Power Restored To Tusayan and Grand Canyon

Above, Grand Canyon Village had its power restored early Saturday morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The winter storm that hit New Mexico on Friday knocked out power at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and the nearby town of Tusayan. Residents and visitors to those areas struggled to stay warm without power.

The good news is: power has been restored to both.

According to the Grand Canyon News:

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — A Thanksgiving holiday storm dropped more than a foot of snow at the Grand Canyon, knocking out power overnight at the South Rim and the community of Tusayan. 

The town of Tusayan declared a state of emergency as residents and tourists scrambled to stay warm without power. 

The town of Tusayan has about 2,500 residents and hundreds of tourists were visiting the park over the holiday. 

The National Park Service said in a Twitter post that APS hoped to restore electricity by 6 p.m. Friday, but power was not restored until 1:45 a.m. Saturday.

To read more, go here. 

Kid-Friendly Grand Canyon National Park

Above, the Grand Canyon is big enough to impress all ages. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're in summer vacation season and families are out and about on the road. If a visit to Grand Canyon National Park is a planned (or even unplanned) stop and, if you have kids with you, there's plenty of things at the park for them to do.

USA Today posted an article on kid-friendly Grand Canyon National Park.

They begin it with:

If you’re traveling with children, visiting Grand Canyon National Park can present unique challenges, what with navigating crowded paths and roads at peak times and keeping little ones far enough away from the ever-present edge of the abyss. 

But you can make it an unforgettable family adventure with a little planning. 

The entrance fee to Grand Canyon National Park is $35 per vehicle and is good for seven days. The park offers a handful of free-admission days each year. The next one is Sunday, Aug. 25. 

Pro tip: Purchase your admission pass online in advance to help cut your wait time in line at the entrance station. Go to yourpassnow.com. Spend even less time in line by using the park-and-ride shuttle service in Tusayan, just outside the park entrance.  

Here are a few suggestions for kid-friendly activities at the South Rim of Grand Canyon.

To read more, go here. 

Tusayan Campground Expansion Project

Above, the Grand Canyon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Kaibab National Forest is planning to expand the Ten X Campground a few miles south of the town of Tusayan, Arizona near Grand Canyon National Park.

It and several other campgrounds (some commercial) fill the needs of tourists in RVs and tents who cannot get a campsite inside Grand Canyon National Park. If the expansion is approved, it will add more sites and modernize the existing facility.

According to the Arizona Daily Sun:

The Kaibab National Forest will be accepting comment on a proposed project to remodel and expand the current Tex X Campground, which is located south of Tusayan near the entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park. 

The expansion would increase capacity from the current 70 campsites to a total of 300. The total expansion and remodel would encompass about 345 acres. The comment period continues through May 30. 

The project is designed to increase overnight camping for visitors to the area and improve overall experience by upgrading aging facilities and adding amenities. 

The remodel and expansion would allow the park to accommodate large RVs. The 230 sites to be added would be a mix of RV, individual tent, and small group sites.

 To read more, go here.

Local Businesses Fear Threats To Grand Canyon Continue To Pile Up: Nearby Town Of Tusayan Doubles Building Heights At the Doorstep Of The Grand Canyon National Park

Above, the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last year, when I visited Grand Canyon National Park and drove through nearby Tusayan, I was shocked to see how big the town has grown since I was last there around 1990.

I received the following press release concerning building height increases in Tusayan.

SOURCE: Red Feather Properties

GRAND CANYON, Ariz., June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Grand Canyon runs the risk of transitioning from a national park to a national tragedy as another environmental threat has emerged. As the Navajo Tribal Council considers a controversial six mile gondola style tram along with commercial and retail space at the Canyon, the nearby Town of Tusayan has nearly doubled building heights in a move that would drastically change the landscape near the Grand Canyon National Park, according to Red Feather Properties, which owns and operates the Red Feather Lodge in Tusayan and owns a number of commercial properties in Tusayan. 

The Town of Tusayan borders the southern edge of the Grand Canyon National Park and its town council has voted to grant a developer's request to raise maximum building height limits in Tusayan from 35 to 65 feet, clearing the way for five and six story buildings to be erected at the doorstep of the Grand Canyon. 

Prior to the decision, The National Parks Service sent Tusayan a letter expressing concern about the dark skies, water usage, and visitor capacity at the Grand Canyon National Park. 

The letter stated in part, "The importance of sustainable building, water conservation, night sky protection and visitor use capacities are of critical importance as we move into the next century of park preservation and management and we value collaboration with the Town on its planning and zoning initiatives." 

Local business leaders, a former Tusayan Mayor, and the Sierra Club also opposed the height increase which was unanimously approved by the Tusayan Town Council. 

A group of Tusayan residents has filed a petition to place the height increase decision on the ballot. An election date has not yet been sent. 

Italian developer, Stilo, asked for the height increase. Stilo is planning a controversial development in Tusayan which includes three million square feet of commercial space and thousands of new homes. The Mayor and all members of the Tusayan Town Council are employed by Stilo business partner Elling Halvorson. 

Local businesswoman and Red Feather Properties Manager Clarinda Vail is leading the effort to overturn the decision to nearly double building heights. She said, "Not in recent memory has the Grand Canyon been so threatened. Irresponsible development will create irreversible environmental damage. It may increase some nearby property values, mine included, but it will devalue the Grand Canyon to the point where its scenery, and pristine wide open spaces would be forever lost." 

Red Feather Properties owns and operates the Red Feather Lodge in Tusayan and owns a number of commercial properties in Tusayan and has been serving tourists in Northern Arizona for nearly a century.Tusayan is adjacent to the South Rim bordering the Grand Canyon National Park. 

Paid for by Grand Canyon Not Grand High Rises Political Action Committee