Skywalk Grand Canyon

Kent and I left Las Vegas about 9am heading toward the Grand Canyon and the Skywalk. Conexpo, which we stayed on to see after attending the Antique Casino Auction doesn’t start until tomorrow so we had a free day with nothing much to do. We had talked with our friends about including this in our mini holiday, but we ran out of time and we were all tired of spending time in the truck.

Here is my account of the trip – as we drove, thanks to the cellphone, bluetooth technology and the new laptop Kent bought me!

We turned off Highway 93 onto a state road which will take us to the Skywalk. The desert is dotted with magnificent looking trees. They are extremely prickly but so pretty with their green spikes topped with a white flower. They are seriously in flower right now and amazing to see. I remember them from our last trip out to the desert but there were no flowers when I saw them. Every single one is topped by massive yellowy-white ball of petals. The mountains are in the distance, the trees are getting bigger and are starting to appear forest-like. Pierce Ferry road road is windy with little traffic. I think it will be a good day to see the Grand Canyon for the very first time!

The Skywalk is the invention of a local Las Vegas engineer. While visiting the Grand Canyon he came up with the idea, sold it to the Hualapi band, who agreed, applied for Government grants and put the plan into action. From pictures I’ve seen, it’s awesome, but scares me to death thinking of walking out on glass suspended 4000 feet above the canyon gorge. I am afraid of heights but I know I can make myself walk out onto the platform. I understand we pay a fee to drive on to the reservation, then another fee to walk on the platform.

Turning right onto Diamond Bar Road a dusty gravel road 21 miles long. I’m so glad there isn’t a lot of traffic as it’s a lousy feeling chewing the dust and grit churned up by the tour bus ahead. Joshua Trees – I found out at last that’s what these strange looking trees are called!

As we near the canyon the Joshua trees are much drier with dead branches, spent flowers, uprooted and brown. Funny, we have great radio reception but no internet access through the cell phone. Grader working, motorcycle, cows, trucks, dust, dust, dust like pea soup fog when we pass a truck. Sky is clouding over – high wispy cover. Now we’re seeing pine trees and scrubby trees. Grand Canyon West 8 miles.

Parking was $20.00 and admission/bus ride was $130.00 for the 2 of us. The views of the Grand Canyon and Colorado River were incredible of course – as I imagined. The Skywalk was terrifying at first. It’s a horseshoe shape glass bottom, glass sides hanging out over the 4000 foot canyon. After a few feet, I was fine with it and enjoyed scaring myself. Kent wasn’t comfortable at all, thinking more of the engineering aspect of course. I’d read about it online and felt safe.

There were tons of Japanese tourists who arrived on buses just ahead of us and they were funny, inching themselves around the platform, hanging on to the railing and not wanting to let go to walk around others who were standing at the railing. No cameras allowed – as the Hualapai Band does not allow cameras, cell phones, backpacks or purses on the platform. They do have free lockers which was one bright spot! I put my camera in my pocket anyway, just to break the rules because I could, but didn’t take it out.

After receiving a wrist band in trade for our tickets, we went through a metal detector then a person with a wand checked our pockets. Next was a guard with a scanner to check our wrist bands and then one more guard pointing the way. We were required to put thin booties on over our shoes to protect the glass walkway.

Two photographers were set up on the walkway offering photo ops. I stopped to talk to a man who was cleaning fingerprints from the glass shoulder height walls – a full time job! He said he’d seen a red tailed hawk the day before circling below the platform, soaring in the updrafts with the morning sun glinting off his spread tail feathers. Nice picture in my mind.

We got back on the bus to ride to Guano Rock where the Natives mined guano (bat poop) and a large structure which held the conveyor belt is still out on the rock. The absolute best view of the Colorado River was from the point.

By 2:30 pm we left the Skywalk, heading back to Las Vegas to meet old friends for dinner.

Don’t expect an inexpensive day visiting the Skywalk, but if you get a chance be sure to challenge yourself to see how you feel as you look down to the canyon floor! I found a fabulous silver and turquoise bracelet which had to come home with me – of course it was way too expensive – but hey, Kent went all out at the antique auction, so I don’t feel too bad The turquoise pieces are small petit points and there must be 30 or 40 of them in the wide band. It’s absolutely lovely and is a ‘pawn’ piece – no history with it though, unfortunately. I bought a couple of souvenir coffee mugs and lunch was $26.00 for the 2 of us. It was a yummy burrito on Indian frybread with lots of beef, cheese, beans, tomatoes, lettuce and salsa.

It was a great day – we had fun and saw the most amazing sights!