Grand Canyon – Part I
Las Vegas was the last stop of my two-week trip. One of the highlights during my stay there, was of course, a visit to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, a neighbouring state of Nevada. Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, but follows Mountain Standard Time instead. Therefore, Arizona is an hour ahead of Nevada during the fall and winter months; and they share the same hour for the rest of the year.
How grand is the Grand Canyon? Spanning 446 km in length, stretching between 6.4 and 29 km in range, and extending a depth greater than 1.83 km; the canyon is a creation of the Colorado River over a period of 6 million years. Even though it’s not the deepest canyon in the world, Grand Canyon is well-known for its majestic and colourful landscape.
There are three main visitation points at the Grand Canyon; North Rim, West Rim, and South Rim. Due to time constraint, we only had time for a day-tour to visit one of these points. I’ve always looked forward to exploring the Skywalk on the West Rim. Thus, West Rim it is!
We came across with the highway construction site near the Hoover Dam, on our way to our destination. Upon completion, this highway will ease the traffic flow of larger vehicles in this area. Looking for some big bucks? Apparently, rookies who work here get paid as high as USD 100 an hour. Of course, this comes with great risks for working at high elevations.
The highway construction site.
The Hoover Dam.
A scenic view of the Grand Canyon.
On our way to the West Rim of Grand Canyon, we passed by the 900-year-old Joshua Tree forest.
Joshua Trees (taller) and yucca plants (shorter).
A closer view of the Joshua Trees.
How would you like to visit the Grand Canyon? By land, water, or air?
Upon arrival at our destination, we took a shuttle to the Eagle Point. It’s the home of the famous Skywalk and Native American dwellings.
The breathtaking view of the canyon from the West Rim.
The Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge constructed with five thick layers of heavy-duty glass imported from Germany. The cost of construction was more than USD 40 million. Suspending 4,000 feet above the Colorado River, visitors have the privilege to step beyond the edge of the Grand Canyon for a closer view of the canyon. How sturdy is the Skywalk? It can withstand the weight of 71 units of fully loaded 747 Boeing aircraft (more than 71 million pounds)!!
Opened on March 28th of year 2007 to the public, the Skywalk has recently celebrated its two-year anniversary.
Looking down the canyon from the Skywalk was an unforgettable experience.
“Eagle Point” was named after the shape of canyon which resembles an eagle with its wings widely spread.
Looking out the majestic Grand Canyon landscape at the edge of the Rim.
The house of the North American tribe, Hualapai (meaning “people of the tall pine”) who live here.
May 7th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
[...] of the rest of my traveling story to West Coast of U.S.A. in spring 2009, after my posts about Grand Canyon and Las [...]