The Grand Canyon

The best part of my trip was the time that I had by myself at one the stops on the way out to Hermits Rest. Partially it happened by chance and the other part was because I arrived so early in the day. Another great part was the shuttle bus. Although you don't see the Canyon while driving you do get to hear some of the history about the Canyon while you are driving.

The rangers are also a great asset to the park. They are friendly, warm, and full of wonderful information. They are passionate not only about what they do, but they also believe that the Grand Canyon is the best destination on Earth. After viewing the park and listen to them talk you can't help but be persuaded to feel the same way.

Quick Tips:

Suggestions for when you go:

If you are going in the summer there are a few things that you need to be aware of, 1. The heat – Take plenty of water especially if you are planning to hike anywhere. The further down into the canyon you go the hotter it is; even in the winter. 2. ARRIVE EARLY- Tourists start to arrive later in the day. I got there at 7am. I had an extremely easy time finding parking, the lines for the buses are shorter (much shorter), and you can just enjoy your time at the park. When I was leaving, around 2pm, the line to get into the park was backed up over a mile. 3. Wear shoes that you can walk in. I saw people walking around in kitten heels and flip-flops. How they did any walking I’ll never know. 4. The summer time is the time when fires spread like wild fire though this area. Before you leave keep track of the fire level warnings. It may close down roads completely. While I was there the north rim was shut down due to fires.

Best Way To Get Around:

You need a car to get around. You may check with hotels to see if they offer a pick up service, but if you're staying in Flagstaff or Williams there is a very long drive and you’ll need a car. Make sure you fill up before you head out because there are no gas stations on the way. You will also lose cell phone service and get a very limited amount of stations on the radio so bring along some CDs. If you are staying in the village outside the Grand Canyon it is about five miles to the park. It is possible to bike, but I wouldn’t recommend this in the summer due to the heat.

There is another option for arriving at the Canyon, which is by train. There is a train that runs from Williams. I believe that the price is . It drops off right in the park.

The Motel 6 in Flagstaff isn’t outstanding, but it isn’t bad either. The rooms are a decent size and clean. There are three floors, but there is an elevator in case you have a lot of stuff to haul up to your room. There is a pool in the back that is really clean.

The only down parts were that it was on a busy road and the check in staff was beyond rude, especially when they made me wait four hours before I could get into my room. There were two younger gentlemen who worked there that went out of their way to be nice. I wasn’t sure if it was because that they are truly that wonderful or if they saw how the rest of the staff was treating me, but it was nice. The rates were also outrageous in comparison to what I paid at other Motel 6's that I have been to.

One of the positive things about the hotel is that there are a lot of things in the area. Across the street is a Wal-Mart and a small shopping area. Also within the area is a Staple, a department store, and a Borders. There are also several places to eat. Nothing upscale mainly fast food and an IHOP.

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, 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.

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.

It’s estimated that five million tourists a year come to look at a giant whole in the ground; and I’m proud to say that I’m one of them and I did it on one of the busiest days of the year; July 4th. To avoid the estimated 4,200 cars that arrive per hour I left at 5am from my hotel in Flagstaff to avoid most of the traffic. I hoped on 180 and headed out. The trip is about 70 miles and takes over an hour to reach the park. There are no shops, gas stations, or even radio stations along the way; let’s just say I was expecting a mind numbing drive to the south rim. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I was wrong. Lush vegetation and various animals peaking their heads out of the woods from time to time surrounded the road. The San Francisco Mountains set the background form a peaceful drive out to the Grand Canyon.
Although I was tired there were several advantages for leaving so early; I was the only car on the road for most of my journey. This allowed for a leisurely drive through the beauty of nature and taking me off of the highways that I had been driving the last few weeks. Deer and elk made there way out onto the road adding to the beauty and the serenity of the area.
Even though having no cars on the road eliminated the stress that I would have encountered later that day as thousands of cars poured into the park there were several dangers that did present themselves. First were the other drivers on the road. I did have a few cars pass me at doing well over 80 miles per hour. On the twist and turns along 180 accidents are a serious concern, especially with the occasionally deer that makes it way out onto the road. The natural beauty of the area is a very real distraction, which often made me less observant then I should have been.
The second danger was the lack of gas stations. I highly suggest filling up before leaving otherwise early morning road warriors who are trying to avoid traffic might find themselves stuck along the road waiting for rush hour.
The last danger is fire. During the dry season in July fires are a real disaster threat travelers need to remain aware of. My trip though Arizona and New Mexico became dictated by the local fire marshals. Sedona was off limits due to fires and my trip down route 66 was rerouted to the main highway because most of the stops along the mother road were on fire. Only the day before the North rim was reopening only after fire fighters battled major fires there and deemed the area safe.
While driving down 180 it was obvious which areas the flames ravaged. Lush, green vegetation gave way to burn trees were the path of the flames traveled through the area. The contrast between the areas were startling and quick realization at enormous battle that firefighers were waging.
Highway 180 is no replacement for the Grand Canyon, but it is a perfect way to set anyone up for a day of peaceful serenity and show the beauty of what mother nature can offer without man altering it along the way. If traveling to the Grand Canyon my advice is to wake up early, fill your car with gas, and tour the highway before touring the park.