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Grand Canyon travel tips from Ellen

Here are some travel tips for the Grand Canyon, AZ, for those who want to see the majestic glory of the United States from the rim of the widest canyon around.
The buses are the way to get around. The traffic can be frustrating and the buses are free and you won't have to wait more than 15 minutes for one to arrive. There are a lot of visitors from foreign countries, so the drivers are very good at answering questions and making announcements.

Take your time and watch your step. Most of the spills, etc. we saw were from people who were not paying attention. There are a lot of rocks to trip on; be careful.

Sunscreen and hats are called for. My baseball cap was not providing enough protection from the sun and now I have a wide brim hat that covers my face and neck. We did avoid getting burned with waterproof/sweat proof SPF 30 and finding shade whenever we could.

We did not go below the rim on foot or mule. People who do are advised to do so as early in the day as possible to avoid the heat and lack of shade. People I saw returning from the mule rides looked pretty weary.

We did laundry at Camper Services and they had $2 showers for 5 minutes. Complete grocery store at the Market Place. Most camping appeared to be full, so if you are going to camp I'd suggest looking into reseervations.

Try to take in a sunset and/or sunrise. Try to attend a ranger program.

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