 |
|
Grand Canyon June 4, 2002 -- A lookout point along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. (SHNS photo by Susan Hegger/St. Louis Post-Dispatch.)
|
By Susan C. Hegger
St. Louis Post-Dispatch The humongous canyon. The vast canyon. The magnificent canyon. We stood there and tried out all the variations we could think of. Eventually we decided that the Grand Canyon is as fitting a name as any. The problem is, no single word -- or even string of adjectives -- can convey just how awesome the canyon is. Neither can photos, no matter how panoramic. The Grand Canyon has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. Fortunately, that's what we were there to do, and we weren't in any hurry. We would have plenty of time to amble along the rim trail at the South Rim, the most highly visited part of the park; to wile away time on benches overlooking the canyon; and to shop for souvenirs in one of the rimside stores. Given the size and physical condition of our group, we confined our adventures to the rim: no hiking or mule-riding to the bottom or overnighting on the canyon floor. But that's one of the neatest things about the canyon. This extraordinary national treasure can be explored and enjoyed by anyone, from the fittest to the frailest. That's undoubtedly one reason, too, that the canyon attracts a virtual United Nations of visitors. Along the paved rim path, especially in the highly populated Grand Canyon Village, you can hear as much Japanese, German and Spanish as English. To take best advantage of whatever time you have, plan ahead. Decide what's of most interest -- and do it. In our case, one of our top priorities, and one of the highlights, was to see the less-traveled West Rim. An eight-mile walking trail leads from the Grand Canyon Village to Hermit's Rest, while a road runs parallel. The road is closed to private cars from mid-March through mid-October, with one exception: Disabled people can apply for a special handicapped permit. Able-bodied folks who want to ride can take the free shuttle bus, although lines to board can get quite long. Our group split up -- with some taking the trail and others riding in a car with a special permit. The less-crowded overlooks along the West Rim trail are spaced closely together, at least at the beginning: a half-mile here, three-quarters of a mile there. So the riders never had to wait long for the walkers at the overlooks, where we all took our time enjoying the scene. Needless to say, the views were spectacular, especially at Hopi Point, where the panoramic vista simply took our breath away. It was there that we caught some close-up looks at a condor, whose wingspan can reach 9 feet. It was there, too, that we got several good glimpses of the Colorado River and its white-water rapids. A park ranger told us that Hopi Point is the best place for a sunset, but unfortunately we weren't there at the right time. Ironically, you can't see the Colorado River at all at the Powell Memorial, which honors John Wesley Powell, who is believed to be the first man to navigate the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Despite the crowds -- because of the crowds -- Grand Canyon Village is also fun for people-watching as much as canyon-gazing. We made a point of having lunch in the arts-and-crafts-style restaurant in the elegant, expensive El Tovar Hotel. (The black bean soup is terrific: rich, hearty and with a sly bite.) We shopped for souvenirs at the pueblo-look Hopi House, the rough-hewn stone Lookout Studio and Verkamp's Curios, the granddaddy of them all. From the village, a nicely paved path takes visitors eastward to Mather Point, about half an hour's walk. Yavapai Point, along the way, is another popular spot to view the sunset. Truthfully, though, we were a little disappointed because the effects we had hoped for -- the changing and deepening colors of the canyon walls -- never quite materialized. On an earlier visit to the Grand Canyon, we drove the 23-mile East Rim road, which has a series of scenic lookouts. With all the stops, it's about a half-day's commitment. It may be hard for some to believe, but the canyon looks very different at different points along the rim. And, of course, it also looks different at different hours of the day, depending on the sun, its intensity and angle. Next time, I hope for a whole new perspective: from the canyon floor looking up after a challenging hike down the Bright Angel trail. The New Age has been very good to Sedona, Arizona. I've never seen more psychics, tarot readers and crystal peddlers in one place, and I swear the number of vortexes (supposedly places of positive energy) has doubled since my last visit. (The locations of these vortexes are conveniently noted on city maps.) It's no surprise, really, that New Agers have claimed Sedona. Surrounded by fantastical red rock formations, the town is really a magically beautiful place. From the direction of the Grand Canyon, the drive south on Arizona 89A heightens the impression of its specialness. There's the thrilling descent into Oak Creek Canyon -- you can feel the changes in elevation -- and then the winding road through the narrow canyon. Before you know it, the red rocks begin to appear, and then you're surrounded by them. Sedona just might be the perfect resort town; leisure appears to be the preferred way of life. It's easy to do nothing, to do loads or any combination of the two. For me, one of Sedona's main attractions is the hiking. Hiking trails for every level of difficulty abound, and it would be hard to exhaust all the possibilities in a short visit. On one cool, crisp morning, we took a leisurely, 2-1/2-mile walk through the supremely picturesque Boynton Canyon; toward the end of the trail, stone circles marked what we suspect is a vortex. For more of a challenge, we did a trail around and then up to Cathedral Rock, the formation that's become the symbol of Sedona -- and which also has a vortex. Hikers need a Red Rock parking permit to park at most of the trailheads. A daily or weekly permit can be purchased at the local Chamber of Commerce. Not everyone in our family is a hiker, so we scouted out some of the many scenic drives. We enjoyed the views along the Red Rock Loop Drive and then a picnic lunch in Red Rock State Park. One day, in the waning afternoon, we also drove Airport Road (another vortex site) to watch the sunset with a group of like-minded people. As beautiful as nature is, in the afternoon, when it got hot, we were either at the pool or shopping. Our hotel was in Uptown Sedona, which has the broadest array of shops. We looked at gifts ranging from the mandatory T-shirt to intricately carved kachinas. After spending considerable time pricing Hopi kachinas and silver jewelry (and becoming increasingly depressed), we were thrilled to find a going-out-of-business sale featuring half-priced kachinas. (It pays to wait.) Another afternoon we spent at Tlaquepaque. Styled like an old Mexican colonial village, it has very upscale gift shops, art galleries and restaurants in a beautifully landscaped labyrinth of boutiques and courtyards. Local musicians serenade the shoppers, and benches provide plenty of opportunity for relaxation. Although it was completely out of our price range, we also enjoyed Hillside, which specializes in exclusive art galleries. The Exposures Gallery of the West, with its dramatic sculpture garden, seemed to attract as many gawkers as buyers. From Hillside, it's a short ride to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a modern chapel embedded in red-rock formations. It's a peaceful, serene setting with a lovely panoramic view. We couldn't leave Sedona without taking a Pink Jeep tour. On our last morning, we took a two-hour ride. It had a sprinkling of history (our guide pointed out where the old movie sets were), a dash of natural history (a brief lesson on flora and fauna), a smidgen of geology (the composition of rock layers) and tons of fun as the jeep rode up, down and around the rocks. The drive back up Oak Canyon along 89A was tame in comparison. (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com.)
| 
)
