A couple of years ago we went to the Grand Canyon West on New Year’s Day. We were staying in Las Vegas and decided to make the reasonable 2.5 hour drive to see something amazing.
I knew that the Grand Canyon was huge, but before this trip, I wasn’t aware of the different areas of it. The side we went to was the Grand Canyon West. This area of the Grand Canyon boasts the Skywalk and Eagle Point.
Eagle Point is kind of what it sounds like. It is a place in the canyon that resembles an eagle.
On our way, I got to ride on the first dirt road I had even been on. The area we were driving through was a little like a “The Hills Have Eyes” area. There were very few houses, and the ones that were there looked a little on the scary side. We saw a total of one store that I remember.
After you get to the entrance of the Grand Canyon West, you have to park your vehicle. From there, you take their shuttle bus. The minimum entrance fee you can pay is $44.05. There are many more packages you can purchase for various ways of viewing the canyon. We found that the normal entrance package was just fine for us.
While the Skywalk undoubtedly looked like a neat experience, it just didn’t seem quite worth the wait. There were a surprising amount of people there considering it was New Year’s, so the line was extremely long. If I ever end up going back though I would probably do it just to say that I have! I also think that doing a river tour would be an unforgettable experience.
Even though it was winter, the weather was surprisingly nice. After walking around for a bit, I even ended up taking my jacket off and was still quite comfortable.
I feel like some people go to the Grand Canyon, look at it for a few minutes and then they are ready to leave. I am not exaggerating when I say that I could have literally spent days there. It was such a beautiful and amazing place to be.
Have you visited the Grand Canyon before? What were your thoughts?
-Haley