictures. Since we had already seen the Hoover Dam the day before, we just used the opportunity to stretch our legs. Back on the bus, Louie put in some documentary type movies about the Grand Canyon. This seemed to pass the time until we reached Max and Thelma’s, where we were to have lunch. The restaurant, which was built as a tour bus stop, was huge, crowded and noisy. The food is served buffet style and was fairly tasty. Due to the massive amounts of people who come in and out, you are seated in groups. We were politely rushed through lunch, and ushered back on the tour bus to reach our destination, the Grand Canyon.

I was talking to someone recently who also visited the Grand Canyon, and I quote, "it was soooo boring, all it is, is a big hole in the ground." I had to bite my tongue very hard. Everyone should see the Grand Canyon in person. A mere picture does not do it justice. It is an awe-inspiring experience. So vast, it emanates such a silent beauty. My only regret was the lack of time. There was so much to see and explore and yet we were ushered quickly from point to point on the bus tour. It was like getting only a bite of a really delicious dessert that you would just love to finish. After only about 2 hours, we were ushered back on the bus and made the long five-hour ride back to Las Vegas. Movies kept us entertained, but I couldn’t help feeling like I missed out on something.

Grand Canyon Tours did an excellent job. They were organized and inexpensive ($99 per person). Louie was great and I learned a lot due to his knowledge. If I were to go again, I would do the drive myself, and stay at one of the Grand Canyon lodges for a few days. Beauty such as that needs more then two hours to be admired and explored.