Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon!

  Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States
Wednesday, September 5, 2007

I was soo excited about doing this trip. It was pretty expensive though $136 for a day trip with 3 stops and a traditional Indian lunch but when am I next gonna have the opportunity to see the Grand Canyon so why not hey!

The first stop was the Hoover Dam - I've seen programs on it before and seen videos and studied it in geography so I wasn't expecting to be that impressed really but I so was. It is absolutely massive, I can't believe that it was built in the 1930's though I just can't believe that they could have done that then and its still as strong as it was then - there has never been a crack in it at all! The only thing they have done is replaced the mechanical bits actually inside and install computers. They are freaking out about it though, the whole coach had to be searched before we were allowed near it and they are now building a bridge across the top of Black Canyon (which will be another engineering miracle cos it'll be so high) and a bypass because at the minute all the traffic on that particular freeway drives straight across the top of the Dam.

Lake Mead at the Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam

It takes 3hrs on the bus to get to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon (the south rim where the National Park is takes 5hrs) and its all owned by the Indian tribe who live in the area and run it. The West Rim is where the new acclaimed Sky Walk is -I didn't do it, glass bridge with a 4000 ft drop - not a chance! I was quite pleased that I didn't actually because you aren't allowed to take cameras on there, they have a professional photographer on there taking pictures and charge $25 for the privilege! People were not happy because you get rushed along (apparently) I didn't speak with anyone who wasn't moaning about it!

Right where the sky walk is, is an area of the Canyon called Eagle Point where you can see and eagle actually in the Canyon (if you use your imagination) - check the picture. The elders of the Indian Tribe really didn't want the sky Walk built there because they consider it one of the most sacred places in the whole 100 million acres of land that they own but the younger generation argued and it got built and now visitor numbers have increased from 250 per day to 2500 per day so I guess it was worth it.

Grand Canyon - Eagle Point

 

Grand Canyon

The other area I went to was called Guano point and its where they used to mine for Guano (used in make up amongst other things apparently) they don't anymore but there is still part of the mine there (just one of the pylons) and what they call the bat cave where they operated the pulley to lift the Guano from the bottom of the Canyon floor. It was all still working but they had to cut the lines when a plane flew through it and was sliced in half! (they sell lots of helicopter tours!) This was my favourite view point because you can actually see the valley floor and the Colorado river and it puts the size of the Canyon in perspective. Its really hard to describe it but its breathtaking and I only saw such a small part of it. If I had more money I would have loved to have done the helicopter ride but I have to kinda budget! There are plans to build a hotel out at Guano Point (not sure how cos there is no electricity or running water) but maybe one day I'll go back and stay in the hotel and take the helicopter ride - Its certainly somewhere I'd like to go back to.

               

Lake Colorado at the base of the Canyon