Our Experience at the Grand Canyon
As a part of our honeymoon USA road trip, we visited the Grand Canyon while we stopped of in Las Vegas. It has always been something that I wanted to see, but I never actually thought that I would see it with my own eyes. We visited the Native American-owned side of the Grand Canyon, rather than the side owned by the US government.
It truly was an amazing experience. From watching the giant birds of prey, including Vultures, to experiencing the quietness of the place in general, it's something that you just can't experience anywhere else in the world. One of the things that stands out to me when I think back on our Grand Canyon experience is just how deadly silent it was.
Although there were some people, I remember it being quiet enough to hear a pin drop. It's almost as if the canyon itself was sucking all of the sound into it, like a black hole. You'd think that it would be echo-y, what with there being vast open spaces and great chasms everywhere you look, but it really did strike me about how silent it was. People would be talking right behind you but you wouldn't be able to hear them. It was very strange.
It was such an incredible place to visit and I'd go back there in a heartbeat. From the road that leads up to the Grand Canyon welcome centre and gift shop, to standing at the edge (although still very far from the edge) of the Canyon itself, it was one of the highlights of the honeymoon trip itself, hence why it's made it into its very own blog post.
When I say I stood at the edge, I really didn't get as close as you might think. But one of the biggest differences between the US government-owned side and the Native American side is that there aren't any barriers on the Native American-owned side, which makes the experience all the more authentic. What you see is what the Native American settlers have experienced for generations, which makes it all the more humbling.
As well as there being no barriers to protect you from certain death, the Native American side has the world-famous Skywalk. It's a man-built platform suspended from the gift shop with a floor that is made from glass alone. It allows you to walk out onto the platform and look beneath you at the giant chasms that are miles long and miles wide. It made my legs go funny.
I'm not usually one to be afraid of heights, but the longer I spent on the Skywalk, the more uneasy I was becoming. It got to the point where I was ready to get off after about ten minutes because it really was a surreal experience that you don't get the chance to do anywhere else on the planet. What fun to be suspended over the Grand Canyon, with nothing but a sheet of transparent glass between you and the dusty depths of the canyon floor.
If you're looking to visit the Grand Canyon, but want the most authentic experience possible while you're there, then visit Eagle Point, which is the Native American-owned side of the Grand Canyon. Not only are there no barriers, but you learn so much about their culture that you wouldn't have known before. Not to mention they have a wonderful covered area where food is sold. When we went, they were hosting a barbecue.
Also, while we were there, there were some Native American people making and selling jewellery and dream catchers that you could buy and bring home with you. As well as that, you can also see how their houses were built, and still are built to this day. From clay huts to traditional teepees, it really is an education in everything Native American. I will forever recommend this side over the other. Anyway, I'm done detailing our experience now, so I'll leave you with some photographs to round the blog post off nicely!
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post? Let me know in the comments below whether you've been to the Grand Canyon before or if you're planning a trip there soon and I will see you again very soon with a brand new blog post for you all!
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