The next day we finally set foot on the Grand Canyon. The entrance fee was $25 (per private vehicle), but if we had walked or biked there it would have been $12 per person. The ticket is valid for a week. First we went to the Desert View Watchtower. We looked over the canyon and it was amazing, but it was just the beginning of our amazement. We stopped at most of the main scenic points, including Navajo Point, Lipan Point, Moran Point and Grandview Point. We liked Moran Point because we liked the glow of Red Canyon. Grandview Point was a bit disappointing. We thought it would be grander because of the name, Grandview Point.We wanted to go to Yaki Point but it was accessible only by the shuttle bus. So we went to the Visitor Center and got some information. The announcement board read that the temperature for that day was 39~63 degrees Fahrenheit and the sunset would be at 7:23 p.m. After the center, we had lunch at the Market Plaza. We got sandwiches and they tasted decent. With a full stomach, we checked into Yavapai Lodge close to the Market Plaza.
There are seven in-park lodges, including El Tovar Hotel ($174~426), Bright Angel Lodge ($69~174), Kachina Lodge ($170~180), Thunderbird Lodge ($170~180), Maswik Lodge ($90~170) and Yavapai Lodge ($107~153). The other one is Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon. We actually wanted to stay at El Tovar or Bright Angel, but they were all booked out except Yavapai. Yavapai Lodge is conveniently located close to a bank, a post office and the Market Plaza (food and snacks available there) and the room was very clean and comfortable. All other lodges are along the Village Route where you can get fine dining at the Arizona Room or the El Tovar Dining Room. Also they are closer to the bus stop for the Hermits Rest Route. ※ For in-park hotel reservations: http://grandcanyonlodges.com
The Hermits Rest Route is accessible only by the shuttle, which runs every 15 minutes. This route is a must. Scenic points on this route are a lot deeper, grander and more amazing than those on the other two routes, although Moran Point on the Kaibab Trail Route and the Yavapai Observation Station on the Village Route were very good too. The Grand Canyon was grand from every viewpoint as the name says, and offered different features from every perspective. So we would recommend that you at least stop by all the main scenic points.
Our favorite scenic spot was Mohave Point because we could enjoy the glowing canyon along with a view of the Colorado River. For a river view, Pima Point may be the best. The Abyss offers a decent view but you may want to skip this one if you don’t have enough time. At the Hermits Rest, the last stop, you can go to a restroom and get some snacks or gifts. On its return, the bus stops only at Pima, Mohave and Powell Points. So we skipped Mohave and Powell on the way to the Hermits Rest so that we could watch the sunset at Hopi Point. We heard Hopi Point was a favorite spot for the sunset view at the Grand Canyon because it is the highest point at the South Rim and offers the most panoramic view.
On the shuttle’s return trip, we got off at Mohave and Powell Points, and walked from Powell Point to the Hopi Point to watch the sunset. Powell and Hopi Points are close to each other. We sat at Hopi Point and ate some snacks we got at the Hermits Rest and waited for the sunset. As the sunset was approaching, it got pretty cold. We were looking at the sky and shivering, hoping the sun would go down soon. As the sun was slowly going down, it gave off patterns of shade on the walls of the Grand Canyon. It was a spectacular view that was definitely worth waiting in the cold for over an hour. After the sunset, we got on the bus at Hopi Point and got off near the Bright Angel Lodge and went to the Arizona Room at the Bright Angel for dinner. J.J. got a 10 oz New York strip steak ($24.40) and Gina got an 8 oz grilled rib eye ($21.75). Both were NOT good.
The next morning it snowed. Due to the high elevation, the weather in the Grand Canyon can change abruptly. But we still wanted to see Yaki Point, which we didn’t go to the other day because we were driving. Yaki Point is the only main scenic point on the Kaibab Trail Route that doesn’t allow non-residential private vehicles. In the shuttle bus, we overheard some people saying that their family came to the Grand Canyon sometime during the summer and stayed a couple days but never saw the canyon due to the weather. So, make sure to check the forecast before planning your trip to the Grand Canyon. Fortunately for us, the snow stopped and we could still see the canyon in the clouds, which looked more mysterious and beautiful. And we met a squirrel that was the first and only animal we saw at the canyon during our stay.The Grand Canyon was really expansive and amazing to see, but we personally think Bryce Canyon in Utah has more unique and interesting features. Both are great places to visit if you take a trip to Las Vegas or the American West in general. Oh, you should know that the Skywalk is not a part of the Grand Canyon National Park. It’s actually a 5 hour drive from the Grand Canyon South Rim and is closer to Las Vegas. The Skywalk is in the Hualapai Indian tribe reservation so you need to buy a pass to enter the reservation as well as a ticket to the Skywalk. So the cost of walking on the Skywalk ends up being about $75, and we heard that no personal pictures are allowed.
If you are planning to visit the Grand Canyon, you may want to include Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park in Utah. They are not too far from the Grand Canyon and have a different kind of natural beauty that the Grand Canyon doesn’t have. On the way to these parks, you’ll go through Kanab, which is a cozy town where a lot of westerns have been filmed.
※ To read this article in Korean (한국어로 보시려면)? http://blog.naver.com/mstarcom1/80108746980
