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Have you already been to the Grand Canyon? No? Then go!
The Brazilians that spend their vacations in the United States usually visit Disneyland and New York, but hardly anybody takes the time to visit the Grand Canyon or one of the more than 400 parks throughout the country. Spending vacations in Disneyland is the dream of many children and teenagers. New York is the city where everything happens. Why then one should go to the Grand Canyon? What is interesting about it? Will the children like it?
In
spite
of the Grand Canyon’s being worldwide known, few people are aware that it
receives 5 million visitors a year. The
Grand Canyon has been carved by the Colorado
River for millions of years, and it is located on the border between the
states of Arizona and Utah. It is approximately 500 kilometres long, varying
from seven to 30 kilometres wide. It gets as deep as 2,400 metres.
From the south side, visitors can see places 160 kilometres away.
But what attracts tourists is not only this.
The Grand Canyon offers varied programmes throughout the year, including
cross-country activities with different degrees of difficulty, either on
foot or on the back
of a mule. In addition, there are special programmes for children,
photographing classes, guided walks along the border of the canyon, air trips,
museums, bookshops and many souvenirs, even comic books defending nature from
its enemies. The sunrise
and the sunset
are very beautiful, for at these times the soil
hue changes as the sun infiltrates into or leaves the depths of
the canyon.
But
the Grand Canyon, in spite of being the largest, is just one among several
canyons and national parks located in this area.
A few hours from the Grand Canyon, you will find Bryce
Canyon and Zion
Canyon, as well as natural beauties such as Monument
Valley, setting of several films starring John Wayne.
A little to the north, in the state of California, the attraction is the Sequoia
National Park, with giant trees. The largest one, named General
Sherman, is between 2,300 and 2,700 years old, 83.8 metres high and 31.3 thick
at its base. Sequoias are regarded
as the largest living organisms on the planet and, unlike men, who after
reaching a certain age can only grow sideward, they keep on getting taller and
taller! Another
extraordinary park is the Yosemite,
also in California, close to the Sequoia Park.
I
wonder whether, if encouraged, our children wouldn’t become interested in
cross-country, rafting, bathing at waterfalls, exploring caves, camping at
canyons, getting in touch with the indigenous culture and the history of Old
West. The
second question is: who is going to
take them there? Disney is the only
place where travel agencies take children!
Visiting
the Grand Canyon and these other parks is important because it also reminds us
of the many parks and natural beauties in Brazil, little explored and little
valued, but not less interesting. How
many Brazilians have ever been to the Aparados da Serra Park in Rio Grande do
Sul, to the Pantanal and the Bonito area in Mato Grosso, to Fernando de Noronha
Island off the coast of Pernambuco, to the Amazon Rain Forest and to many other
natural beauties in Brazil? What
interesting things can one do there? Will
the children like it? Of course
they will! However, both in these
places and in American parks, children and teenagers need to be encouraged and
followed, preferably by their parents, who also need to have the same
adventurous spirit. Experience
it! Parks, but not only theme parks!
To
see these pictures as a slide show, click here.
For
more information on US national parks, visit:
www.nature.nps.gov.
For more information on Brazilian parks, visit: www.brazilinfo.com.
