Grand Canyon Lodge

DESTINATIONS

Grand Canyon Lodge

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

THAT THERE IS A GRAND CANyon is one of nature's happy circumstances, but even more fortunate is that there are two ways to see it. The first is the way most vacationers know. It's the canyon seen from the Winnebagochoked south rim, 60 miles or so from Interstate 40 in northern Arizona. The second one. much lesser known, views the same tremendous chasm carved in the earth by the Colorado River, but from the Canyon’s north rim. The north rim is at some places no more than a mile away from its southerly neighbor, but in terms of its seclusion, its wealth of plant and animal life, and its difficulty of access, seems lightyears distant. Where the south rim is all tourists and ticky-tack, the north rim is all nature and open country, with one very comfortable exception: the Grand Canyon Lodge, a wonderful, classic, stone edifice perched on the very edge of the canyon. The Lodge is comfortable and scenic, it has a first-class restaurant, and—at $45 to $61 —its room rates are moderate. But the best part about the lodge may be the country that must be ridden through to get to it. The roads there are wonderful for touring bikes and great for sportbikes. But some of the best roads of all are dirt trails and logging roads, some of which lead to little-known canyon overlooks.

These are ideal for dual-purpose bikes—our choice for this marvelous trip. One note, here: This is a summer ride only, as the lodge is open May through October. But trust us: This trip is worth the wait.

—Jon F. Thompson

Information

Grand Canyon Lodge Grand Canyon North Rim, AZ 86052 801/586-7686 602/638-2611

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