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Grand Canyon National Park
by Shane Christensen
Everything you need for an unforgettable vacation
Travel writer, Shane Christensen, begins his Frommer's guide to the Grand Canyon by reflecting, “Years ago, upon completing a hike in the Grand Canyon, I stood at the rim gazing, one last time, at the colours below and vowed right then to inform everyone how lucky they were to be alive. My good intentions lasted for only a day, but it was an unforgettable one and, when it was over, I realized that the canyon had moved me the way religion moves fervent believers.” However, it wasn't until he started writing his book about the canyon that he fully understood just why he had been so moved by it.
For starters, it is a place of historical transformation: “The different layers of sedimentary rock that piled atop the Vishnu tell of landscapes that changed like dreams. They speak of mountains that really did move, eroding away into nothingness; of oceans that poured forth across the land before receding; of deserts, swamps, and rivers the size of the Mississippi – all where the canyon now lies. The fossils in these layers illustrate the very evolution of life.”
Home to 1,500 plant and 400 animal species, that life is very much still in full swing today, “ranging from tiny ant lions dwelling on the canyon floor to 1,000-pound elk roaming the rims,” and including condors with 10-foot wingspans.
After considering a brief history of the canyon, he goes on to list the amenities it offers today. “As much as I like the stories,” he writes, “I also enjoy the mysteries that can't be explained...such as why the agave blooms only once every 20-odd years.”
When Theodore Roosevelt visited the canyon in 1903, he proclaimed, “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve it.” To a large extent, that advice has been followed, particularly by Mary E. Jane Colter, “the brilliant architect who obsessed over creating buildings that blended with the landscape...”
Christensen capably evokes the splendour of that landscape in elegant, descriptive passages such as, “The Colorado River, filled with runoff from the Painted Desert, runs blood red beneath slopes of orange Hakatai shale; cactus flowers explode in pink, yellow, and red; and the lichens paint rocks orange, green, and gray, creating art more striking than the works in any gallery.”
The book includes a trip planning guide; how-to-book mule rides, train and coach tours in advance; and, several maps. Highlights include where to go for the most dramatic view of the canyon, best scenic drive; best walk, bike ride, trails, picnic areas and more.
Christensen also tells you what to avoid. He says of a tour of the canyon by helicopter – increasingly a cause for concern over noise pollution with 600,000 tourists booking air tours annually – “It was a bit stomach-churning. It didn't help that I was pinned in the helicopter's middle seat between two large, sweaty strangers.” He recommends the IMAX movie instead because it “achieves similar [views] without disturbing the wilderness” and there are safety issues, as well. Since 1991, 41 people have died in plane and helicopter crashes in the area.
The book also lists attractions in surrounding towns with section aimed at helping tourists identify flora and fauna species in the canyon.
If planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, you would be well-advised to make reservations far in advance. Christensen notes that the most desirable rooms in the area are booked a year ahead. The only accommodation available, below the rim within the canyon, routinely sells out two years in advance, but if you're one of the lucky ones to book a room there, any postcard you send will bear the stamp, “mailed by mule from the bottom of the Grand Canyon.”
Christensen also considers the best time of year to visit the canyon, how long to make your visit, how much it will cost, and tips for making the most of the experience.
Title: Grand Canyon National Park
Author: Shane Christensen
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 0764542842
Review written by: Marc Duane Anderson
Reviewer's Rating:9.5
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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