Rim, West / East, Grand Canyon

4 more images

Hualapai Ranch simulates the old west with some activities like a tom a hawk throwing, bow and arrow shooting, horse back riding (extra charge), wagon ride (extra charge), and food.

Honestly, it was a pretty poor example of an old western town...

4 more images

Sounds good, doesn't it? Guano Point was named after old guano (bat droppings, which are extremely rich in minerals and make a great fertilizer) mine that operated in the 1950's. The ruins of the mine and pulley system still remain, you can walk right up and touch them.

Be prepared to spend some time at Guano point. It's a view you made a trip for. Eagle Point is just a beginning and The Ranch is more about entertaining...

4 more images

Probably the latest attraction at the West Rim of the Grand Canyon is the glass bridge called the Skywalk.

We didn't do the Skywalk and we were kind of happy we didn't.
It don't think we were missing much.
We had only 4 hrs in Grand Canyon but we were aware that waits in line of about 30 minutes are common and did not want take a chance.

The clear glass on the floor looks cool but they do not allow you to bring a camera or any personal effects on the Skywalk. You'll have to store your belongings in the lockers.

You have to pay extra for the photo on Skywalk (about $30).

Note: If children are old enough to walk on their own, they are permitted to walk on the Skywalk.

4 more images

Eagle Point named for the landscape's resemblance to an eagle. It is one several spectacular view points of West Rim and the home of the world famous Skywalk bridge.

Representatives from the Navajo, Havasupai, and Hopi haul in materials from their reservations and build their tribe's traditional dwellings in the very interesting "Indian Village" for all of us to explore.

1 more image

Enjoy demonstration of traditional Hualapai ceremonial Dance at Eagle Point.

Dancers from the Navajo, Havasupai, and Hopi tribes perform daily for the visitors.

Video 1

Video 2

3 more images

Whilst having a walk around at Eagle Point, the Hualapai's have built examples of the type of houses they used to live in.
There are examples of houses made from brick, material, wood, mud and large shrubs. You can walk in and around them; see how big they are; imagine yourself in that living space. It makes you realise what you take for granted.

3 more images

I experienced this in 2007. From my last trip the the Grand Canyon in 2011, some of the Hualapai Indian Tribe have had an amphitheatre built for this demonstration.
It's a little insight into the culture and traditions of the Hualapai tribe. You are given a small explaination as to why the dance is preformed and the clothes worn.
Music is played on drums and somebody sings/chants while others dance.
It's interesting to watch.

This is a free display to watch.

3 more images

The Grand Canyon is a long affair and as such it offers different experiences. Most importantly it is divided between the National Park Service and several Indian tribes who have been living around it for eternity. One of them, the Hualapai offers a unique access to the bottom of the canyon by allowing helicopter flights to land by the river bed. While there is helicopter service in the so-called South Rim, it only consists of overflying the canyon or in the case of the neighbouring Indian tribe where access to the river is allowed it is prohibitively expensive. The best option is to choose “Papillion” helicopters as a company with the most “sorties” as opposed to the firm “Maverick”, who have one a day. The experience is thrilling and worth every cent of the 152USD that it costs. The helicopters can take up to six people plus the pilot and the seating is carefully chosen based on the individual weight of the passengers. If lucky, you can get to sit beside the pilot with a panoramic view horizontally and vertically! If terribly unlucky, you get to sit on the side lit by the Sun and have the majority of your pictures overexposed by the reflections of the windows. Some sources suggest not wearing bright coloured clothes but really this is not going to help much.

2 more images

There is no better way to really soak in the view and get a real perspective of this natural masterpiece but to see it from above. One can appreciate the vastness of this place, the hues of browns and reds that shines from it's cliffs, the river that carved this visually awesome piece of nature, the blue lakes in contrast with the dry arid desert that they are in! Time wise I recommend flying over the Grand Canyon and opt for one that lands and allows you to touch and experience the canyon in a personal kind of way. Our pilot was great apart from being the tall not so dark and handsome pilot that he was! There was enough time to walk around (although in the name of safety they do advise you not to wander too far from their sight), enjoy a healthy snack and a drink. The one we did was the Wind Dancer Air and Landing Tour by Maverick. We did
scrap the flight over the Strip part that was why we did not pay the full online price.

I would recommend best to book directly from their website: http://www.maverickhelicopter.com/tour-wind-dancer.aspx

3 more images

At their amphitheater, the Hualapai people offer a show where they show some of their traditional dances, wearing their traditional clothes and singing their music. They have several shows during the day and they're very entertaining to see, especially the dances that have quick foot work. At the end of the show, they ask for a donation (the amount is up to you) or you can buy their CD, and you can take your picture with them too.

You can see a video of one of the dances here.