Grand Canyon News

How does one define “wilderness?”  The American Heritage Dictionary defines it as “an unsettled, uncultivated region left in its natural condition, especially:“ A large wild tract of land covered with dense vegetation or forests; an extensive area, such as a desert or ocean, that is barren or empty; a waste; or a piece of land set aside to grow wild.” 

Modern man tends to define it as “a place where a. the nearest Starbucks is a 2 hour drive away or b. a place where one’s cell phone won’t work!”  Cashman73, a contributor to a forum on Slashdot, had this to say in response to an article about the African nation of Namibia’s experimentation with solar and wind powered towers to bring cell phone coverage to remote remarked:

“Heck! They need to put a couple of these suckers in Arizona (not Phoenix); I-17 has horrible cell coverage in places, and could really use something better. The only cell phones that even work at the Grand Canyon are Verizon phones.”

Actually, Alltel and Verizon both serve the area, but cashman73 brings up a very important point that you should know about: you won’t be able to count on your cell phone working 100% of the time.  Even Alltel and Verizon’s subscribers say coverage can be spotty due to the remoteness of the area, high afternoon winds, etc.  That’s not to say that you shouldn’t bring your cell phone – they can be absolute lifesavers in case of emergencies, which do have a way of happening out in the middle of nowhere – but if there’s a chance someone may need to contact you while on the road, give them your hotel phone numbers, just in case.    

…and if you think that’s a handy tip, there’s more where that came from in our brand new FREE Grand Canyon travel planning video!  Watch it on Google Video now or sign up for to get your own personal e-mail link at GrandCanyon.com. 

‘Til next time – Alley Kaye

P.S.  Actually, there IS a Starbuck’s at the Grand Canyon, at the Grand Hotel in Tusayan.  There’s also one in Flagstaff inside Barnes and Noble, and – STOP THE PRESSES – Page-Lake Powell Arizona is in the process of getting one inside Safeway.   

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