# I want visit the Grand Canyon - This seems so Cool **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 16, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207 "2010-01-16T17:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/21 "2010-01-17T04:25:02Z")
> [@BKReporter](#): > > Seventy bucks and you can’t even take a camera? WTF! How much are their souvenir photos? The way it was explained is that they don’t want you taking **anything** of any weight or that might be either tempting to toss over the rail just to watch it fall, and no cameras or cell phones because anything metal has the potential to damage the glass walkway. I didn’t get the feeling they’re worried about it breaking and dropping people to a horrid death, but more concerned about scratches, etc. That’s the reason you lose your shoes and wear hospital slippers out there. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/22 "2010-01-17T04:29:13Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > The Grand Canyon is one of those. These are things that cannot be captured by photograph or film. You have to see them in person. It is mind boggling. You see what it is, it looks like the photographs, but the perspective and scale send your mind reeling. Go for it! Yeah, I only got around to visiting it a couple of years ago. I was expecting it to be nice, but nothing that stirring ( which is why I hadn’t bothered the other couple of times I drove through the vicinity ). I was wrong. It’s _much_ more impressive in person. The first day I actually and truly drove around the South Rim, stopping at the various overlooks, while playing Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ on my car stereo. It was entirely appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/23 "2010-01-17T06:14:44Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > If you are planning a trip in the future, forget the rim, take a boat trip down the Colorado at the bottom. One of the best things about visiting either rim is that you get the whole impact in one shot. It’s not like a mountain where you see it in the distance and it just gets bigger as you get close. There’s just some nice forests (depending which way you’re coming from) and the park gate, then you park the car, walk past a couple buildings, and there it is. What’s even stranger is I’ve driven around the east end, and there’s nothing to see, just a river and a bridge. It would be an interesting rafting trip from there. I guess the water goes down, the land goes up, and a hundred miles later you’ve really got something. I would recommend someone get their first look at it from the rim, just for that impact of seeing it all at once. One of the worst things about visiting the rim is that the hiking the opposite of most places. If you’re hiking in the mountain and you get tired, you can turn around and walk downhill back to your car. By the time you get tired in the canyon, you’re in trouble. There were signs that said “down is optional, up is mandatory”. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/24 "2010-01-17T08:13:43Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I have been privileged to see some awesome things in my life. I have a phrase for them: > > “Things that our brain is not designed to comprehend.”\* I heard a good phrase once: “It’s the kind of awesome from before “awesome” could be used to describe pizza.” ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/25 "2010-01-17T12:52:48Z")
The Grand Canyon itself is nice; how wonderful it is for you depends on you. Responses range from soul-quenching to wondering where the lemonade stand is. The Skywalk is overrated. It’s true you can’t take pictures (specifically, you can’t take your camera out with you) but even from an experience standpoint it is not very different from standing on the rim anywhere. At almost any point along the GC you can walk right up to an edge and look down to your heart’s content. Notice, for instance, at the end of this promotional video, that the Hualapai chap seems to be having as rich an experience just sitting on the edge as anyone out on the walk. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvzlZuWrJNw](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvzlZuWrJNw) Be aware there is not much at the Skywalk besides the Skywalk. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/26 "2010-01-17T14:54:37Z")
> [@BKReporter](#): > > Seventy bucks and you can’t even take a camera? WTF! How much are their souvenir photos? Wouldn’t taking your mobile phones off you be a breach of one of those rights you have? And the Sky Walk owners shouldn’t have the rights to the views from their facility, should they? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/27 "2010-01-17T15:03:57Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Wouldn’t taking your mobile phones off you be a breach of one of those rights you have? There is no right to enter their land or their facility. If you want to go in there, you have to follow their rules. What possible right is there to have a cell phone on you at all times on private property? ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/28 "2010-01-17T15:32:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > [CNET: Product reviews, advice, how-tos and the latest news](http://news.cnet.com/2300-1008_3-6169001-1.html?tag=mncol) [afraid of heights] Excuse me while I curl up on the ground and whimper. [/afraid of heights] ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/29 "2010-01-17T16:20:02Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Wouldn’t taking your mobile phones off you be a breach of one of those rights you have? No. It doesn’t breach any rights, and it doesn’t break any laws. They are saying ‘If you want to walk on this thing we’ve built, you can’t bring your own possessions out here or take any pictures’. You then choose to accept the deal or not. The only slight problem I had with this is that they keep very, very quiet about it. So it’s perfectly possible to sign up for a tour, including Sky Walk, and not be aware of the rules until you get there. Bear in mind that many people sign up when they are a long way away, e.g. staying at a hotel in Vegas. It doesn’t matter to some people, but I’m a keen photographer and in some cases - although this was not one of them - I could well decide not to go if I know I won’t be able to use my camera. > [@](#): > > And the Sky Walk owners shouldn’t have the rights to the views from their facility, should they? This question doesn’t even arise, given the first question. Whether they own the rights to the view from their Walk is rather an abstruse legal point, but it’s moot. You can’t get any photos from your visit except the ‘official’ ones they take of you, and that you can then buy at the souvenir place. All that having been said, I _do_ happen to have some shots that show the view from the actual Sky Walk itself. But I’m not saying how I got them. As a magician, it’s my job to know how to do impossible things. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/30 "2010-01-17T16:29:31Z")
I liked the Grand Canyon. I also liked (for different experiences) Zion Canyon and one you seldom hear about, the [Black Canyon of the Gunnison](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Canyon_of_the_Gunnison_National_Park) in Montana. When we were at the Grand Canyon, some people were horsing around on the rail right at the edge of an overlook. My mom brought it to the attention of a park ranger, and he yelled at them to knock it off. My mom expressed worry that they might do it again after the ranger left, and he said, essentially, that the the railing is not the problem – the canyon is so vast they don’t try to fence it all off or prevent people from falling in. He said every spring they send around a helicopter to recover a few bodies, if people noted where they fell. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/31 "2010-01-17T16:31:39Z")
IMHO, the “best” view from the rim is at [Toroweap](http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/tuweep.htm) (aka Tuweep). It’s not a spot for the casual visitor, though. Anyone wanting to visit should heed the warnings on the NPS website. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/32 "2010-01-17T18:25:35Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > IMHO, the “best” view from the rim is at [Toroweap](http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/tuweep.htm) (aka Tuweep). It’s not a spot for the casual visitor, though. Anyone wanting to visit should heed the warnings on the NPS website. I agree. You can walk right to the edge of a 3000 foot shear drop. No railing, so that might give you a thrill. The Main Street route is much the more scenic way to get there. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/33 "2010-01-17T19:29:56Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > I liked the Grand Canyon. I also liked (for different experiences) Zion Canyon and one you seldom hear about, the [Black Canyon of the Gunnison](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Canyon_of_the_Gunnison_National_Park) in Montana. That would be in Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/34 "2010-01-17T19:45:50Z")
Anyone want to do a bungee jump off that skywalk? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/35 "2010-01-17T20:17:40Z")
Last time I was in the SW, on a visit to another natural attraction, our guide indicated that when asked about the GC he advises people to skip the Skywalk and refers them to other viewing points. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/36 "2010-01-18T03:26:27Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I wonder if I’ll be disappointed? Is the Grand Canyon just a big hole in the ground? The pictures I’ve seen makes it look so inviting. I’ve been there twice. It’s a biiiiig hole in the ground. It’s also one of the most beautiful and fascinating places on our planet. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/37 "2010-01-18T04:13:06Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > One of the best things about visiting either rim is that you get the whole impact in one shot. I admit that it must be a very different perspective. I’ve never seen it from the top, but I’ve seen everything from Lee’s ferry to Diamond Creek at the bottom. I find it hard to believe that you could see the whole thing at once from anywhere, and nothing beats waking up with it on both sides every morning. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/38 "2010-01-18T05:17:06Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Anyone want to do a bungee jump off that skywalk? What they charge just to walk on it would pay for a jump at many locations. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/39 "2010-01-18T07:41:02Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > I find it hard to believe that you could see the whole thing at once from anywhere, and nothing beats waking up with it on both sides every morning. Well, you can’t see the entire canyon, but the part you can see is laid out in front of you in very short order as you approach the rim. I’ve never seen anything else that’s so spectacular, but so hidden. From a quarter-mile away, you wouldn’t even know it’s there. Sleeping at the bottom is a rare treat, not to mention hot meals and a shower, but I knew that when I got up I had a long walk in front of me[sup]\*[/sup], which tempers the amazement and grandeur just a bit. - 17 hours, as it turned out. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207/40 "2010-01-18T08:56:34Z")
My wife and I have been on the Skywalk and felt it wasn’t worth the money. The views from almost right next to it are much more impressive. The Grand Canyon itself is breathtaking and absolutely worth visiting, IMHO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-visit-the-grand-canyon-this-seems-so-cool/525207.md?page=3)