I found an interesting method of playing around with pictures called tiltshifting.  It makes regular pictures of real places look like minatures.  Below is a picture of the Grand Canyon (looks like a minature ehh?).  It seems to work best for wide pictures from above.  An easy way to make the pictures is at the website tiltshiftmaker.com.  They also have good example pictures, I like the Paris / Bellagio picture.  Have fun with it.

Doesn't looks so Grand to me.