Grand Canyon prepares for presidential visit

Grand Canyon National Park is getting ready to host President Barack Obama and his family this weekend.

The First Family will arrive at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport aboard Air Force One Saturday night and spend the night in Phoenix before jetting off to the canyon Sunday morning. Air Force One will land at Grand Canyon Airport in the small town of Tusayan, on the South Rim, around 10 a.m. Sunday. The president will spend about seven hours at the tourist attraction.

Craig Andresen of the Grand Canyon Chamber and Visitors Bureau said people have been watching days of preparation.

"Secret Service personnel have been here for a good couple of weeks, stuff being set up for the president's visit, a lot of work coordinating things with the Grand Canyon Airport as well," said Andresen.

He doubts very many people will actually see the Obamas during their visit.

"They have certain areas set aside to take him and his family to view the canyon. As far as I know at this point, he will not be in the public eye except for the time that he is arriving and departing from the Grand Canyon Airport."

Still, people are excited, Andresen said.

"It's not every day that you get a visit from the president of the United States. Regardless of politics, it's good for the area."

The presidential visit is intended to focus attention on the national parks system and comes on the third "fee-free" weekend of the summer at national parks across the country.

Obama will be the sixth president to visit the Grand Canyon while in office. The others were Presidents William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Obama will return to the Valley to spend Sunday night. He will speak Monday at the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars at the Phoenix Convention Center before returning to Washington. This is Obama's third visit to the Valley since he became president. He delivered a major speech on his economic stimulus package at Dobson High School in Mesa in February and spoke at Arizona State University's commencement in Tempe in May.