To get to the Grand Canyon, travel to Phoenix, Arizona first. It is about a 4 hour drive from Central Phoenix to the South rim. The entrance fee to the Grand Canyon is $25 per vehicle to cover maintenance costs. However if you possess a National Parks Golden Eagle pass the cost is reduced.

Importance of the site

The fact that the Grand Canyon is listed as a World Heritage site means a lot to groups and governments involved. Conservationist groups major argument was that the parks wilderness aspect was being exterminated by visitors trampling carelessly and coming too often. The excessive visitors were causing lack of biodiversity. The Grand Canyon met all four requirements of UNESCO World heritage customs thus becoming a World Heritage Site.

Site Management

The US National Park Service managed the sight since 1919 as a National Park. This was before it became a World Heritage Site. There was a site management plan made in 1977 in accordance to the Environmental Policy act of 1969.

Characteristics of the site

This is a natural World Heritage site, not cultural as humans did not make it, the environment did. The sheer spectacular view would leave you speechless. The canyon is a world heritage sight as of 1979. It is revered for historical importance as it tells us history dating back millenniums. It helps in understanding of geological activity in the last 6 million years as nothing but the elements created it.

Location

Located in the state Arizona, in America the Grand Canyon shows millenniums of history. The abyss is nearly 1500m deep.

Climate

At the Grand Canyon the weather varies, and often the north rim and the south rim are different. The temperature can rise or drop dramatically, so be prepared for anything. Also, altitude sickness can occur due to being so high up. The South rim is 7000 feet above sea level, and the North rim is 8000 feet above sea level. At the south rim, June and July are the warmest however it is also the rainiest season. The coolest time is January, reaching down to -8c Celsius. The north rim is generally colder than the south, with the rainfall being higher and the temperature cooler.

As you would know, the Atlantic Ocean is very big. There are many states in this region. The states are: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rohde Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. This seems like a lot, but some people predict that there will be three more states in this region. They even have ideas for names, such as Maine, Florida and Vermont.

Now you are probably thinking that if this region is so big it must have lots of water. Then you are right. Some of these bodies of water are: Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Hudson River, Connecticut River, and Savannah River. Wait there is more: the geographical features and the climate. The climate can vary from too cold in winter to too hot in summer. Similarly, the geography shows great variation. Geographical features include: beach fronts, marsh lands, forests, and farm lands. What an interesting region!

Another region is the Appalachian Highlands Region. The Appalachian Region is a mountain range. The Appalachians also have many states - Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The region also has thinkers mystified. Again, they think we will split up into even more states.

The following states may potentially be included in this region: Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Vermont, and Maine. There is enough water for the people who live there - almost none. Even so the water is important so here it is - the Alabama River, the Tennessee River, Delaware River, Savannah River and some more. Most of this region is cold because this is a mountain range. In addition, there is no flat land.

A third region is the Gulf Coast Region. This region might include the following states: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Nobody can really know because Georgia claims all that land. This is pretty much the same as the Atlantic Coast Region - flat land, farm land, beaches, and forests. However, it is never too cold.

Another region is the Great Plains Region. The Great plains is a might be name for (as you might think) a great plain. This region is (as you might suspect) very flat. It is also a bit hilly in some places, but it is mostly flat. There are many (maybe) sources of water that might have these names: the Missouri River, the Platte River, the Arkansas River, the Pecos River the Colorado River, the Brazo River, and the Red River.

There are no special geographical features to this region. The potential states are Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, South and North Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Montana. The climate might be something like 40 degrees to 70 degrees, Hot summers, Cold Winters, and a Short rainy season.

Another region is the pacific coast region. The pacific ocean is very big, like the Atlantic ocean. However, there are only three states that our seers think will exist. They are California, Oregon, and Washington. This region has been explored a lot and has some names for water supplies. Some are, the Pacific Ocean, the San Francisco bay, the Eel River, the Salinas River, the San Joaquin River, the Sacramento River, the Klamath River, the Columbia River, and the Strait of San Juan De Fuca. Some geographical features are Deserts, Mountains, Waterfalls, and flat valleys, Mountains, Valleys and Rivers. The area is usually around30˚- 80˚F.

The Rocky Mountains Region's name is another idea. Its states would include Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Montana. This would be a mountain region so many rivers start here. Some are Pent Oreille Lake, Flat Head Lake, Yellowstone Lake, the Green River, and the Colorado River. This region, although a mountain range, also has some forests, tundra, and grassland. Because this region is a mountain range, its temperatures range from 0 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

There is another region similar to the Great Plains Region. It is the Central Plains Region. The Central Plains is similar to the Great Plains in almost every aspect - it even shares some of the same states. The states that are in the Central Plains Region are North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and New York. This region is the only region that touches the Great lakes. These are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie. This region has plains and hills, and has temperatures from 40 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

American Airlines on almost any domestic flight now either makes you pay for your meal or if they do give you one, it's absolutely awful. I've even been on three plus hour flights that have had nothing more than general beverage service. Not even peanuts or pretzels! Air Tran though, even though it was just pretzels, was very consistent in their service. Better still was that if you asked for more to drink or more pretzels, you got them. Everything was always done with a smile.

Another nice little touch is that every seat has XM Satellite radio in it's seat arm. It's a minor point really, but in an age in which airlines seem to only care about cramming as many people into a metal tube to shoot across the sky, it's nice to see that there's still an airline out there that is willing to offer an extra comfort (no matter how small it may seem) to it's passengers. As if that wasn't enough, if you didn't already have headphones with you, they gave you a pair to use. No rental charges, no need to return them, just enjoy.

Even more than food and creature comfort, is the importance of having clothes upon arrival at your final destination. I was very pleased that not only did all of my luggage arrive with me, but it was all intact as well. In prior travels with American and United airlines I have had my luggage lost approximately 50% of the time. Fortunately it was almost always lost on the return trip, but it was still a major inconvenience. Air Tran on the other hand, lost nothing. Maybe it was careful handling and paying attention to detail on the part of the ground crews, or maybe it was the bright pink tags marked TRANSFER that helped things. Either way, not having your luggage lost is a good thing.

Then there's the icing on the cake, the arrival time. Of the four flights I took, every single one of them was on time or early. Two of the flights arrived thirty minutes ahead of schedule! It was quite a luxury to be able to arrive early for once. On prior trips, United hasn't fared too poorly, but American has caused me to almost miss connections due to unexplainable delayed arrival times. Worse still have been the numerous times in which American has arrived close to on time only to end up sitting on the tarmac for upwards of forty-five minutes before finally arriving at the gate.

Would I fly Air Tran again? You bet I would. It was a pleasure flying on an airline that didn't treat me like another head of cattle. It's been a long time since I've felt like a real traveler again and I look forward to it again.