Watch the sunset from Hopi Point

Watch the sunset from Hopi Point. Many places along the South Rim, indeed anywhere along the rim, will let you be spectator to one of the most spectacular sunsets on earth. My favorite happens to be at Hopi Point. Get there early to get a good spot and don’t forget your tripod. In the off-peak season, generally November to March, you can drive your car along the rim road. The rest of the year you’d have to take a bus in order to protect the fragile environment from excessive traffic. I’ve yet to hike to the bottom, but that’s on the list  Read More →

The silence of the Grand Canyon is amazing.

I only had a quick opportunity to visit the Canyon, and would love to return and spend more quality time there. If time is an issue, take a tour of the West Rim at Quartermaster. My pictures don’t reflect the grandeur of this place. Plenty of time? Then schedule a rafting tour of the Grand Canyon. Dangling my legs over edge at Quartermaster while eagles soared overhead. The silence of the Canyon is amazing.  Read More →

I’d always wanted to see the powerful body of water that created the Canyon

I’d always wanted to see the powerful body of water that created the Canyon. During my first Grand Canyon trip, I didn’t have enough time to hike down far enough to see it. Nearly two years later, I caught my first glimpse of this mighty river of creation. It is amazing how peaceful the river looks, almost as if its lazily winding its way through the Canyon instead of being the violent force which caused the upheaval we know as the Grand Canyon. The river’s turquoise waters look pretty inviting too. Its easy to see how the mighty Colorado could lure unsuspecting would-be swimmers on a sweltering 100 plus degree day, unaware that its powerful currents are capable of carrying away the strongest swimmer or that the water’s temperature is cold enough to induce hypothermia within minutes. Nature is the most powerful force, capable of unleashing wrath and destruction on those who fail to respect her power.  Read More →

Don’t miss this Grand Canyon trail

My son and I hiked down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon last June. I agree with my son that “nothing can touch the Grand Canyon” in every respect. I would recommend taking the shuttle east to the Kaibab trailhead. You will enjoy the best vistas the Canyon can offer. If you feel like a 60 to 90 minute hike, make your way down to the Cedar Point area where you can see all the Canyon’s beauty along with a few mules at their rest stop. Bright Angel trail by the main village is much more crowded and view is limited compared to the Kaibab trail. I wish I could be a Ranger and hang out at the Canyon year around - it is that moving!  Read More →

You’ve got to see the Grand Canyon

Went for the first time. I have traveled all over the US and some parts of the world and never seen anything like it. It is another planet. If you are driving and going on a week end day you might want to take the back road in - highway 89 (instead of 180). There could be a very long line of cars at the front entrance - it was at least a mile or two long when we were there. Highway 89 also has its own sights including several national parks, Navajo reservation/shops and a few excellent views of the little colorado river canyon. It took us about 2 days to get good looks at the canyon - stopping at all the points we could. Also suggest the bus rides to the south rim that run every 15 minutes - makes it very convienent to hike or stroll along the rim and you can only get to that part of the park using the busses. We did a jeep tour and saw a little of the backcountry and also suggest doing the IMAX theatre at the parks entrance. Next time we will do some hiking and maybe venture down into... (more...)

Loved the Grand Canyon Maswick Lodge and Colorado River Trip

I recommend staying at one of the hotels on the rim in the Park. (El Tovar is the deluxe motel on the rim, Bright Angel Lodge has rooms and cabins on the rim and then Maswick is a 3 minute walk from the rim.) We stayed at the Maswick and it was very reasonable at $75 a night. The other hotels were around $150-$200+ a night. At the Maswick, the rooms are about like a Red Roof Inn but they clean. I would say they were painted and maintained recently (new carpet, etc.) There is no airconditioning in the hotel. I was alarmed to discover this but the rooms are cool at night and a fan is provided. We ate at the cafeteria at the lodge for breakfast runs $5-10 and they have cereal and hot breakfast foods. I recommend making reservations for dinner at the El Tovar for a nice adult dining experience and ask for a window seat. We reserved our table for sunset. It was table 13 and a good view. We also dined at the Arizonia room. I recommend lunch there but dinner wasn’t all that great. My husband... (more...)

Escape reality with this awesome wonder

We visited the Grand Canyon from July 4-8 2005. We expected the crowds to be horrible due to summer and the holiday. The rule of thumb we found was that the park is NOT crowded if you arrive before 8:30 am. It starts to get crowded mid-morning and thins out again in the afternoon. It gets busy again in the evening for the sunset watchers. It was NEVER over-crowded. If you have been in Disney World during winter break week, you will know what I mean by over-crowded. THis was a magical, almost surreal experience. We visited all of the West-end stops (using the great free shuttle bus) and attended many free ranger-talks (a MUST! These sessions offer so much insight and knowledge to your trip. Don’t miss the talk about “tall tales” and “the California Condor”). We never did take the East-end bus to the 3 or so stops there. For my money, the east end is better if you drive to it, especially if you go all the way to Navejo Point (unbeleivable view) or desert view... (more...)

Grand Canyon Family Trip was Wondeful

Our family of 9 - four children, parents, grandparents, traveled on the train between Williams and Grand Canyon, staying in the Canyon 3 nights,then the train back to Williams. We were entertained in Coach Class,and very comfortable in seats with windows which opened. On arrival we transfered to Maswik Lodge, which again was very comfortable (no A/C but overhead fans & windows.) Shuttle service in Park excellent! Dinner at El Tovar excellent! The Canyon is an amazing sight, & there are so many different ways to see it. We were always busy. Some very good bus tours for those who are not hikers. Luggage transfered back to train & very entertaining ride back to Williams. The staff on the train really have fun with the riders. We laughed all the way back. This was a package arranged by AAA, & went smoothly throughout & was very reasonable. The Train was great! Spend some time in the Canyon. Those who just did the day trip were really sorry.  Read More →

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