GRAND CANYON WEST
If you live in Los Angeles (or even if you are visiting Las Vegas), the quickest way to visit the Grand Canyon would be via Grand Canyon West. If you want to have a taste of what the Grand Canyon can offer, the western side of the canyon is a great launch pad location. I still have not been to the north eastern side of Grand Canyon, so I cannot speak for the beauty it holds; however, I would say that the southern point of Grand Canyon is my favorite location, especially for overall convenience and proximity. And if you combine it with Las Vegas, it can be a great two-for-one trip being only an hour and half drive. Personally, I would rather stay at a casino resort in Las Vegas and make a day trip out of visiting the Grand Canyon, which is exactly what we did.
Getting to Grand Canyon West was really easy and took less time getting there than I had thought. I would recommend buying tickets in advance because there was a long line of patrons waiting to buy tickets upon arrival. If you buy your tickets in advance, sometimes packages include additional specials. For example, at the time when I bought my tickets online, they were offering ticket packages that included admission, Skywalk entrance fee, and a meal (this was the Gold Package). But now, it seems that you can buy each of these items a la carte. Clearly you will need to buy the admission fee to get into the park, but I would skip out on buying the meal unless you plan on visiting the park during meal times. The meal ticket allows you a set meal at any of the restaurants located at each of the attractions inside the park. We ate at the restaurant located inside the Hualapai Ranch (which is the last stop), and did not enjoy the meal at all. We were hungry and already had paid for the meal, so it was sustenance. In regards to the Skywalk, although I only spent a short time on the Skywalk, I still thought it was worth the walk along the glass floor walk. Though if you are scared of heights, this might not be the attraction for you.
Now, after you have your tickets, head over to the buses where they will drive you over to the attractions. There is a total of three bus stops throughout the entire park and they only travel in one direction. In other words, if you wanted to backtrack, you would have to take a full round trip bus ride to get to your previous stop. The first stop on the route is Eagle Point, home of the famous Skywalk. If you have not heard of the Skywalk, it is a 10 foot wide, horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that extends 70 feet out over the rim of the Grand Canyon. It is not for the faint of heart. I saw very little people actually walk alongside the middle of the bridge, as most of them were congregating towards the sides of the bridge that provide handrails for one to grip on. They do not allow anyone to take pictures while one is on the Skywalk, so I could not take photos or videos of the experience. However, I did not spend too much time on the glass bridge, mostly because I was terrified and wanted to be on solid ground as soon as possible. Even if you end up not partaking in the Skywalk, you can equally enjoy the views of Grand Canyon at this stop. There is a small stretch of land right by the building where people can just soak in the views without the fear factor. Just be careful of how close you get to the edge since there are no guard railings. There are a few attendants at this location that make sure no one gets too close to the edge since deaths have occurred at this location. In other words, be sure to watch where you are going. Although the views are amazing, do not use up all your camera’s memory space because I think the second stop has better views. And if you like hamburgers and wings for lunch, I suggest you redeeming your meal voucher at the Eagle Point. The sit down restaurant, Sky View Restaurant, has great views of Grand Canyon as its backdrop and is probably the “fanciest” restaurant on property.
The second stop, Guano Point, is an old mining site that used cable cars to remove resources from the bottom of Grand Canyon. Now, it has become a great (almost) 360 degree viewing point of the majestic canyons. Again, be careful when exploring this site because there are not guardrails to prevent you from falling off the cliffs. So, do not walk too close to the ledge. I think you can get the best views here at this stop because of the wide views you have access to on top of the little hill. It is not a steep climb, but there are not any true clear paths up to the small hilltop. Be careful climbing up and down the hill. But, this would be the spot to take all those Instagram worthy shots on your camera, with unobstructed views of the canyon behind you. If you want a quick and convenience meal, like a sandwich and chips, you will want to eat at Guano Point Cafe. It has outdoor seating and is a no frills cafe. Once you have had your fill, hop back onto the shuttle bus and make your way to the last stop, the Hualapai Ranch.
The Hualapai Ranch does not really have any historical or cultural significance at this park, but I think it is more of an attraction that was created to give visitors more to see and do while at the Grand Canyon. But it did try really hard to replicate a Midwestern cowboy town. It offers horse rides, mechanical bull rides, fake steer wrangling, and a paint gun shoot-off for an additional fee. You also get the obligatory souvenir shops at this location as well. Out of the 3 restaurants offered at each stop, we thought the Ranch Restaurant was our best option. Dixon wanted BBQ ribs, and the Hualapai Ranch was the only place that offered them. I would say that the Hualapai Ranch restaurant would be the middle ground of dining experience between Sky View and Guano Cafe. The restaurant is cafeteria style with only a few entree options available for patrons to choose from: chicken or ribs. The food was mediocre at best, and expensive for what you are getting compared to a Vegas restaurant that are better prepared. This is why I would suggest visiting during non-meal times to save you the money from buying subpar diner food. Other than the food, the Ranch was a great place to explore and entertain ourselves.
Although I think the southern end of the Grand Canyon has better views, it is undeniable that Grand Canyon West is the more convenient option for those living on the West Coast. If the objective is to get a glimpse of the Grand Canyon without the fuss, this is the place to head to. If you want to submerse yourself in Grand Canyon, I would suggest driving further east and visiting the southern end.
