Arizona, New Mexico & the Grand Canyon Trips (Lonely Planet, 1st Edition) - Aaron Anderson [97]
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ASK A LOCAL
“There’s a deepness and a depth to the Grand Canyon that doesn’t exist anywhere else, and so many colors and different textures of rock. And there’s the river, of course. I express what’s in front of me when it’s right in front of me, but I usually try to sit with the place I’m painting and really feel it, and see what catches my eye the most, and get all the colors in my head before I even start.”
Serena Supplee, Moab, UT
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Traveling deeper into the Navajo Reservation, head up Hwy 89, hang a right at Rte 160, and turn left at the big intersection with Main St. On the corner of Main and Moenave Rds is the funky, octagonal Tuba City Trading Post, which carries quality Navajo rugs, ranging from Klagetoh patterns to Santa Claus. Just behind the trading post on Main, tuck into a Navajo taco (essentially a taco wrapped in Navajo fry bread instead of a tortilla) at Hogan Restaurant before heading back out of town. Back at Rte 160 and Main, pore over beads at Mary’s Bead Store at the Tuuvi Travel Center complex, get a cold drink, and hit the road.
Wendy Yanagihara
Return to beginning of chapter
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TRIP INFORMATION
GETTING THERE
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon lies 92 miles northwest of Flagstaff and 240 miles north of Phoenix.
Do
Cameron View Information Plaza
The Books & More store carries a wide, canyon-centric selection of books, videos, artwork and gifts. 928-638-0199; Grand Canyon Village; 8am-8pm
Hopi House
Worth a look both for its architecture and its wares – a good place for high-quality Native American handicrafts. 928-638-2631; Grand Canyon Village; 8am-8pm May-Aug, 9am-5pm Sep-Apr
Kolb Studio
The Kolb brothers’ former home and studio now houses a small museum and bookstore. 928-638-2771; Grand Canyon Village; admission free; 8am-7pm;
Mary’s Bead Store
Beads, fetishes and jewelry, conveniently located in the Hopi-run Tuuvi Travel Center. 928-283-6300; Tuuvi Travel Center, Rte 160 & Hwy 264, Tuba City; 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat-Sun
Navajo Arts & Crafts Enterprise
Navajo cooperative selling jewelry, supplies, and some rugs and pottery. 928-679-2244; www.gonavajo.com; Hwy 89 & Rte 64, Cameron; 8am-7pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun
Tuba City Trading Post
Established in 1870 in this original building, it carries the usual tourist dreck but also fine handicrafts. 928-283-5441; Main St & Moenave Rd, Tuba City; 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Sat & Sun
EAT & DRINK
Canyon Village Marketplace
The deli serves pizza and other simple fare, and the grocery has all the muesli and buffalo jerky you desire. 928-631-2262; Market Plaza, Grand Canyon Village; mains $5-10; 7am-9pm;
El Tovar Lounge
The best place on the South Rim for an evening drink, especially if you can swing a seat outside. 928-638-2631; www.grandcanyonlodges.com; Grand Canyon Village; cocktails $5-7; 11am-10pm
Hogan Restaurant
Been wanting to try a Navajo taco? Here’s your chance. 928-283-5260; Main St & Moenave Rd, Tuba City; mains $8-21; 6am-10pm Mon-Fri, 7am-10pm Sat & Sun;
SLEEP
Bright Angel Lodge & Cabins
Lodge rooms with private toilets and shared showers have just enough character, though the cabins are the most coveted digs. 928-638-2631; www.grandcanyonlodges.com; Grand Canyon Village; r $79-90, cabins $111-159, ste $138-333;
Cameron Trading Post
Tour buses and indie tourists alike stop here to shop or to decompress in the famous garden. 928-679-2231; www.camerontradingpost.com; 466 Hwy 89, Cameron; 6am-10pm May-Aug, 7am-9pm Sep-Apr
Mather Campground
Big, social, with coin-operated laundry, showers and well-dispersed campsites underneath the ponderosa pines. 800-388-2733; www.recreation.gov; Grand Canyon Village; sites $18;
USEFUL WEBSITES
www.nps.gov/grca/supportyourpark/air.htm