Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world. It's located in Northern Arizona and about 100 miles east of Las Vegas. But driving there requires a 6-hour - 300-mile drive to make it to the South Rim visitor's center - the best location for visiting the park. The North Rim is not as accessible and is preferable to backpackers and hikers wanting to avoid the crowds. If you are short on time and have a little money, you can get a birds eye view using helicopter and airplane trips that depart from the Las Vegas area daily. If flying isn't your cup of tea, you'll have to take a bus tour or drive there yourself.

The Grand Canyon is a maze of canyons, fissures, and gorges that were worn into the rock over thousands of years. The Colorado River basin formed to carry away water from this region and soon began eroding through the sedimentary layers. Eventually the river cut this mile-deep channel - the Grand Canyon. The sedimentary layers are multicolored and change as the angle of the sun reflects on them at various times of the day. The canyon stretches about 200 miles long and 10 to 15 miles wide.

Most visitors only see the canyon from lookout points on the South Rim, but to really experience its natural beauty, some say you need to descend into it. Temperatures at the bottom of the canyon are typically 20 degrees warmer than at the rims. Be prepared to make reservations way in advance if you plan to hike down.

For more information you can go to the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/grca