The National Park Service has estimated that nearly 30% of Grand Canyon National Park's 4.5 million annual visitors reside overseas. This seems most appropriate given Grand Canyon's status as a World Heritage Site as declared by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Less is known about the specific nationalities of these foreign visitors. Brits, Germans and Japanese are some of the most frequent countries of origin, though numbers largely depend on the relative strength of worldwide economies. For example, during the Asian financial crisis in the late 90s, far fewer Pacific Rim visitors were able to make the expensive journey.
Lately I have noticed a large increase in tourists hailing from China and the Indian subcontinent. This should come as no surprise given the emerging muscle in their respective economies. A growing middle class typically results in more citizens with the means, and desire, to travel. What I find most interesting is that, regardless of one's point of origin or cultural background, the Grand Canyon has a common mesmerizing impact on all. For this writer, the world feels a bit smaller as a result, and it brings me hope that we can find peaceful means to bridge our differences.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Friday, February 03, 2006
Romance on the Rim
Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and love is in the air. My favorite Grand Canyon lovebird story happened last year as I was leading a family from Philadelphia to remote Shoshone Point as a Grand Canyon Field Institute instructor.
On the dusty road through the forest, just short ofthe South Rim, we encountered a flustered bride and groom on Harleys with a preacher and photographer close behind in their SUV. The couple from Wisconsin were on the rim and just about to exchange vows when the preacher remembered that they needed one more witness (besides the photographer) to make it legal.
Their choice was to drive miles back to Grand Canyon Village and recruit one, or convince us to suspend our hike and conduct the ceremony right there onthe road. My clients were game, so the ceremony began in earnest before the dust from the bikes even settled. Seconds into the preacher's words I noticed that the mother and daughter of the family in my charge were watery-eyed. "Is it the dust?" I whispered. "No," said the sobbing mother. "We always cry at weddings."
Everyone had a good laugh. The newlyweds were delighted by the serendipity, and I have heard since that they all keep in touch.
L' Amore!
On the dusty road through the forest, just short ofthe South Rim, we encountered a flustered bride and groom on Harleys with a preacher and photographer close behind in their SUV. The couple from Wisconsin were on the rim and just about to exchange vows when the preacher remembered that they needed one more witness (besides the photographer) to make it legal.
Their choice was to drive miles back to Grand Canyon Village and recruit one, or convince us to suspend our hike and conduct the ceremony right there onthe road. My clients were game, so the ceremony began in earnest before the dust from the bikes even settled. Seconds into the preacher's words I noticed that the mother and daughter of the family in my charge were watery-eyed. "Is it the dust?" I whispered. "No," said the sobbing mother. "We always cry at weddings."
Everyone had a good laugh. The newlyweds were delighted by the serendipity, and I have heard since that they all keep in touch.
L' Amore!
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