By J. Joshua Placa
The destinations on the paved side of this planet that can be considered true meccas for motorists are few and too far between. Certainly one worth the pilgrimage is a place so vast and breathless it extends beyond any sense of human scope. If we ever wondered why we travel, arriving at the Grand Canyon offers an epiphany.
The park is such a vast wonder it’s difficult to grasp. For some, postcards offer the only comprehensible view of this otherworldly sight. But where’s the fun in that? The Grand Canyon should be experienced in three dimensions, and preferably in a sensual immersion of sight and sound, smell and touch (tasting is optional). For many, the Grand Canyon inspires a sixth sense, a sense of something spiritual.
Most visitors are content to stop at the dozen or so overlooks, peer over, take a few pictures and declare the place seen. Yet, there is so much more a singular perspective just won’t do. You have to see this place from every angle to gain a firm grip of its reality. The canyon can be hiked, rafted, seen by helicopter and tour plane, or ridden by horseback or mule. Even motorcycle tours are available for those who wish to experience the canyon with a certain kind of heightened awareness.
Admission to the national park’s South Rim costs $25 per private car, $12 per person by bike. The receipt will provide entry for seven days. At least two full days is needed to see the canyon just from scooting around its viewpoints, much less riding a mule, or hiking or flying into the great abyss.
HOW DO I START PLANNING A ROAD TRIP
TO THE GRAND CANYON?
Whether you are flying or driving to The Grand Canyon, Arizona, our journey planning tool can help you lay out your complete trip, provide maps and point-to-point driving directions to The Grand Canyon.
Click on HOME to begin planning your road trip to The Grand Canyon, including places to stay in and around The Grand Canyon, places to eat in The Grand Canyon, places to shop, places to go, things to do in The Grand Canyon and things that you might need along the way. Or check out the suggestions under Adopt-a-Trip™
To get started, you can put in your home address as your STARTING POINT for your trip to The Grand Canyon, Arizona, and you can go to the WHERE tab and enter the address, airport code or city or region where you want to go to. If you need ideas and don’t know where you want to go, start with letting us know WHO and WHY you are traveling and WHAT you like to do and HOW you want to get there. Unlike other travel planning sites, you don’t have to know WHEN you are traveling to The Grand Canyon, but you can just tell us the number of days you want to be away or what season you prefer to travel to The Grand Canyon.
RoadEscapes.com is a planning tool that can be used for trips around town in your home town, weekend jaunts to The Grand Canyon, Arizona, road trips and vacations to The Grand Canyon or Arizona. So if you need driving directions to The Grand Canyon or a map of The Grand Canyon, or want to know what restaurants, hotels or stores in The Grand Canyon are close to a particular point of interest, use our SEARCH NEARBY function as you add additional points of interest in and around The Grand Canyon to your Trip Plan.
Once you are done building your Trip Plan and adding ideas to your Trip Ideas page, you can plot your route to The Grand Canyon, Arizona by clicking on our PLOT ITINERARY button to get your turn by turn directions to The Grand Canyon and any other destinations in your trip. From there, you can add your hotel stay, search for things along your route to The Grand Canyon, save, print and email your trip plan.
Have fun and enjoy your trip to The Grand Canyon! |
