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2007 May 6
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Okay, let me get this off my chest.
The
Hualapai Tribe
built the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West,
a beautiful and intriguing way to experience the Grand Canyon.
On the telephone and on their
web site
they are honest about prices and restrictions.
The experience itself was professional, pleasant, and profound.
Yet,
for some reason,
this tourist attraction has received
scathing reviews
from people whose expectations are far removed
from any reasonable expectation of reality.
My own experience was totally positive. I paid what I expected to pay, this is a wonderfully beautiful place, I got more than I expected, I didn't wait in any long lines, the staff people were all courteous and professional, and I had a good time.
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The Hualapai Tribe offers a variety of
tours
from Grand Canyon West Airport
(1G4)
starting from US $50 plus $25 for the Skywalk
including any landing fee at 1G4 plus a hearty buffet meal.
They even offered me 10% off because I'm a member of AAA.
The only "gotcha"
(explained over the telephone and on the web page)
is they won't let people take any metal objects
on the Skywalk itself, including cameras,
so tourists have to pay $15 for pictures of the Skywalk
and $20 for pictures of themselves on it.
I landed and parked my airplane
at Grand Canyon West Airport (1G4).
It was a short walk into the gift-shop area
where my two friends and I waited
in a short line to buy our tour tickets.
The Spirit Tour was US $50,
the Skywalk was $25 extra,
and we got a 10% discount because I belong to
AAA
which paid for the 7% tribal sales tax.
We waited a few minutes outside for the bus which was a nice, comfortable coach. The driver described the three bus rides of the tour: airport to Eagle Point, Eagle Point to Guano Point, and Guano Point back to the airport. There is a smaller van to take tourists to the Hualapai Ranch with other attractions. We were shortly dropped off at Eagle Point where the Skywalk awaited us.
The three of us turned over our Skywalk tickets,
checked our cell phones and cameras,
walked through a metal detector,
and were hand-wanded by a large security guard.
Maybe they're protecting the glass floor of the Skywalk
and maybe they're trying to get extra revenue from photographs,
but they do take their restrictions seriously.
They gave us cute little booties to wear over our shoes
so we wouldn't scratch the glass.
On the Hualapai web site it says, "Walk on the skywalk: There are no personal items allowed on the Skywalk, you will be asked to store them in lockers. You can take photos of the Skywalk from the side and a photo can be taken of you on the bridge and available for purchase if you choose however, personal belongings on the bridge are not allowed to protect from dropping items and scratching the glass."
The Skywalk was fascinating and,
of course,
a little unsettling.
It's strange looking straight down between our own two feet
at rocks far below.
A few folks boldly walked on the clear glass,
most of us kept mostly on the frosted side areas,
and a few
seized
the handrails taking terrified mouse steps.
The combination of the fantastic view out
and the disquieting view down
makes the Skywalk an interesting experience.
Along with the Skywalk, Eagle Point had some native-style tepees and huts and a family doing native dances to recorded music.
A short wait for a short bus ride led us to Guano Point.
Guano Point is so named, they tell me,
because the natives used to use guano, bat poop,
to make the war paint for their faces.
Never mind the etymology,
Guano Point is a truly beautiful place.
We took a short walk, not really a hike,
to the pointy end of Guano Point.
Guano Point is a lovely place
surrounded on three sides with breathtaking Canyon views.
There is also some old
mining equipment
of some sort hanging around.
The buffet lunch is a choice of pulled beef or chicken,
corn on the cob, cornbread, coleslaw, cake, et cetera,
with no charge for second helpings.
After the meal, we took the next bus back
to the gift shop at the airport.
The flight from Phoenix Deer Valley Airport
(DVT)
to Grand Canyon West Airport
(1G4)
spends its first two-thirds over relatively-lifeless terrain.
The last third, from Peach Springs to 1G4,
is over the western end of the Grand Canyon,
quite a view in anyone's book.
The Skywalk is
visible
from the air,
but I had to look for it.
It isn't the obtrusive, offensive eyesore
its
critics
seem to think.
First of all, Grand Canyon West
is on the edge of the inner canyon
so the viewer misses the grandeur of the
entire canyon.
There is an intimacy here at Grand Canyon West
that complements the vaster views
of the
South Kaibab Trail
and the
Bright Angel Trail.
Second,
I didn't find any hiking opportunities
at Grand Canyon West.
Part of the joy of the Canyon is
hiking
its trails.
Hiking is a wonderful way to experience the vastness of
the Grand Canyon.
So go to the Skywalk and enjoy it.
I think you'll enjoy the view, the technology, and your hosts.
But also make a point of seeing other parts of
the Grand Canyon.
There's so much canyon to enjoy,
you may as well see as much of it as you can.
The Flight from Phoenix
I've been warned that the drive to Grand Canyon West
is long and tedious
with 15 miles (25 Km) on a rutted dirt road.
This is a good reason to get there in an airplane.
Another good reason is that I have an airplane
and like to fly it.
Our trip home was bumpy with
lots of updrafts and downdrafts all the way home.
(Maybe this was the aviation equivalent
of the bumpy dirt road we avoided by flying.)
While this was bouncier than is usual for Arizona,
the Grand Canyon is often a windy place
which means the air is often turbulent.
Seeing the Grand Canyon
The Skywalk at Grand Canyon West
is a great place to visit and a terrific way to see
the Grand Canyon.
However, I would not recommend having it be
the only way you see
the Grand Canyon.
I've been lucky enough to get to
Tuweep
(also called Toroweap)
on the north rim.
The airport there is now closed (as of 2007 May)
and there is hope it will reopen soon
and I can go back to this stupendous inner-canyon overlook.
Today is 2019 March 26, Tuesday,
5:57:54 Mountain Standard Time
(MST).
One visit to this web page.
