Grand Canyon Experience

Commencing the Grand Canyon Day Trip

At 05:10 in the morning, a Gray Line Mercedes Sprinter picked us up from our resort.  The sprinter is a relatively comfortable 11 seater psuedo-van/bus type vehicle.  There is some leg room, and some overhead storage.  It was also equipped with a 36” television.

After the members of our group were all picked up, the Sprinter makes a stop at the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.  Every hopped out to get their Instagram and Snapchat photos.

We went on to the main bus depot.  Our group was shown to a small, private room to the side, with glass walls. A receptionist checked us in, and gave us colored bracelets, depending on which options of the tour we were participating in.  We sat and snacked on small breakfast items that were provided, including fruit, doughnuts, croissants, juice, and coffee.

As we waited, we could see the huge lines of tourists in the terminal, lined up, and checking in for a variety of different tours.  Many of them were also going to the Canyon, but they had not opted for the VIP Grand Canyon Experience.  They did not get to sit and eat breakfast, and it seemed they had to stand in line for quite some time.

I do think we were at the terminal a bit longer than necessary, but it was quiet and comfortable where we waited.  There was a television on, and began to make acquaintance with some of our other travel companions.

When the time was right, our group of 10 travelers was shown to the same Sprinter that we arrived in.  Seats are assigned though, and we are separated by which activities we were participating in.  That seemed a bit pointless to me, since there were only 10 of us in our group.  Then our driver boards, and formally introduces herself.  She had pretty much been a lifelong area resident, and was very knowledgeable about the history and geography of the surrounding vistas.  We would learn a lot from her as the day progressed.

For example, I had no idea that Las Vegas sat at an elevation of 2,000 feet above sea level, in a valley surrounded by different mountain ranges.  She told us the names of each of these mountain ranges, and in some cases, the circumstances that resulted in the names.  As we drive she also tells us interesting facts about the things we see along the road, which include everything from creosote bushes, and how they grow, to abandoned gold mines, to on roof air condition systems in suburbs.

A Stop at Hoover Dam

Our first stop was for Hoover Dam viewing on the Mike O’Callahan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.

Historically the dam was the bridge, meaning travelers through this area slowed and narrowed down to a single lane highway along the dam.  After the terrorists events of September, 2011, a continuous daily flow of traffic across the dam became too big of a security risk.  A breach in the dam would not only cut off the electrical power to Las Vegas, and hundreds of miles in 4 states, it would also eliminate the water supply for much of the area, and California’s Paradise Valley, where the largest supply of US fresh vegetables are grown.

Hoover Dam was built between 1931 and 1935 to control the Colorado River, which was prone to  flooding, and often refered to as raging.  The river grew to such extremes that it flooded the chasm of the Black Canyon, which now holds Lake Mead, and created a Salton Sea.  Franklin Roosevelt ordered the construction of the dam, which took 5 years to complete, “opening” in September, 1935.

This is an area of biggests and firsts.  It was the worlds largest dam at that time, spanning 1,244 feet across the canyon.  It was also once the world’s tallest dam, standing 726 feet high.  It was the worlds largest hydroelectric facility at the time of construction, and was for 10 years.  It also created the US largest reservoir, which is over 248 square miles, capable of holding in simplest terms, over a trillion gallons of water.   Today, the dam supplies water and electricity to significant portions of 3 states, and into Mexico.

US Route 93 formerly ran along the top of the dam.  When security risk became a big and legitimate concern, the  O’Callaghan-Tillman Bridge was built to keep traffic flowing smoothly, and to prevent the security risk of continuous traffic flowing over the dam.  The bridge was also an engineering feat, and took 5 years to complete.  It is now the longest single span concrete arch bridge in the west, and the second tallest bridge in the US.

It also became the perfect viewing location for Hoover Dam.

Security is still a concern, and vehicles must all stop for a security check, before entering the visitors area of the bridge.  The visitors area has educational displays about the building of the dam, and the bridge.  Several flights of steps must be climbed to get onto the bridge, which is equipped with a wide pedestrian lane.

On our tour, 20 minutes were allotted for visitors to climb the steps up to the bridge, and get their photos of Hoover Dam.  While it may seem like plenty of time, it passed quickly.  I barely made it back to the van by right on the moment of departure time.

It is also possible to take a half-day trip, to actually tour the dam itself.  This tour takes you inside the dam, providing a lot of information, and an opportunity to see the electricity generating turbines in action.  However, this was not included in our Grand Canyon Experience.  I was happy just for the opportunity to see the amazing dam from such a vantage point.

Bright Angel Lodge

We made a diversion, for those of us who wanted to do a helicopter ride over the canyon, which you can read about in our article Flying Over Grand Canyon.  Then, we met back up and headed to Bright Angel Lodge.

Bright Angel Lodge sits at the location that was most popular among visitors from the very first days that the Grand Canyon became widely known, and popular.  Travelers came to the canyon by wagon or stagecoach, to this accessible and outstanding viewing point.  Yet the lodging options were often miles away, and sometimes, nothing more than tents.

The  first hotel on this site was built in 1896, finally providing weary visitors with a way to sleep right at the south rim, and a small community grew up around it. The stagecoach from Flagstaff routed directly to the hotel.  It would be a few years later, in 1901 when the railway finally finished laying tracks to Grand Canyon Village.  A depot was built a very short distance from the lodge, near what is now the El Tovar Hotel.

With the new train stop, tourism increased, and there was a constant influx of visitors. Bright Angel Hotel was expanded, over and over, until in the 1930s it was a hodgepodge of additions, and run down accommodations.  Construction on the Bright Angel Lodge we see today, was commenced soon after.

Painstaking care was taken to preserve the native trees and bushes growing in the area, and to build a facility that would sort of blend in with the natural surroundings.  Ultimately the lodge would become one of the most visited locations along the south rim of the Grand Canyon, for those seeking rooms, and those want services at the time of their visit.  Today, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There are several options for lodging here, for those who are visiting the Canyon for a longer time frame.  There are a number of visitor services and amenities including a number of restaurants and coffee shops, gift shops and museums.  There is even an emergency car service shop for those who drive to the canyon.

Bright Angel Lodge is one of the most famous and most visited stops along the south rim of the Canyon.  The Lodge is in the midst of the Historic Grand Canyon Village.  The area can be crowded, however, the various lookouts, attractions, and trails, provide space for people to spread out.

This was the point when my traveling companions and I really understood the benefits of taking the VIP tour.  As we climbed out of our little 10 seater Sprinter, we could see other groups climbing out of large busses by the dozens on the far side of the lot, clamoring to get ahead of each other.  “I am so glad we are not with them,” one of my friends commented.

“No kidding,” a fellow member of our group responded.

Yavapai Point

Yavapai Point was our next stop.  Technically, this stop is not actually a part of this tour, but our driver made a quick detour, to be sure we had an opportunity to see the canyon from this location.  Yavapai was my favorite viewing spot all day, outside of the helicopter.  The crowds were thinner than at the other stops, and it was possible to get up “close to the edge,” for some fantastic photos.  In addition, the views were the most long and colorful, from my perspective.

Yavapai also has a geology Museum, which explains the history and distinction of each of the rock layers visible in the canyon, from top to bottom.  The museum was envisioned just after Grand Canyon National Park was founded, in 1919, to help visitors understand the geological formation of the Grand Canyon so they could more fully grasp the scope of what they saw.  Contributors to the museum ranged from the Rockefeller Memorial, the Carnegie Institute, the American association of Museums, the National Academy of Sciences, the national Research Council and the Geological Society of America.

Yavapai was chosen as the site for the museum because every force and factor that was being researched and that would be presented in the museum, was visible from the rim.  Yavapai then became known as the Key to the Grand Canyon.

The museum hosts a number of interpretive displays including scale models of sections of the canyon, and others that explain the striation, the tectonic plate uplift and the role of the Colorado River.  Native plants and wildlife, as well as the canyons impact on various cultures in the area, can also be learned.

This trip does not allow time to actually explore the museum, but it is an option for those who come on their own. There is also a geological timeline trail, with informational signs and telescopic viewers between Yavapai and Bright Angel.

Mather Point – Final Stop of our Grand Canyon Experience

Upon entering Grand Canyon National Park through the main park entrance, Mather is the first lookout point from the rim, that you will come upon. It is a primary stop for most visitors. It is also where one of the Grand Canyon national Park signs is located, which many visitors, including us, sought out to get their Instagram photos.

Mather was by far the busiest location we visited all day.  There were at least 15 buses in the lot, and it seemed that every tour group was wrapping up their day in the same location.  Again, everyone in our group noted how pleased they were to NOT be a part of one of the large tour bus groups.