By Boise Matthews

Boise is a New Mexico-based writer and historian who is enamored of the U.S. Southwest. She is a partner in the Website Go American West and is a frequent contributor to Sleeping Around.

I first visited the Grand Canyon South Rim in 1962, and I've returned several times since. Each time, the crowds are thicker, the air is more polluted, and it's harder and harder to get around the rim. Each time, I swear I'll never be back again.

Then I look over the edge, and I know I'll be back again and again as often as I can.

With each visit to the Grand Canyon, I stand more in awe of its vast reaches and magnificent vistas. I look over the edge, and the height snatches my breath. Painted precipices and gaudy crags hold me spellbound. My knuckles bond to the railing, and I wonder if this time I'll possibly gather the nerve to ride a mule down the narrow, twisting trails.

My goal is to provide you with all the information necessary to plan and enjoy your visit to the Grand Canyon, from the basics for a first-time visitor to in-depth information for Grand Canyon veterans.