 |
Satisfy
your Curiosity! |
…And
no, I
did not make up the name!
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“What’s
the best way to get around?”
On
the South Rim, and especially during the busy season, I’d
recommend the
free shuttle bus. I think it’s the best combination of
usefulness and
flexibility. Everywhere else, I’d recommend bringing a car.
Tour buses can also be useful but keep in mind that your time viewing
the canyon will be limited by their schedule.
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“Where’s
the best place to park?”
Generally,
the best parking spots in the park are the large dirt lot near the
train depot or the General Store/Yavapai Lodge parking lot. For more
detail, see how to find your way around
without getting a traffic headache.
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“What is the
best place to see the river?”
My
favorites are Pima Point and Desert View. From Desert View on the east
rim, you can see a sparkling blue, wide river. But after the Little
Colorado tributary meets the river, it turns brown from all the added
silt.
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“Where is the best place to see the sunset?”
Any point that sticks out into the canyon and gives you an unobstructed view west is a good bet.
That said, how private do you want your sunset to be? My dad likes to have his sunsets to himself. His favorite spot is the west end of the parking lot at the South Kaibab Trailhead.
But if you don’t mind a large
audience of fellow gazers, try
the west rim. Hopi and Mohave Points are great vantage points.
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“Where can I get
something local and unusual to eat?”
Yummmm...
Navajo tacos... Every time I bring friends home, I like to drive back
to Flagstaff by going east on highway 64 to 180. We stop at the Cameron
Trading Post on the Navajo reservation for Navajo Tacos.
What's so special about these tacos? They are serverd open-faced, piled high with fillings and they use thick Navajo fry bread for the ‘tortilla'. That is definately a local Southwest dish.
You could also try the rock candy from the souvenir stores. It looks like a river rock, but luckily, it doesn’t taste like one!
The prickly pear cactus jelly is another southwest original. It’s made from the bright red cactus fruit (without the prickles).Top of page
“What is that strange looking pokey green plant with the big stalk coming out of the top?”
Is the entire plant pokey, or just the end of the leaves? If it’s just the tips, then it’s a banana yucca (that's the one in the picture here).
If the whole thing has short spines, then it is an agave plant. The
first explorers named this the century plant because it seemed like it
only bloomed once every hundred years. (It actually grows for 30 years,
blooms once and then dies!)
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“The deer and
squirrels seem tame. They come right up to us. Why can’t we
feed them?”
First of all, they may seem nice but they are still wild animals and can bite or kick. It's not unusual either. The most common tourist injury at the walkin clinic is squirrel bites.
Secondly, feeding wild animals eventually amounts to killing them. Before you hate me for saying that, understand this.
Not only do they NOT learn to find their own food, but human food (and
it's plastic wrapper, they can't always tell the difference) is not
good for wild animals' digestion systems. See my wildlife page
for the gruesome details.
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“Wait…
You mean people actually live here?”
Yes,
this is where my family lived while I was growing up. There are about
2,000 people who live in the Grand Canyon Village year round. Most of
the permanent residents live in houses owned by the park service.
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“What houses?
Where?”
While
you are looking out at the canyon from the south rim, turn around. See
all those trees? The houses are cleverly hidden behind them.
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Any other burning questions?
Do you have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me and I’ll add it!
Ok. Now that your curiousity has been satisfied… Would you
like to see what I other things I think are amazing about this place?
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