The tribe that owns the Grand Canyon Skywalk has reached an agreement to pave the 14-mile dirt road leading to the glass horseshoe over the canyon.
The tribe operates a small airport near the Skywalk on the western edge of the canyon, but most visitors still come by car along the rugged, dusty, axle-busting Diamond Bar Road.
Until reaching an agreement with the tribe, landowner Nigel Turner, who owns the nearby Grand Canyon West Ranch, had blocked construction of a paved road with a lawsuit.
Turner said he worried the road would turn the region into a busy tourist center and endanger the ancient Joshua trees, some of which are a few centuries old.
But the Hualapai recently paid Turner $750,000 to settle the lawsuit and clear the way for road construction.
The Skywalk offers straight-down, spine-tingling views 4,000 feet above the canyon floor. About 100,000 people have visited the massive horseshoe-shaped observation deck since it opened in March.
Details at www.destinationgrandcanyon.com/skywalk.html.
Survey: Hotel guests drop green habits
Most people check environmentally responsible behavior at the door when they check into a hotel, according to a survey released by Starwood Hotels &Resorts.
Most of those polled said they are less likely to conserve water and electricity while they’re away from home. More than six in 10 said they were using more because they knew it would be free.
Nearly 70 percent of respondents said they open a new minibottle of shampoo each time they shower at a hotel, and 63 percent said they were more likely to leave the lights on at a hotel than at home.
Three out of four hotel guests believe it is important to have their sheets and towels changed each day – an environmentally unfriendly habit few practice at home.
Element Hotels commissioned research firm Studylogic to conduct the telephone survey May 30-June 5. The poll of 1,041 randomly selected adults who said they stay at hotels at least three times a year has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Knoxville reopens Sunsphere deck
Bart Simpson would be happy. Not only is the Sunsphere still standing, but its fourth-floor observation deck has reopened to the public.
A small crowd gathered July 5 as the deck opened for the first time since 1999 inside the great golden globe atop a 266-foot tower symbolizing the energy-themed 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tenn.
“This deck provides a 360-degree view of the city and the surrounding countryside and we think it’s something people will really enjoy,” Mayor Bill Haslam said.
In a classic “Simpsons” episode, Bart and his friends arrive for the World’s Fair 14 years too late because of an outdated guidebook. Told the Sunsphere is closed and filled with wigs, Bart’s friend Nelson throws a rock at it. The tower topples over and crushes their car.
The deck is now open daily from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m., free of charge.
Travel classes, seminars
Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door hosts free travel classes from 10 to 11:30 a.m. most Saturdays at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds.
* Packing light and right with Joan Robinson, 10 a.m. July 28.
* Greece with Julie Coen, 10 a.m. Aug. 4.
* European Rail Skills with Gretchen Strauch, 10 a.m. Aug. 11.
Reservations are recommended. Call 425-771-8303, ext. 298, or visit www.ricksteves.com/seattle.
The Savvy Traveler offers travel seminars at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. most Saturdays at 112 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds.
* Italian for Travelers, 6 p.m. Thursdays, July 26 to Aug. 23.
* French for Travelers, 6 p.m. Tuesdays, July 31 to Aug. 28.
* Packing Like a Savvy Traveler, 10 a.m. Aug. 25.
Classes are free, reservations recommended. Call 425-744-6076, 877-225-1994, or visit www.savvytraveleredmonds.com.
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