Papa’s Grand Promise
By The KAERU KID
RAFU CONTRIBUTOR
Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007

The Kaeru Kid takes a trip to the Grand Canyon, at the behest of a small–but influential–

Photos by The Kaeru Kid
The Watchtower on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim was
specifically built as the best viewing site and features a
spiral staircase and replicas of Native American symbols
painted on the walls.

One of the men's rooms at the Hilton International includes a review panel.

Recently, my tadpole (granddaughter) came up to me, gave me a big hug, and asked, “Papa, will you take me to the Grand Canyon?”

With a hug like that, I would take her anywhere she wanted to go.
She is only five years old and had seen a poster of the Grand Canyon and wanted to see it “for real.” In addition, the travel magazine Budget Travel had a recent article listing places every child should see and the Grand Canyon is on the list.

Be sure kids sign up at the Ranger Station to become Junior Rangers.
There are fun, easy assignments in order to qualify. They may also want to buy a National Park Passport to start collecting stamps to record their visits to this and other parks.

The Grand Canyon is one of the World’s Seven Natural Wonders. Believe it or not, my pollywog’s husband (my son-in-law) grew up in Arizona but had never been to the Grand Canyon. I guess it is human nature to take for granted things that are in our backyard, but to spend time and money to visit faraway places. I know New Yorkers who have never been to the top of the Empire State Building or visited the Statue of Liberty. If you live in Los Angeles, have you been to the new downtown Our Lady of Angels Catholic cathedral or the Disney Music Hall?

Winter is very cold but the snowdappled Canyon presents a different beauty picture. Weatherwise, the ideal times to visit are late spring and autumn. Summer months, especially July and August, can be very hot and unpleasant but still attract the largest crowds because of summer vacation.

Make reservations as far ahead as possible. It is a deservedly popular place and cannot be appreciated on a day visit. A minimum of two days should be spent there to visit all the scenic areas, historic buildings, Native American dancing, and museums. I also highly recommend staying in the National Park itself rather than outside because then you can attend some of the evening ranger talks.

The two days covers only activities at the top of the canyon. You will have to a lot more time if you want to hike or ride the mules to the bottom. The raft trip is a separate topic but I will tell you it is an adventure of a lifetime. For train buffs, there is a train ride to the Canyon from Williams, Arizona.

The best meals (and most expensive) are at El Tovar Lodge. Bright Angel
Lodge has decent food at lower prices. There are other National Park lodges within walking distance of the canyon. These accommodations are very reasonable but the attached cafeterias serve mediocre food.

You will see many young Asian workers in the hotels and restaurants.
They participate in a program that allows them to work in the USA and then do some traveling with the money they earn before returning home.
Drink lots of water. How much water is enough? If you pee yellow, you need to drink more. Rub on liberal amounts of UVA/UVB sunscreen, wear hats with head strap because it gets very windy, and bring jackets, as it can get chilly at night. Good binoculars will enable you to view the spectacular scenery close-up as well as to observe wildlife such as the awesome California condors. Need I mention cameras to Nikkeis?

The IMAX theater before the park entrance has a movie that some of our group really enjoyed. I have seen the Canyon on a week long rafting trip, flew between the canyon walls on a plane and have even spent a few days in Havasupai village (an incredible experience that deserves an entire article of its own), so the movie did not give me any information that I did not know. For most people, though, it will provide a good introduction of the history of the Canyon and what sights are available.

You will learn about Major Powell, a Civil War veteran who lost his arm during that conflict. He was selected to lead an expedition through the canyon to learn whether it could be navigated. A small group of men decided it was foolhardy to continue and so they left to hike out of the canyon. They were never seen again.

Bus tours seemed expensive for what one can do on your own. The free bus shuttle required waiting for its arrival and hoping space was available. Driving ourselves was more convenient but during peak visiting periods the parking lots will be filled and then the shuttle would be a good option.
Seeing the canyon during the day is like watching a movie in black and white. At sunrise and sunset, Mother Nature presents the Grand Canyon in full technicolor.

The Watchtower is a unique architectural building that was specifically built as the best viewing site. The spiral staircase has replicas of Native American symbols painted on the walls. It is 25 miles from the main village but should not be missed.

Consider including visits to the Painted Desert, Petrified Forest and Meteor Crater on your visit to the Gorgeous Gorge. These places are located west of Flagstaff on US Hwy 40 and are spectacular in their own right. You might want to bring the music CD, “The Grand Canyon Suite,” and listen to it when visiting the area. Happy trails.

Las Vegas tidbit: Unique and free attractions in Las Vegas that should not be missed are the bathrooms. These are the men’s rooms primarily. There are many interesting ones but I will only list those that impressed me.

The Berlin Wall is attached to the urinals in the Main St. Station. The
Hilton International has Star Trek panels at the urinal that announce what it analyzes and then wishes that the luck be with you. They also have funny, funny murals of girls peering down as you 5-4-4. This one is located next to the main casino cashier. Red Rock Hotel in their former Cherry Nightclub has urinals shaped like giant red lips. Sushi Avenue has super expensive high tech toilets from Japan. Hey, there is even a
MacDonalds in North Las Vegas that has marble walls and gold plated fixtures. If you want to get a longer list, contact me at: KaeruKid@yahoo.com or via the Rafu.

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The Kaeru Kid writes from Nevada and can be reached at KaeruKid@yahoo.com. His articles are sponsored by the Fiesta Henderson Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, a favorite entertainment destination for locals. Located right off the 515/215 interchange, the Fiesta offers covered parking, state of the art race and sports book, slots and table games as well as live poker. The is also a bingo room, Keno and a 224 room hotel. www.fiestahendersonlasvegas.com