Friday, April 22, 2011

Discover The Grand Canyon Tours Meadview Can Offer

By Sabrina Hinton


This article explains the Grand Canyon tours Meadview can offer to visitors. Meadview in Arizona is the site of the Grand Canyon West Visitor Center. There are three main destinations for visitors coming to Arizona to see the canyon. These are the North, South, and West Rims. The North and South Rims are both part of the United States National Park, while the West Rim is located in part of the territory of the Hualapi Indian Nation. This tribe are the owners of the resort called Grand Canyon West. Although this is a rather newer destination than the South Rim, it can be more easily reached from Las Vegas, and it is the site of the famous glass bottomed Skywalk, which was opened four years ago.

Grand Canyon West is about three hours by road from Las Vegas. There are many tour operators in that city who offer day trips to the West Rim of the canyon.

These can include both air tours and road tours. Tours include complimentary pickup and drop-off from Vegas hotels. Air tours are normally either by helicopter or by light aircraft, which fly from Vegas airport to the airport in the Hualapi Indian Nation. Road tours pass by Lake Mead, and usually include a photo stop at, or a more extensive visit to, the Hoover Dam. Tours which are not by helicopter can usually add a helicopter descent into the canyon as an optional extra.

Tours can also include visits to Hualapi Ranch, where one may buy souvenirs, or enjoy Native American and cowboy demonstrations. Visitors often enjoy other activities, including horseback riding, and white water rafting, during their tour.

The Skywalk, opened by astronaut Buzz Aldrin in 2007, extends about 70 feet out from the canyon's rim. Those who walk on the structure, and dare to look down, will see that they are two thousand feet above the floor of the gorge.

The Skywalk, designed by a Las Vegas engineering company, is extremely strong. It is able to survive 100 mph winds, and can hold a weight equal to several jumbo jets. As only 120 people are able to go onto the Skywalk at any one time, there may be queues at some times. Making a reservation allows one to avoid having to wait in line.

The visitor center of the Grand Canyon West resort is in the town of Meadview, Arizona. A shuttle bus runs from here to the West rim of the Canyon. Visitors traveling in their own cars should take this bus because the last few miles of the road to the canyon are unpaved.

grand canyon tours Meadview




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