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Since the 1960s, touring across America and looking for adventure has become synonymous with driving down Route 66. Immortalized in film, songs and books, the highway from Los Angeles to Chicago may have changed since the original route that John Steinbeck called the “Mother Road”, but it is still easy to take a detour down the most famous highway in American history.
Many travellers like to be fully immersed in the experience by camping by the roadside or by staying in the various motels which emerged out of the rapid post war growth in road travel which the route helped to develop. Others prefer to take the more comfortable approach by staying in modern accommodation, ranging from Hotels in Chicago to Hotels in LA. Whatever style of journey the traveller chooses however, it is easy to see why this iconic highway has remained a powerful emblem for the American Dream.
From its original inception, the road planners intended US 66 to connect the main streets of rural and urban communities along its 2,448 mile course, and to make it one of the nation’s principal East-West arteries. In doing so, these planners helped shape the perception of a nation.
By getting an up-to-date map, and then taking the off ramp from I-40 and following the brown Historic Route 66 road signs, today’s travellers find that most of the towns along the highway still hold vestiges of a day gone by, mixing in with the modern. The ‘Main Street of America’ has seen many changes and been largely superseded by more modern high speed interstate highways, however about 85% of the original route still remains and, along with it, much of the spirit of American hope and optimism which pervaded the country after economic catastrophe and global war; after, even, all these years.
Starting in Chicago, Route 66 passes through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, before skirting the Pacific Ocean and finally ending near Los Angeles. Taking in attractions like Springfield - the town where Abraham Lincoln was born - and the ancient remains of the Cahokia Mounds (a prehistoric native city dating from 700-1400AD), the Grand Canyon, Boulder Dam, Las Vegas, Barstow and the Mojave Desert, the route is steeped in history and littered with trading posts. The best way to see the old mother road is to rent a Harley Davidson, Corvette or 1960s open-top Cadillac and cruise near Las Vegas or explore Arizona or California where the longest sections of the route still exist.
While the number of travellers along the historic road has gradually lessened over time, and many of the old towns and businesses have deteriorated or disappeared since the road’s decommissioning, others have been carefully restored. This has given way to a microcosm of bygone roadside Americana that has became suspended in time. The roadside treasures, vivid history, and natural beauty lining the route mark out a disappearing vision of America which can increasingly only be seen on film.
By Michael Hanna
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No offense, but if you’ve got a question you’re just dying to ask about Grand Canyon National Park, chances are pretty good that it’s been asked by hundreds, probably thousands of people before you. Karlyn Bunting, president of Grand Canyon.com, should know - he and his staff have spent two decades answering them.
So here, in no particular order, are five of the 20 Most Frequently Asked Questions About the Grand Canyon:
1. Where is the Grand Canyon? Northern Arizona.
2. How do you get there?
If you fly: There are four international airports located within 5 to 8 hours drive of Grand Canyon. In order of proximity to the South Rim, they are: Phoenix, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Salt Lake City, Utah
There are also three small municipal airports located closer to the park: Flagstaff, Arizona (connecting flights through Phoenix); Page, Arizona (connecting flights through Phoenix or Denver); St. George, Utah (connecting flights through Salt Lake City)
If you drive: Phoenix, Arizona is 230 miles South, approximately 4.5 hours from the South Rim. Las Vegas is 280 miles West, approximately 5 hours from the South Rim. Los Angeles is 500 miles West, approximately 9 hours from the South Rim. Albuquerque is 400 miles East, approximately 7 hours from the South Rim. Page/Lake Powell is 150 miles Northeast, approximately 2.5 hours from the South OR North Rim. Flagstaff is 85 miles South, approximately 1.5 hours from the South Rim, and Williams is 60 miles South, approximately 1 hour from the South Rim.
3. Can you get to the Grand Canyon without doing all that driving?
By train: AMTRAK offers service to Williams, Arizona, where you can then connect with the Grand Canyon Railway to Grand Canyon South Rim.
By bus: day tours to the South Rim are offered from Phoenix, Las Vegas, Flagstaff and Sedona. Overnight bus tours offered from Phoenix, Los Angeles. By plane: scheduled air service is offered to the South Rim from Las Vegas. Charter service is available from other cities.
Once you get to the park, you’d have to get around using shuttles or taxis.
There is no train, bus or airline service to the North Rim.
4. South Rim? North Rim? West Rim? What’s the difference?
Grand Canyon South Rim: the “quintessential Grand Canyon,” open all year, the South Rim is the most visited side of the canyon. Average altitude 6,500′-7,000′
Grand Canyon North Rim: the “connoisseur’s Grand Canyon,” open from mid-May to mid-October only; cooler, more scenic, less crowded, supports more plant and animal life. Average altitude 7,000′-8,000′
Grand Canyon West: the “alternative Grand Canyon;” open all year; located East of Las Vegas on Hualapai Indian Tribal Lands, the future site of the Grand Canyon Skywalk, average altitude 4,500′
5. What’s the best time to come to Grand Canyon? Karlyn’s employees, who all reside in the Grand Canyon area, are partial to late April and early May, but their absolute favorite season is late September to early October, when temperatures are cooling and crowds are thinning. Autumn foliage at the North Rim is an incredible sight to behold.
Didn’t find the answer to YOUR Grand Canyon question? Stay tuned for Parts II, III, and IV of “Grand Canyon.com’s Top 20 Grand Canyon FAQ’s!”
In Part I above of “The Top 20 Grand Canyon FAQ’s,” we answered the most frequently asked questions about how to get to the Grand Canyon, and which side you might want to visit from. In Part II, we’ll answer questions about where to stay, how much it costs to get in, where you can and cannot drive to, and, we’ll answer what is perhaps the Grand Canyon’s #1 FAQ.
6. Where do you stay?
At the South Rim there are 6 hotels inside the park, which are typically booked 6 months to a year in advance, managed by the park concessionaire, Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
There are also 5 hotels outside park’s South boundary in the town of Tusayan, Arizona: the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn, the Quality Inn Canyon Plaza, the Rodeway Inn Red Feather Lodge and the the Grand Hotel.
South Rim Gateway communities (in order of proximity): Williams, Arizona; Cameron, Arizona; Flagstaff, Arizona; Page/Lake Powell, Arizona.
At the North Rim there are cabins inside park, which are also booked 6 months to a year in advance. These are also operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts. The Kaibab Lodge is located 30 miles North of the park’s Northern boundary. The Jacob Lake Inn is located 60 miles from park’s North boundary.
North Rim Gateway communities (in order of proximity): Kanab, Utah; Page/Lake Powell, Arizona; St. George, Utah.
At the West Rim, the Hualapai Lodge, Grand Canyon Caverns Inn and the Frontier Motel & Cafe are all located near Peach Springs, Arizona on Route 66.
West Rim Gateway communities (in order of proximity): Kingman, Arizona; Seligman, Arizona; Williams, Arizona; Las Vegas,Nevada and Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona.
7. Can you camp at the Grand Canyon? Yes, but advance reservations are also recommended for Grand Canyon campgrounds.
8. Can you drive your car in the park? Yes, but get there early to beat the mid-day crowds, OR pre-pay your Grand Canyon park entrance fee so you can go through the Express Lane (South Rim). Once inside the park, park your vehicle and use the free shuttles to get around the village or the Hermit’s Rest (West Rim) drive.
9. Do you have to pay to get into the Grand Canyon? Yes, Grand Canyon National Park is a Federal Fee area. Entrance fee is $25 per vehicle, which is good for one week’s time. You can also use a National Park Pass, Golden Eagle Pass, Golden Age Pass (for age 62+) or Golden Access Pass (for the disabled).
10. How do you get on a mule ride? If you’re visiting within 6 months, you’re not likely to get on. Grand Canyon mule rides are typically booked 9 months to a year in advance. Still interested? Contact Xanterra. Still, Karlyn advises would be “dudes” to call his office first and “let my people tell you what you need to know BEFORE you make that call.”
Did you guess which FAQ is #1? Here’s a hint: we saved the best for last. And if you still haven’t gotten the answer to YOUR question, be watching for Parts III and IV of “The Top 20 Grand Canyon FAQ’s.”
About the Author
Alley Keosheyan has been answering these and scores of other Grand Canyon questions since 1987 and firmly believes that the only stupid question is the one that’s never asked. If you’d like to ask her or her co-workers a question (and they’ve heard some doozies), call (866) 944-7263 or visit http://www.GrandCanyon.com.
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Being prepared for a trip gives you a better chance to enjoy your upcoming trip even before you head out the door. In most countries there are tourist information services that can provide you with guide books, as well as a great variety of planners, booklets, brochures, maps, and everything necessary to make your trip a unique experience to have as much fun as possible during your stay in what ever destination you chose.
In fact, not only through official and service channels can you get guide books, maps and other material to plan your trip but also through books stores where there are a wide range of resources and advice for anyone, whether you are traveling on luxurious budget or on a slim budget. One of these notorious resources which has attained fame for its commercial success is Route 66, Traveler’s Guide and Roadside Companion by Tom Snyder.
“It’s tempting to think of old Route 66, stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, as a happy accident”, introduces Bobby Troup to which is considered the first modern guide to driving Route 66, a USA Highway became the most famous road in the American highway system and possibly the most storied highway in the world, that originally ran from Chicago, Illinois through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California before ending at the beach at Santa Monica for a total distance of 2,448 miles (3,940 km).
This Traveler’s Guide depicts the importance and use of Guide Books, being such a long way to follow up, it would be hard to make the whole route 66 without maps and other useful readable tools to complete the trip satisfactorily. Tom Snyder not only compiled the main points and attractions alongside the road from its starting point to its opposite end, but he has thoughtfully separated the driving directions.
Guide Books like these include his trove of route 66 related anecdotes named as “Roadside Companion” to make the guide even more useful. Additionally to this fact, one of the book’s most distinctive features are several reproductions of period maps from the Automobile Club of Southern California, but over which the route of the modern Interstate was superimposed, giving to the reader at a glance a perspective of the road ahead before start the trip itself.
If your are wondering how guide books may serve you, have a look at Route 66, Traveler’s Guide and Roadside Companion to find the answer, though a book that is fun to read and totally helpful for planning a Route 66 drive, to use as an example to learn how to plan for many other travels to any other location worldwide.
About the Author
Eric Odom is owner of http://www.backpackearth.com
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