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Grand Canyon, Arizona Vacation Rentals Cabins, Houses and Condos.

Talk about canyons in the United States, and people immediately think of the Grand Canyon (not to mention Grand Canyon vacation rentals by owner house, cottage and condo rentals.) And, they think of the Grand Canyon for good reason.

The Grand Canyon is a very colorful, steep-sided gorge, carved by the Colorado River, in northern Arizona, USA. The canyon appears on many versions of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World list, although none of these lists is by any means authoritative. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park — one of the first national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of the Grand Canyon area, visiting on numerous occasions to hunt mountain lions and enjoy the scenery. Vacationers to this day create the demand for Grand Canyon vacation rentals by owner house, cottage and condo rentals for many of the same reasons.

The canyon, created by the Colorado River cutting a channel over millions of years, is about 277 miles (446 km) long, ranges in width from 0.25 to 15 miles (0.4 to 24 kilometers) and attains a depth of more than a mile (1,600 m). Nearly two billion years of the Earth's history has been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut through layer after layer of sediment as the Colorado Plateaus have uplifted.

The first recorded sighting of the Grand Canyon by a European was in 1540, García López de Cárdenas from Spain. The first scientific expedition to the canyon was led by U.S. Major John Wesley Powell in the late 1860s. Powell referred to the sedimentary rock units exposed in the canyon as "leaves in a great story book." However, long before that, the area was inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon walls. It is these attractions, along with the hiking opportunities, that brings visitors to the Grand Canyon vacation rentals by owner house, cottage and condo rentals.

The Grand Canyon is more than a great chasm carved over millennia through the rocks of the Colorado Plateau. It is more than an awe-inspiring view. It is more than a pleasuring ground for those that explore the roads, hike the trails, or float the currents of the turbulent Colorado River. It is more than a place for Grand Canyon vacation rentals by owner house, cottage and condo rentals.

This canyon is a gift that transcends what we experience. Its beauty and size humbles us. Its timelessness provokes a comparison to our short existence. In its vast spaces we may find solace from our hectic lives.

The Grand Canyon we visit today is a gift from past generations. Take time to enjoy this gift. Sit and watch the changing play of light and shadows. Wander along a trail and feel the sunshine and wind on your face. Attend a ranger program. Follow the antics of ravens soaring above the rim. Listen for the roar of the rapids far below. Savor a sunrise or sunset. Enjoy the solitude of your Grand Canyon vacation rentals by owner house, cottage and condo rentals.

As the shadows lengthen across the spires and buttes, time passing into the depths of the canyon, understand what this great chasm passes to us - a sense of humility born in the interconnections of all that is and a willingness to care for this land. We have the responsibility to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to form their own connections with Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon vacation rentals by owner house, cottage, cabin and condo rentals.