VOA常速英语:Grand Canyon Lives Up to its Name

The Grand Canyon in the southwestern state of Arizona is a stunning creation. National parks traveler Mikah Meyer can see why.

“It’s grand! That’s the right word to use for it because whether standing at the rim and overlooking it or being down on the river,you just get a sense of how massive the Grand Canyon is."

Shaped by millions of years of erosion, the distinctly colored canyon is 446 kilometers long and averages about 1,220 meters deep —the length of 11 football fields.

“What’s so unique is that you have all these layers of the earth that were once underground that have been uplifted and then eroded away so scientists can see millions and millions and millions of years of earth’s crust history.”

Scientists and visitors both can explore the massive canyons by foot … and by raft.

“Here we go!” Which is what Mikah did on an eight-day, 362 kilometer rafting trip on the Colorado River.

“Come along on the rapids here.”

One of his favorite experiences was a trip to the Little Colorado River, a tributary just off the main river.

“What made this Little Colorado so special is that it was this almost baby blue, light blue-white color,and you see the moment where it converges with this dark gray Colorado River, and these two vastly different colors coming together.”

Mikah and his fellow travellers enjoy the creeks, “Lay flat! Lay flat!”

the waterfalls, and places where the water is still, and where one can see naturally forming springs.

“Rapid!”But the highlight for Mikah was navigating the whitewater rapids that the river is famous for.

“All ready to go for Lava Falls in the front of the boat.”

Visitors also learn about the river’s rich history.

“To the right, you will see many historic native American food storage granaries.”

And check out the wild life, like the endangered California condor.

“They brought them to the Grand Canyon to try to provide a habitat that they thought would help them thrive and thus far it’s been doing pretty well.”

In the evenings, Mikah and his group camped on the shore,a perfect way to end each day in one of the world’s most beautiful — and natural — playgrounds.

“Everybody give me your wave.”

“The world could have gone to nuclear war for all we would have known.It was just this amazing moment to truly be in nature, truly be void of the distractions of the world and enjoy that splendor of nature,enjoy the people you’re around in a way that is so rare today.”

Julie Taboh, VOA news, Washington.