Grand Canyon – one of nature’s wonders

Grand Canyon was on our wish list but it is very far from Romania and it is difficult to get there. A wonder of nature, made in millions of years that has become a point of attraction for tourists from around the world.

The Grand Canyon is a natural canal, dug by the Colorado River (I can’t call it a river because it actually isn’t) that is hundreds of feet below the area’s normal plateau, nearly 450 miles long, and located in the American state of Arizona. The walls of the canyon are extremely spectacular, revealing layers of material that create spectacular effects through their colors and shape. Sometimes narrow, sometimes wider, the canyon has depths of over 1000 meters and width between 100 meters and whole kilometers.

Being so long, there are countless areas where you can make trips, but most are reservations of Native Americans. In fact, it’s something at least special here. The Grand Canyon is almost entirely part of the Grand Canyon National Park and the place we visited is a Native American reservation – the Hualapai tribe. Essentially, everything that happens here is operated by representatives of this tribe of native Indians. There are several reservations on the territory of this natural park but they are among the few who have managed to make a business out of this place.

It is difficult to imagine the size of this canyon for the simple fact that it is absolutely huge. The height from which you look at the Colorado River, which creeps slowly through the canyon, is not suitable for those who have a fear of heights but the landscape is fabulous. The walls in different colors show their different layers and create extraordinary shapes and images!

A unique thing is that the first serious scientific research expedition of the huge Grand Canyon took place only in 1860. Late for such a place.

The trip to Las Vegas lasts a day because the western point of the Grand Canyon, the place where you have to get to, is about 3 hours by bus. And it’s not at all what I imagined. Because it’s not wild and untidy. You have an entrance gate, so you pay a ticket to get inside, you have guides, points of interest, and buses that go between them because you are in the desert. Literally in the middle of a desert!

I was telling you that the area is run by a tribe of Native Americans who control everything that happens here. They are the ones who are working everywhere and managing the park. But don’t imagine that they are dressed in clothes like you see in western movies because they are absolutely like everyone else who visits them.

West Grand Canyon is a large area where you have two natural points of interest plus others that you can purchase tickets for, such as helicopter flight through the canyon or ziplining. From the entrance, you go on a bus that takes you to the first point and from there another bus that takes you to the second and finally you reach the entrance. The distance between these points is 7-8 minutes by bus so walking is not an option. The buses arrive every 15 minutes and during the trip, you will get a lot of information from the driver.

Eagle Point

It is the first point you reach and here is the famous glass bridge suspended over the canyon. An oval-shaped bridge with safety glass in the middle, so you can actually step over a hundred meters above the river. Not everyone has the courage to step in and step on the glass, but there are also people who lie on their stomachs or jump lightly to test the strength of the glass. You are not allowed to take your phone with you or to have bulky luggage so you have to leave it in a locker at the entrance. You also get some boots so you don’t step on the bridge with your shoes.

Because you don’t have the phone with you, the pictures are taken by their employees and you can buy them at the entrance immediately. But the prices are quite high and I don’t know if it’s actually worth it.

It is quite a long river starting from a rock so the image of the canyon is beautiful. Plus the hole below… It really shows you how tall it is.

The name Eagle Point comes from the fact that two mountains on the other side of the canyon have a shape that from a certain angle perfectly resemble an eagle with open wings. If you look closely, you can see the image in the center.

Before you get here, you are constantly told that it is beautiful at Eagle Pint but has no term of comparison with…

Guano Point

And if the attraction at Eagle is the glass bridge, at Guano Point the attraction is the small mountain at the end that gives you a 360 degree perspective on the Canyon. It’s like a natural bridge that ends, in the middle, a hill / small mountain (I don’t know how to describe it) that you can climb relatively easily and where the panorama is incredible.

The whole visit takes about three hours. But enough time both to visit the place and to do some shopping in souvenir shops or to eat or drink something from the restaurants there. Everything is extremely organized so you can’t get lost. But the great danger comes from those who think they are brave and pass over the signs that show you the forbidden area. There are hundreds of meters below. The earth is as unstable as it was tens or hundreds of thousands of years ago, so the best advice is to be careful where you go and not to pass the forbidden signs.

The Grand Canyon is a great spectacle of nature and attracts millions of visitors. There are several points of an attraction along with it and the possibilities of visiting are numerous. From excursions like the one above for ordinary tourists to those of helicopter rides or those walking through the wilderness of the places. All of these opportunities form almost an industry that brings prosperity to all those who live in the area.

I was on this wonderful trip with the National Park Express and it cost $119. We left Las Vegas at 7 o’clock in the morning in front of the Treasure Island Hotel and returned at 4 o’clock. I was the only European on the bus, otherwise, there were only Americans from various states. I talked to some of them and they said they wanted to visit for a long time since it’s difficult to reach from some states. The distance is long and the costs are high. So, I thought how lucky I am that I was able to get to such a place that for me was not only far, but very far.

If you arrive in the western side of the United States, a visit here is not to be missed!