George Miller, an environmental photojournalist, has been writing nature and travel-oriented books and articles for more than two decades. He regularly contributes travel articles and photography to magazines and newspapers across the nation. He's written ten books, an iBook, six apps, and traveled to six continents and extensively throughout the western U.S. See his wildflower articles, photography and books on WildflowersTX.
Growing up as a thriving commercial district around the south entrance to Grand Canyon National Park, Tusayan was only incorporated in 2010. Just one mile for the park entrance, it provides food and lodging when the park is full, which often occurs. Tusayan also boasts a small-plane airport with over-the-canyon flightseeing, hotels and restaurants, a commercial RV park and USFS...
Williams is Grand Canyon’s western gateway. Named for the famous scout and mountain man, Old Bill Williams, this town came into existence in 1881, boomed with saloons and brothels during the railroad days, and later thrived as a stopover on Route 66, then almost died in 1984 when I-40 bypassed it. Now with old Route 66 attractions revived and prospering...
Grand Canyon‘s North Rim, the less-visited side of the canyon, offers adventure without the crowds. More than 4-million people a year visit the Grand Canyon. But only 10 percent make the 215-mile, 4.5-hour drive from the South Rim. This makes the North Rim one of the least-visited national parks in the scenic West. With one lodge, one campground, and dozens...
If the Grand Canyon from above the rim stirs the imagination, the experience below the rim is mind-blowing and will certainly challenge your endurance. Whether a high-anaerobic hike down and out in one day, or an extended backpack rim-to-rim or on one of the inner-canyon trails, staring up several thousand feet at your final destination is an experience of a...
Discover Grand Canyon’s South Rim Spectacle in a day. This will be a day return and can be added to the One-Day Highlights itinerary if you have two days to spend. After seeing the viewpoints and attractions from the Village west to Hermits Rest, it’s time to venture east. The 26-mile Desert View Drive (Hwy 64) to at the eastern...
Besides the nearest city to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff stands as its own vibrant destination with all-season recreation and nature activities, lively dining and shopping scenes, a revitalized historic downtown, a world-famous observatory, and three nearby national monuments. Since it was founded in 1876, and named after the ponderosa pine flagpole erected to celebrate the nation’s centennial, Flagstaff has been...
Flagstaff day trips offer a diversity of experiences. Local residents had a surprise 1,000 years ago. A volcano erupted in their back yard. Drive and hike through Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument with multicolored cinder cones, ice caves, and lava tubes. The loop drive continues through the pueblo ruins of Wupatki National Monument. Look at the multistory, stone-crafted ruins and...
Whether strolling the rim trail with ice cream cone in hand or backpacking to the river, the most rigorous feat many hikers have ever attempted, the majesty of the Grand Canyon National Park is more than the human mind can absorb in a day, week, or lifetime. A World Heritage Park, Wonder of the World, most visited national park, and...
Hiking – feet on the ground travel is the most authentic way to experience a destination. Every step is an experience.
I was taking a shortcut and stepped into a neighborhood Orthodox church in Hungary just as the choir began a chant. It stopped me in my tracks.
Everybody has a story if you stop long enough to listen.
Have you ever encounter the timeshare salesmen in Cabo San Lucus? I hope not.