Grand Canyon Tour

By: Waypoint Tours

Narrated by: Janet Ault, Mark Andrews

Welcome to Grand Canyon National Park! As you approach the Grand Canyon, you are crossing the Colorado Plateau, a 130,000 square mile bulge in the earth's surface spanning half of Utah and a good portion of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Around its edges are the upthrust Rocky Mountains, the stretched-apart Great Basin, the contorted rocks of Arizona's Transition Zone, and ancient volcanoes. Despite all the geologic activity around it, the Plateau has managed to stay relatively flat and unfolded, but as a whole, it has been uplifted more than a mile.

It is the uplift, and the down-cutting, that have created the Canyon. About five to 10 million years ago, the Colorado River began to carve its way down through the domed region on its way to the sea. Like a knife slicing through a layer cake, the mile-deep river canyon exposed multi-hued layers of time, a geologist's dream come true. But you don't have to be a geologist to appreciate the Canyon's grandeur. Erosion by wind, water, and gravity not only widened the canyon, it created an amazing variety of towers and spires, ridges and side canyons, shadows and highlights. The rainbow of rock colors is most intense in early morning or late afternoon light. If you are lucky, you will see a storm chase through the canyon, casting shadows and mist as it goes.

Sightseers have been coming to view the wonders of the Canyon since 1883. Prospectors soon found tourism more profitable than mining and built accommodations for them. One of the earliest visitors was Theodore Roosevelt, a lover of the West's wide-open spaces. He pushed for federal protection and in 1893 the area became a Forest Reserve. In 1908, it received a promotion to National Monument and in 1919 the National Park was formed.

Waypoint Tours are educational, entertaining, self-guided tours designed to help plan your travel adventures, enhance travel experience, and cherish your travel memories.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2006 Waypoint Tours (P)2006 Waypoint Tours

Nice Tour - if you're on a bus

Downloaded this tour for a self drive of the Grand Canyon thinking that it would be a great addition to the drive. The tour itself is good, audio quality is great and includes some informative facts. Unfortunately most of the 'stopping' points along this tour are for the route available only to buses - which isn't very helpful on a self drive. I would recommend this tour if you plan on taking the bus tour to Hopi Point (on the South Rim) - for us, it wasn't of much use.

Extremely annoying and disappointing

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

No music. The music was too loud, and just annoying, made the narration difficult to hear.
I quit listening after a few minutes. First Audible selection I've disliked and want to return. I really wanted to listen to this because of an upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Didn't finish the book because the background music made it unbearable. This book was probably created from a video documentary.

How could the performance have been better?

No music, please. Or at least make it quieter than the narration.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger. Disappointment. Really wanted to listen to this, but I couldn't.

Any additional comments?

I love Audible, but this selection is not up to their usual quality.