We decided to do something truly spectacular whilst staying in Las Vegas with our 6 year old Kidsetter – take a helicopter over the Grand Canyon !
One of the world’s natural wonders I wanted to teach our Kidsetter about the iconic Grand Canyon. Easily accessible from Las Vegas, we caught a helicopter and flew over Hoover Dam on our way to awe-inspiring natural wonder. Our Kidsetter sat with me in the front of the helicopter and is normally full of inquisitive questions. He was a little distracted, our pilot was a Californian babe and he couldn’t believe she was flying OUR helicopter. Very cute !
Approaching the famous Canyon we welcomed sweeping views of ancient rocks. Carved by the copper-coloured Colorado River, the colourful rock layers record billions of years of history and hide many unique species. Extreme changes in elevation, exposure, and climate support a remarkable range of plant and animal communities unusually close together.
Wedescended to the bottom of the Grand Canyon landing 4,000 feet below the rim andboarded our awaiting pontoon boat to sail on the Colorado River. Looking up all the way from deep inside thecanyon is awe-inspiring. After returningfrom the river we re-boarded the helicopter for another thrilling ride ascendingto the rim of Grand Canyon West.
Situated within the Hualapai Tribal Reservation, this area is much more peaceful and less-crowded. Here the canyon boasts magnificent, naturally-carved rock formations like Eagle Point – a structure respected by the ancient Hualapai. “Hualapai” (pronounced Wal-lah-pie) means “People of the Tall Pines.” Our Kidsetter loved searching for various rock formations.
Next, we “Walked the Sky” – 4,000 feet above the Canyon floor we walked atop the world-famous Skywalk Bridge. This is a remarkable feat of engineering allowing us to walk out into the middle of the canyon suspended in the air. The bridge’s glass floor provided the best view of all: straight down to the canyon floor !
Once we had our feet firmly back on the ground, we strolled through the Native American Village at Eagle Point. This authentic village included traditionally built housing, ovens, and sweat lodges. Our Kidsetter had fun imagining himself as part of the Hualapai tribe.
The Grand Canyon was a wonderful destination to share with our Kidsetter. He thrived on learning about the history, geology and interesting facts and has begun his journey forever marvelling this natural wonder of the world.
