Grand Canyon is an amazing experience like no other

[Grand Canyon Tours]

An amazing experience, like no other. It's a must see, at least once in your life. It was surprising how little commercialism was there. Unlike, say, Niagara Falls, or a beach, there just aren't many commercial establishments (check your gas!). Also, there really aren't any major cities near the rim. If I did it again, I would probably stay in Flagstaff, which has many shops and restaurants (relative to other cities), and is about 1.5 hours from the Grand Canyon. For a place to stay, check out the Hotel Monte Vista in downtown Flagstaff, built in 1927. Flagstaff is kind of "new age-ish" town, I doubt a Republican has gotten a single vote from there in 40 years. There was a wonderful Thai restaurant, I forget the name. Flagstaff is a great place to relax and have a couple beers.

If you stay for awhile, you may want to plan some other excursions, as, beautiful as it is, you can't spend 14 hours a day for a week just ogling at the canyon. Check out Sedona, AZ, south of Flagstaff. The red rock canyon is simply amazing, though the city has become quite commercial. It's a 2 lane road in and out, which can become quite busy, especially on the weekends (cars can be queued for miles), so I recommend seeing it on a weekday, if you have the option. If you've come this far, you need to see Sedona, you'll want to retire there.

About 40 miles east of Flagstaff is Meteor Crater, which is one of the best preserved impact sights on the earth. Conveniently, the meteor impacted right off of a major interstate, Route 40. About 40 miles west of Flagstaff is the tiny town of Williams, AZ (on historic Route 66), where you can take a train to the Grand Canyon (www.thetrain.com). Ok, it's kind of hokey, there's a fake train robbery and everything, but if you make sure to reserve your seat in the bar car you might think it's real. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Williams (the Red Garter Inn) which was a restored bordello from the 1800's.

If you come through Phoenix, you may want to check out Jerome, AZ. A historic mining town, converted into quaint antique and gift shops. I slept in the car while my wife had a ball.

Paradise Found Tours maintains a website for The Grand Canyon at http://www.paradisefoundtours.com. The site provides information for Grand Canyon tours, special news, fees and other pertinent information.

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