Tourists Say The Craziest Things!
Posted By Wayne on May 14, 2009
I really think I should write a book about tourists saying the goofiest things! Over the years I have heard some great comments from our wonderful visitors. Such as: When do they turn the lights on in the Grand Canyon? When does the Grand Canyon fill up with water? Can you really cook eggs on the sidewalk? Who painted the rocks in Sedona?
A visitor to the Grand Canyon asked me: “Where did Evil Knievel jump over the Grand Canyon?” He never jumped over the Grand Canyon, it was the Snake River Canyon in Idaho.
Another comment I am constantly asked, can I visit the Grand Canyon from Phoenix and be back late afternoon, I have dinner plans.
One of the best I have heard from some of our big city visitors: why are there no street lights on the highways in Northern Arizona?
A couple of visitors from the east coast wondered where the Indians were as we were visiting the Cameron Trading Post and a Navajo women was serving them. Also on the Navajo Reservation, I have heard the question, where are the tepees? This came after my explanation that the Navajo people’s traditional house is a hogan.
One of the most common comment from our visitors to Arizona is, “Where’s the desert - I was expecting sand dunes, this is too green to be a desert.” After explaining that the desert where Phoenix is located is the Sonoran Desert, one of the wettest deserts and the most vegetated, they then understood why no sand dunes.
Our visitors to Arizona, without fail, are completely amazed at the diversity of our state. They have this impression of what they think Phoenix is going to be and they, upon driving down our wide streets lined with palm trees, think their ideas of Phoenix are correct. However, when they drive from Phoenix to Sedona and the Grand Canyon they are amazed at all the different vegetation they see along the route. Desert gives way to chaparral, pinion and juniper forests, then to tall pine forests.
I’ll never forget one family I went to pickup from the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak over the Christmas Holidays for a trip to the Grand Canyon. The kids all had on their brand new Christmas presents, board shorts and sneakers. Upon being told they would be in snow about noon today, they scurried back to their hotel room to change into long pants and jackets.
Another time I was driving up Oak Creek Canyon in winter with another group of people. I was pointing out the different geology of the area and an older woman, eyes as wide a saucers, said to me: “young man, would you please stop talking and keep both hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.” She obviously did not like the narrow, winding switchbacks of Oak Creek Canyon.
All of our visitors want to know, since we live in the desert, where do we get our water? They do not realize Arizona has a very large mountainous area and the snow and rain from these areas drains down into our desert via streams, creeks and rivers. Our forefathers built a series of dams on these rivers to hold back the waters in spring melts and rainy seasons. These lakes are the water sources for Phoenix and surrounding areas.
I am keeping a notebook filled with these great tidbits from our wonderful visitors and I would appreciate your additions. I will give you credit in my book!
I have a friend who used to be a biology teacher in Tennessee. He and his wife were on a ranger led rim walk on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. He (jokingly) asked, “Have y’all ever thought about planting Kudzu here? It has practically stopped erosion in parts of the south.” He said the ranger didn’t appear to be amused by his attempted humor.
Hi Tim,
Thank you for this fun comment, I appreciate your input and will add this to my list. When my book comes out, I will add it and credit you, thanks.
I have been on some of those Ranger led talks and have found most rangers do have a sense of humor, however, there’s a few who do not. Your friend found one that obviously did not!
Thanks again and please keep sending me these comments as I do appreciate you and everyone’s adding to my blog!
Wayne
[...] about the craziest things I have heard come out of the mouths of visitors. The blog was titled: “Tourists Say the Craziest Things.” I noticed today that Fodor’s online travel web site has a similar article called: [...]
[...] May I wrote a whole blog on some of the craziest things tourists have said to me during their visit. This blog has become the most visited of all my 200 plus blogs [...]