Getting here:
The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park can be accessed by Amtrak Rail Pass bus service (Amtrak's Thruway Service) from Flagstaff, AZ train station. This train station is served by regular scheduled trains from Los Angeles, CA from the west, or Raton, NM from the east. From Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Canyon Village, the bus journey takes 1 hour 45 minutes on Route 180. Buses depart at 0830 hrs and 1500 hrs. From Grand Canyon Village, the bus departs for Flagstaff at 1045 hrs and 1745 hrs.

Description:
The wintry weather of Arizona was surprisingly chilly. After all, my pre-departure notion of Arizona was one of a hot and sunny desert-like weather. Seeing the snow-clad peak of Arizona Snow Bowl near the Flagstaff town center had officially proved me wrong.

Finally I entered the national park proper. Everyone on the bus was requested to pay $10 for the park entrance fee at the Grand Canyon Village. The village is the main stopping point for tour coaches, RVs, SUVs and regular cars. It has all the trappings of a typical national park village - a Visitor Center, the Park Headquarters, general stores and eating outlets. Even during winter, the village was fairly crowded.

A short walk toward the gaping canyon itself brought me to the Mather Point lookout. Everyday, literally hundreds (or thousands) of visitors throng this lookout, which juts out from the south rim's edge. It overlooks the sectional views like Pipe Creek Canyon as well as the Inner Gorge of the mighty Colorado River. I did wonder how a small rocky outpost with barely anything supporting it, could withstand the weight of the crowds day in and day out. A crack or total breakage will easily send tens of people down to the ravine 7,000-feet below. Bewildered as I may, but this place is reputed to the 8th wonder of the world. The Grand Canyon is the work of nature at its best, hence I should not really question anything as if the canyon was man-made.

The is also a path that leads you down to Bright Angel Trail. While the trail itself is an overwhelming 8-mile walk that brings you face-to-face with the Colorado River, you don't have to do the whole thing. I went down the trail a few notches, I would say, for about 30 minutes walk with more of the same vista enjoyed at Mather Point lookout. I felt somewhat jaded with the view. The trail is rather narrow - estimated to be about 6 feet in width (OK, maybe not that narrow then). My major beef was the smell of mule's droppings along the trail. Apparently, Fred Harvey's mule ride service is a reputable attraction for one-of-its-kind Grand Canyon experience. Basically the mules will transport visitors down to Colorado River 4,400-ft below and then going back up. If the mules were not so much of a wildlife sighting, I got my reprieve when I saw a deer springing across me somewhere along the trail.

Close to Mather Point is Yavapai Point, which hosts the Yavapai Observation Station. The main part of the observation station is a museum encased, at some parts, with glass to provide a view of the suspension bridge down at Colorado River. I have to say that one could barely see the bridge, except with a telescope or zooming your camcorder. If tired of the view, the museum has the expected exhibits on the geological structure of the Grand Canyon, along with books, maps, video recordings and postcards on sale.