h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Grand Canyon is the one place in this whole world that I long to visit. Have done since i was a young girl,
I want to stand at the bottom looking up but also want to be at the top looking down at the same time. Thank you for your contribution and your insight into the most wonderful romantic place on earth.
Ive felt the majesticness of the place for such a long time even though im here in England and I know that I will never get there to see it for real.

Hello there.

It really is a nice place to visit. It's probably one of the only tourist attractions in America that lives up to all the hype. Besides the Mall of America

I've spent the majority of my 30(mumblessomething) years in the USA and the Southwest, and I have to agree, of all things in this country you hear about in Europe and elsewhere, the Grand Canyon is probably the only one that lives up to ... nay, EXCEEDS, the hype. Oh wait, that's hype, isn't it?

Jodan on getting the Editor's pick!

- JD

Thanks JD. Probably the reason I wrote this is because of how nice it is

There arnt mant places in this world that I would call "UNSPOILT" by tourism, but The Grand Canyon has to be one of them, from all accounts its not been spoilt by people, instead only the elements have worked on the cliffs etc... One day ( I keep saying it even now) one day I might get there and see it for myself.

I recommend that you hail a passing Vogon and visit. Thing is, it's a different place at different times of the day, so think hard about how little time you intend to stay.

I was lucky enough to go there in March 1994. Getting toward the start of Spring, but still cold enough for the air to be crystal clear and a smattering of snow to remain on the ground around the South Rim.

We left early from Tuba City, a small town in the Navajo Nation, to the north east, made the drive and arrived at the rim just after sunrise. It was amazing to watch the shadows creep down the face of the North Rim and see the rocks changing colour as the morning developed. Just breathtaking.

It was a tragedy when, around 11am, from nowhere, the whole canyon filled up with fog and as it flowed over the rim a party of Japanese tourists disgorged from a coach and departed 10 minutes later to Grand Canyon airport, without having seen a thing. It was like it wasn't there.

By 1.30pm, it had burnt off. It was another place altogether towards sunset, as the colours changed again and the Colorado River, way below, glowed.

If you're spending a day and you're not keen on natural beauty, take a good book.

I made a day trip there many years ago while working in Phoenix for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately I could only go on a public holiday, so there was a lot of traffic, and it was snowy. Through no fault of my own I (and four other drivers) had a car crash, so I had to do a swap of the rental car at Flagstaff.

However it was still worth the trip, even for just a quick look over the edge. Although my limited skills with the camera captured some good photographs, they did not do it justice.

It is true, it is just a big hole in the ground, but despite the tourism it seems to have retained it's natural beauty.

I especially liked the sign "Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photographs."