Your mom's special day is on Sunday, May 12, 2013 and going on a bus tour of the Grand Canyon is a fantastic way to celebrate the occasion. You can catch one of these fun tours every day of the year from Vegas and it will show your mom how much you appreciate her.

On Sunday, May 12, the bus tours operate on the same schedule as usual. If previous years are any indication, the buses will be packed with families celebrating the holiday.

These bus trips to the Grand Canyon are so popular in part because they are very affordable. Take the all inclusive South Rim tour, for example, it only costs $80!

Before you book your tour, determine which rim you want to visit. It is around 270 miles to the South Rim from Las Vegas and the West Rim is about half that far. It takes 5 hours to bus to the South Rim, but the West is only 2 hours away.

One advantage of booking a bus tour of the West Rim is you can add on exciting side trips. The main attractions at the West Rim include taking a thrilling chopper ride to the floor of the canyon, rafting down the smooth waters of the Colorado River, and walking out on the amazing glass Skywalk bridge.

In fact, the only place in the Grand Canyon National Park you can fly to the bottom of the canyon is the West Rim because it is prohibited everywhere else. The helicopter descent is such a thrill, you really should give your mom that experience.

If your mom likes thrills and chills, be sure to take her on the Skywalk. It is a massive structure shaped like a horseshoe, and is actually the world's largest cantilevered bridge made from glass. It cost an impressive $30 million to construct. At its farthest point, your mom will stand 70 ft past the edge of the canyon rim and 4000 ft above the canyon floor.

South Rim bus tours are always popular too. You can choose from several options. One comes with a tasty buffet style lunch in Williams, Arizona, while another includes a photo stop at majestic Hoover Dam. It's mom's day, though, so I'd pull out all the stops and pop for the tour that includes a rim to rim chopper flight as well as the stop at Hoover Dam.

Bus tours have sold out on previous years, so be sure to book your seats now. Try to get your seats a week or two beforehand or you might miss out if you wait too long.

Even though it is a holiday of sorts, you can still get a discount on your tickets. Booking in advance will save you some cash. Plus, if you buy your tickets on the tour operator's website, you can get a special discount. The tour companies set the prices and offer the best deals, not the big box travel sites like Orbitz or Expedia. When you by online through the tour operator, you can take advantage of their Internet discount that is not available elsewhere.

In Summary

Mom's big day is almost here. Your mom is a special person, so treat her to a special gift such as a bus trip to the Grand Canyon. All of the tours are fantastic fun, so no matter which one you choose, your mom is sure to enjoy it. They're a terrific way to see the wonders of the magnificent Grand Canyon.

Maybe I'll see you there!