Of all the beautiful and spectacular places in the United States none can beat the Grand Canyon. Gazing upon that beautiful area, with its many shapes and colors takes one's breath away, and has been named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. There are many different vantage points to look at, over the rim, but nothing compares to Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours.

Anyone who knows the 'Grand Canyon Suite' music can feel what the composer, of that song, saw when he wrote it. The clip clop of mules walking down the steep trail, to the bottom, is reflected in one section of that song. The sound of birds, a small looking stream and little buildings on the canyon floor, are all given life in that music.

Different areas have been painted often by renowned artists, yet they have been unable to completely capture all the reds, yellows, oranges along with other colors which constantly change as the rays of the sun move across this breathtaking piece of nature. Sitting on the edge of a rim, it isn't uncommon to see some of nature's creatures that live there in harmony.

Proof has been found that humans lived in Grand Canyon National Park over 10,500 years ago. In no less than 4,000 of those years it was populated by Native Americans. It was in 1540 that Europeans, men from Coronado's gold-seeking expedition, first caught sight of it. Through the years, many trappers among others came through the region. History books are filled with names of the numerous people that explored and enjoyed this wonderful work of nature.

In 1869, John Wesley Powell explored the gorge with a boat expedition. On a second journey he named it the Grand Canyon. This was followed by pioneers looking for a place to mine copper in the 1880's. This was when tourist accommodations were developed. To reach the location, at that time, tourists had to hire a stagecoach.

With the building of a railroad, to the Fourth Rim, in 1901 more tourists arrived to see this beautiful spectacle. Given Federal protection, as a forest reserve, in 1893, the canyon attained national park status in 1919, one of the select first parks founded by the new National Park Service. The El Tovar Hotel, which is still in existence today, was constructed in 1905.

The canyon was formed by the Colorado River, which runs across the floor of the canyon at roughly 4 miles per hours. Some people take a boat cruise through on the river or go by pontoon raft for an thrilling excursion. Riding down the narrow trail from the top of the rim to the bottom is quite an experience but it's also rather rough on one's body.

Grand Canyon National Park is quite large, spanning a large number of acres with exciting views from all sides. To view the entire area, many people try a Grand Canyon helicopter tour. This provides the chance for one to see the area from every possible angle, not missing anything. Some of these helicopters will even rest on the chasm floor for a delicious lunch.