When we were in the U.S. last year, we were short on time so we had to skip a few popular destinations along the way that weren't at the top of our list but were still bookmarked mentally for our next time around. Back then, we didn't know our next time would be so soon - the next year!
This time we had three weeks, plenty of time to tick all of those boxes. Like the Grand Canyon. A bit out of our way on a California roadtrip, but the West Rim was perfectly doable as a day trip from Las Vegas. The drive is about 4-5 hours round-trip, but beware: these roadtrips always take longer than you think, and before you're actually AT the rim, you've lost another 45 minutes standing in line, buying a ticket and taking the bus tour. Yep, there's a mandatory bus tour involved.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves! Before getting to the Grand Canyon we made a stop at the Hoover Dam, another stunning landmark in the region. Well worth the time even if it's just for those views of the most beautiful bright blue water! We didn't stay to visit the museum because it was pretty crowded and included a full, TSA airport style security check where you have to go through a metal detector etcetera, but I'm sure it would be cool if you had the time. The Art Deco architecture of all of the dam buildings is stunning.
After the Hoover Dam we still had most of the drive ahead of us. We picked up snacks along the way - I always go for Colby Jack cheese sticks - and discovered peach flavored Coca Cola. New favourite!
Arriving at the Grand Canyon is weird. You don't really see much while driving up there, and the entire West Rim part of it is operated by the Hualapai Native American tribe. This means that you can't actually get there on your own, you have to park your car, go through a big tent to get to the other side of a fence, buy $50 tickets for a bus tour (mandatory) and get on that bus which will take you to a number of stops along the Grand Canyon. It's all very strange, getting on a bus tour in such a unique context of natural splendor. The bus kinda takes all of the spontaneity out of it, and almost makes the experience artificial in a way.
To add insult to injury, we purchased the $30 Skywalk tickets that allow you to look into the canyon, but when we got there the line to get on the Skywalk would take about an hour from start of the queue to finally stepping out there. We ended up skipping the Skywalk because we didn't want to lose an hour queueing, but we couldn't get a refund for our tickets so that was simply money down the drain. I would have preferred them warning us beforehand about the crowds and the line so we could have made an informed decision.
So yes, I'll say it: the West Rim is a tourist trap. But on the other hand, this part of the canyon isn't government funded like the national parks, but actually owned by the Hualapai. The high cost you pay goes to supporting the tribe and maintaining and improving the infrastructure. You'll have to figure out for yourself whether you'd pick a shorter drive from Vegas and pay the higher fee to get to a more "managed", crowded experience of the Grand Canyon, or drive further (about 4,5 hours one way) to get a more affordable way in where you can actually hike freely etcetera.
Still, I'm happy we got to experience this world wonder, and have some cool pics to prove it - shot between the arrival and departure of new busloads of tourists.
Arriving at the Grand Canyon is weird. You don't really see much while driving up there, and the entire West Rim part of it is operated by the Hualapai Native American tribe. This means that you can't actually get there on your own, you have to park your car, go through a big tent to get to the other side of a fence, buy $50 tickets for a bus tour (mandatory) and get on that bus which will take you to a number of stops along the Grand Canyon. It's all very strange, getting on a bus tour in such a unique context of natural splendor. The bus kinda takes all of the spontaneity out of it, and almost makes the experience artificial in a way.
To add insult to injury, we purchased the $30 Skywalk tickets that allow you to look into the canyon, but when we got there the line to get on the Skywalk would take about an hour from start of the queue to finally stepping out there. We ended up skipping the Skywalk because we didn't want to lose an hour queueing, but we couldn't get a refund for our tickets so that was simply money down the drain. I would have preferred them warning us beforehand about the crowds and the line so we could have made an informed decision.
So yes, I'll say it: the West Rim is a tourist trap. But on the other hand, this part of the canyon isn't government funded like the national parks, but actually owned by the Hualapai. The high cost you pay goes to supporting the tribe and maintaining and improving the infrastructure. You'll have to figure out for yourself whether you'd pick a shorter drive from Vegas and pay the higher fee to get to a more "managed", crowded experience of the Grand Canyon, or drive further (about 4,5 hours one way) to get a more affordable way in where you can actually hike freely etcetera.
Still, I'm happy we got to experience this world wonder, and have some cool pics to prove it - shot between the arrival and departure of new busloads of tourists.
Instagram vs. reality: a photo before crop, representing the actual experience among throngs of tourists.
.... and after crop.
The last stop was my favourite because you could actually hike for a bit to get to a spot where there was no one around you, so you could enjoy and take in the canyon in solitude.
I've tried to keep things as real as possible for this blog post - the good and the bad - so you can make your own informed decision.
And if you have any questions: shoot!
And if you have any questions: shoot!
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