Derrik Chinn, travel planner extraordinaire and owner of Tijuana tour company, Turista Libre curated six Spring Break guides for Made to Last. He is our featured guest blogger and is giving tips and tricks for all of the hottest Spring Break destinations. This week we are featuring The Grand Canyon.
 |
| The Grand Canyon |
Ah, The Grand Canyon. One
of North America's most breathtaking geological wonders that's two billion years in the making, all at your
fingertips. Well, yours and about 50 million others. That's right, some five
million tourists flood the Grand Canyon every year. Let's get as far away from
as many of them as possible, ASAP. They'll hog all the fresh air.
Skywalk. On this walkway that
extends 70 feet off the canyon's edge, a mere 2.5 inches of glass is all that
separates your bootied feet (so as not to smudge the view) from the 4,000-foot
drop down to the Colorado River. Located on the West Rim, 24 miles west of
Grand Canyon Villiage, Skywalk opened in 2007 to give visitors access to views
of the canyon normally reserved for folks with enough funds to throw down on a
private helicopter tour. grandcanyonskywalk.com.
 |
| White Water Raft in the Grand Canyon |
White and wild. The
Grand Canyon ranks as the country's top white water rafting trip, says NatGeo,
with waves that can top 20 feet and hydraulics that flip boats like flapjacks.
It's not always a bumpy, the ride includes scenic stretches that pass Anasazi
ruins and cactus. The waiting list for a permit to captain your own vessel down
the Colorado is backed up for years, but plenty of tour outfits operate
regularly. Multi-day treks are the norm, usually at least three days. But
single-day options exist, too. Check raftarizona.com, westernriver.com and
grandcanyon.com.
Waterfall swim party. The
Havasupai, whose name means people of the blue-green water, are the only
continual residents of the Grand Canyon, going on 800 years. And they're
totally cool with you pitching a tent in their backyard. Just call ahead to
tell them you're coming (havasupaitribe.com). Otherwise they'll charge you
double. For real.
It's an eight-mile hike
from the parking lot at the canyon's southern rim during which you'll descend
3,000 feet to Supai, capital of the
Havasupai and the most remote village in the U.S. (the mail still arrives on a
muleback; the post office sells postcards so you can write home to say just
that). Then it's another two miles to the campground, all together making for a
4-6 hour hike in.
 |
| Havasupai Waterfalls |
The next few days consist
of a continual swim party in the turquoise pools at the base of Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls, all between a half and three miles from camp. Havasu is the closest
and most picturesque, falling 100 feet into a sweeping turquoise pool. The
tallest, Mooney, measures 190 feet.
Camping at the bottom of
the Havasupai isn't really for pamperati. You haul in all your food and water,
haul out all your trash and do your business in a hole.