Tusayan

The village of Tusayan is about 80 miles northwest of Flagstaff, and marks your arrival at the southern edge of Grand Canyon National Park. Located just outside the park's boundaries, Tusayan handles the overload of tourists visiting the Grand Canyon. You'll find the major hotel chains here, lots of places to eat, and even an IMAX theater. If you are taking an airplane or helicopter ride over the Canyon, Tusayan Airport will be your take-off spot.

Tusayan's IMAX Theater

If you do stay in Tusayan, the IMAX theater is a good place to rev up for the Canyon itself. If you've never experienced IMAX, you're in for a real treat. These theaters, located in many major cities in the US, feature exciting cinemaphotography with close-up and high-up seating for everyone. The seats are pitched steep, so even people in the back row are quite close to the screen. The effect is that you feel like you're in the picture, experiencing what the filmaker experienced. For subjects such as the Grand Canyon, it's the next best thing to actually being there. The show here features up-close shots of river runners on the rapids of the Colorado River, and shots from the air, swooping over the Canyon in dizzying shots that will excite anyone. There are also shots of places in the Grand Canyon that most tourists don't visit, and which are hard to get to. The wraparound screen is over eighty feet wide and seventy feet high. The sound is six-track Dolby sound and you will definitely feel surrounded by the sounds of the Grand Canyon.

Also at the IMAX theater visit the Arizona Tourist Information Center. This is the spot for information and tickets for air tours and Colorado River trips.

Highlights of Tusayan

One of the best things about Tusayan, besides the IMAX Theater is the Coronado Room. This is an elegant, creative restaurant serving Continental and Southwestern cuisine. It's located in teh Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn. They serve all sorts of Continental cuisine, including escargot, but you might want to try the elk tournedos or other more locally-themed dishes. They have a good selection of Southwestern appetizers on the menu. The prime rib is good, too. The decor is tastefully done in Southwestern style.

The Canyon Star serves very creative American and Mexican cuisine with live entertainment. They have barbequed buffalo and elk tenderloin, as well as buffalo burgers. If you go for dinner, you might catch live performances of Native American songs and dances. The restaurant is big enough to handle loads of people, so you won't wait long, if at all, for a table. There's a saloon if you have to wait for a table and you'll appreciate the whimsical southwestern-influenced decor here.

The best place to stay in Tusayan is the Grand Hotel. The mountain lodge style complements the lodge-style of the buildings inside Grand Canyon Village, so it feels authentic and historical. It is a grand place, on par with the grandness of the Canyon. Everything is big and outdoors-inspired, while modern at the same time. Like the Colter buildings at Grand Canyon, the lobby features a giant flagstone fireplace and log-beam ceilings. There's a dining room with live American Indian entertainment or country-western bands at night. The rooms are big, there's a pool and jacuzzi, and pets are welcome.