PDA

View Full Version : Content of an e-,mail a friend sent me



Cliff Rohrabacher
05-27-2007, 6:16 PM
A friend sent this to me I am most certain he was not the first or second or third or thousandth person to get in as it's making it's way around the web.

This appears to be someone’s impression of the SKYWALK over the Grand Canyon. Clearly he was less than impressed.

What I can not tell you is whether this is all made up garbage circulating around on the web or if this is the real McCoy. I simply do not know.


My son wanted to see the new "thing" at the Grand Canyon, so we went last weekend. It is advertised as $25.00 to go out on the skywalk and the pictures show a beautiful building next to the walkway. Well, they are not quite "HONEST". It is $25.00 to go on the skywalk, but it is $50.00 to be on the reservation.
You find this out after what they say is a 1 hour trip down a 57 mile dirt road. Wrong! This dirt road is 57 miles alright! The fastest you can go is 25 mph. You do the math! So, after this long drive you get the good news, it is $75.00 a person!
Chris said maybe we should forget it. I said after that road, we are not coming back, so get out the credit card out. Then you get on their bus for a 10 min ride to the "walkway"; built in one of the ugliest places on the whole Grand Canyon; not a tree to be seen and the water is gray below! Their building is not started, so you have a trailer to go into to go through a metal detector and leave your camera and purse in the trailer.
The walkway glass was cracked which lead me to believe they may have a few engineering glitches and I got my butt off the thing right away after seeing that! Believe me it is not as big or long as it looks on TV. They do give you a buffet lunch, with your ticket, at Guano (poop) Point. The Indians used to go over the cliff here to pick up bird dropping to use for makeup (war paint)!
You get to sit in one of the windiest places on earth to eat your chicken or ribs covered with blowing dirt. We passed on the lunch. Buses leave every 10-15 min with 52 people on board at $75.00 per person, $3,900.00 per bus from 8:00 am until 6:30 pm. That's $156,000.00 per day! I guess they are making a lot of money. They are flying people in from Vegas and Laughlin to go see this thing! I guess the Indians are smart, but not so honest about all the details of the activity.
We had to stop and change a tire for a young girl who took her grandparents out there. They had the right kind of car and good tires; but the road is terrible, they blew out the side wall of the tire. They must have hit the side of the road and a big rock. They did not know where the spare tire was and were completely helpless. The tow truck would have come out there, but it would have been 2.5 hours and $400.00! The girl was very scared and grateful we stopped to help.
Some guys stopped to ask if this was the right way to the Skywalk. Someone yelled out go back it is not worth it! One last detail, the hotel the Indians run to accommodate this adventure looks great online, but the sign at check-in says, "SINCE THE TRAINS COME BY EVERY 10-15 MINS, PLEASE ASK FOR THE FREE EAR PLUGS".
We immediately canceled our reservations and made it to Kingman, AZ for the night. We got up at 6am and got the heck out of Arizona!
P.S. No cameras allowed out on the Walkway glass

skip coyne
05-27-2007, 6:36 PM
well in this version

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.travel/msg/5b62c66e32cbdf95?as_umsgid=2DD4i.12297$Ut6.5191@ne wsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net

"my son " is "Chris "

in this version its "we"
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=23083227


.

looks like typical spam by those who want to see the venture fail or at least discourage visitors

as to authorship I think one would need to look at who is losing business to the skywalk

Lee DeRaud
05-27-2007, 8:14 PM
The idea that they would not allow cameras on the Skywalk triggers my BS detector.

Art Mulder
05-27-2007, 9:30 PM
The idea that they would not allow cameras on the Skywalk triggers my BS detector.

Mine as well, Lee, but after googling and digging I find it right there on the skywalk website (http://www.destinationgrandcanyon.com/tours.html) (follow the link to see for yourself, if you doubt me) :


There are no personal items allowed,including cameras on the Skywalk, you will be asked to store them in lockers. You can take photos of the Skywalk from the side and a photo can be taken of you on the bridge and available for purchase if you choose however, personal belongings,including cameras on the bridge are not allowed to protect from dropping items and scratching the glass.

On the other hand, the $50 price to enter the reservation is clearly marked on this web page, and it also states that the dirt road is 14 miles long (long enough!) not the 57 claimed in that email.
I also read somewhere on their website that they make you put protective coverings over your shoes, so they appear dead serious about keeping that glass as pristine as possible.

Pat Germain
05-27-2007, 9:48 PM
I saw a story on CNN about this when it opened several weeks ago. The CNN story reported it is indeed $75 per person by the time you pay all the fees.

I get the impression the author of that email took a few factual disappointments and then embellished a lot. However, when I first saw the story on CNN, I was thinking a lot of people are going to be disappointed by the price when they get out there.

The fact cameras are prohibited pretty much eliminates the primary reason for venturing out there. I know this must anger a lot of visitors.

Lee DeRaud
05-28-2007, 1:03 AM
The fact cameras are prohibited pretty much eliminates the primary reason for venturing out there.For something defined as "tourism", it certainly qualifies as short-sighted.

Curt Fuller
05-28-2007, 11:11 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_Skywalk

Lee DeRaud
05-28-2007, 11:26 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_SkywalkAh. The bit about selling photos (taken by tribe members) for $15(!) at least provides a motivation for the 'no-camera' policy.

Cliff Rohrabacher
05-28-2007, 1:11 PM
I have some friends who have chased grifters and deadbeats across sovereign boundaries onto Indian land trying to get US contractors lenders and service providers paid. Invariably the indian tribal counsels tend to shelter these people. It makes for some really strained relationships. However, on the flip side they are sovereigns and I have one friend who has troubled herself to get licensed as an attorney on a reservation and they don't give her any grief. Maybe they just want lawyers to respect their sovereignty.
But, Indians have a way of going about things, that I suspect, is more indicative of the cultural differences between us than anything else.