When we finally reached pavement, we were greeted with signs that said "Low flying aircraft, do not stop, do not leave the pavement." We came upon an area that had several make-shift buildings and we wondered if we were in the right spot. Of course, at first I was afraid to slow down and see *Laughs* "Do not stop, low flying aircraft" and all. Then we saw the parking lot, and we stopped to ask directions to the Skywalk. That was all we stopped for, as this surely wasn't it. There were a bunch of metal buildings there, and big fuel tanks all over the place. Who knew that were actually at the Grand Canyon?

When we got out of the car, there was a Native American man walking out of the building that turned out to be the Airport, Gift shop, and main place for the skywalk. I'd post a picture of the man, but you can't take pictures of him unless you buy an expensive $49.95 per person package to see the canyon. He was a plump fella, in full headdress, black denim jeans, blue T-shirt, and white tenni's. We asked the man how we got out to the Skywalk, and he pointed down a road that had a "No private vehicles" sign. He told us to go inside and inquire about a package that would take us down there. This is where I first got the very real impression that something was very wrong here. I asked Brian if he wanted to go inside, as I was ready to turn and run right there, but he wasn't feeling it yet (we really WANTED this to be a good thing!) so we went inside. . .

On our way back to the car, we ran into several other lost souls who had made the trek out here, only to be greeted by this mess. One couple from Germany could barely keep their jaws from gaping at how awful this experience turned out to be. We told them that the canyon is much prettier, the scenery and the skyline is far less marred up north, and recommended they go there. I felt bad for all the people who had come out here, thinking this was "The Grand Canyon." This was "The Grand Rip-off" filled with cheapness, disrespect for the wonder that they had possession of, and pure unadulterated greed.

Also inspiring is the genuine, authentic, one of a kind Hualapai Indian Package, where, in addition to being inducted as an honorary member of the most sacred mystical inner-circle of the tribe, you will be issued a ridiculous headdress and given extensive training on how to be a horrifically greedy, bad businessman and utterly incompetent trader! Can't you just TASTE the pride? Yours for only $9.99 per person!

A surveillance video showing a dozen men in suits and bow ties filing into a West Oakland liquor store and confronting the manager before destroying rows of liquor bottles provides detailed images that could pinpoint the culprits and lead to hate crime charges, police said Friday.

The men who smashed up San Pablo Liquor at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday staged an almost identical attack about 10 minutes later at another West Oakland corner store, New York Market, police said. Deputy Police Chief Howard Jordan said no suspects have been identified, but the vandals' appearance points to a possible link to the Nation of Islam.

"A bunch of young African American men dressed in black suits, white shirts and bow ties -- consistent with the apparel of members of the Nation of Islam -- vandalized two stores," Jordan said, adding that investigators are taking steps to contact the group's hierarchy. "They told the owners not to sell alcohol in the African American community, and they began to vandalize the property."

UPDATE: Welcome to those following the link from here! Just to clarify things, I'm not the Brian who went out to the Grand Canyon site and took the pictures; that's the husband of the author of the LiveJournal article. I'm just an interested onlooker...