Today was our last day in Vegas, and instead of staying in Sin City we chose to head towards the Grand Canyon West Rim today
(although I was told by someone that because we were only going to the WR that we really weren't seeing the GC so maybe I need to put it back on my to do list -South Rim style)
It was another early start today leaving the hotel at 6am and it is not surprising to see people at the poker machines already (or are they in the same spot as they were last night?) I know people come to 'play' in Vegas but I wonder if they know what they're missing by not getting out of the city,'
First stop is the Hoover Dam, the area has changed a bit since the last time I was here, the Bypass Bridge (officially known as the Mike O'Callaghan- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge) didn't exist the last time I was here. The dam is huge and a great tourist attraction but I have to say I was more impressed by the bridge and the view from it.
It's hard to go to the GC after spending the day before at Bryce Canyon which is one of my favourite places in the world because there is something about that place that I really love and I don't think you can compare the two. It might be that Bryce Canyon is a little weird (-no comments please :) ) and GC is just a 'hole in the ground', but each to their own I guess.
The Grand Canyon is an impressive hole in the ground I grant you and when you fly into it by helicopter you can't help but feel a little insignificant
because the Grand Canyon is so damned grand, and you see the other helicopters look like dots on the horizon. (When you look up and see what looks like a bird and it's in fact a helicopter you have another oh wow moment)
Thank you Samara for having the helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon on your birthday wish list, because I got to cross that off my list of things to do before I'm 70, think I'm going to change it to 80 things to do by the time I'm 80 now.
The worst thing about the place is the tourists (yep I
know I'm one of them) but there's a lot of them (I dread to think what it's like in the middle of summer) and a whole bunch that are really rather rude and I know Samara would like to throw one really rude man into the river as he tries to push us out of the way to get on the boat on the river.I think the grin on her face is her visualising that very thing LOL
The short trip on the river is refreshing, as the water splashes up on us and I'm feeling quite warm so it must be like an oven in the middle of summer.
Another helicopter ride to the top of the Canyon and we make our way to Eagle Point and the Skywalk.
I watched a documentary on the making of it a couple of months ago and I know it's an impressive sound structure, and the glass is amazingly thick and not likely to break as I walk across it but can't help wanting to pee myself just a little as I walk across it. It's not that I'm afraid of heights, it's that I'm afraid of falling off of them LOL
The sides don't seem very high and I worry that if I lean over them I'm going to fall over and plummet the 150-24om to my death-which is about the size of a building between 42 and 66 storeys high depending on what part of the walkway you're on.
It's an amazing feeling as you look down and although you know there's something solid between you and the ground below your brain has trouble registering it and I have to say I was glad to be back on solid ground.
From here we headed to Guano Point to explore, and I think if this is the least impressive part of the Grand Canyon then I really really want to see the South Rim (next time). I had a mini heart attack on more than one occasion as Samara got close to the edge and I thought that would really stuff up the rest of our holiday if she fell off the edge LOL.
We were enjoying ourselves way too much when we realised that like everything else on this trip that time is a factor and we have a coach to catch (and if we're lucky we'll be able to shovel a few mouthfuls of food in before we go, lunch was included in the price of the trip and when we get to the Hualapei Ranch we grab some cornbread and chicken and eat it quickly as we get on the bus. I get once last glimpse of the Grand Canyon and I'm really pleased we came today.
We catch the sunset over Lake Mead and when we see the lights of Las Vegas in front of us, disaster strikes, well not really for us as we don't have plans for the evening, but the bus breaks down and it's going to be awhile before one will be sent out to pick us up.
Our driver gets in contact with the other coaches coming back from and finds out if there are seats available and as each one comes up to us they stop and take on a few more passengers (we worked out amongst us who needed to get back first-people with tickets for shows that evening and there were a few of those-families with kids etc)...so we were on the bus that came to pick the driver up (while we waited we watched RV and just enjoyed the city lights on the horizon.)
We arrived back, tired, but not quite ready for bed, after all it's our last night in Vegas it would be criminal to be in bed too early, so a shower and change and we head out. We take a long walk up the Strip soaking up the lights and sounds and sleaze of Vegas. Hunger finally hits and we decide as we're heading to NY tomorrow that we might as well get a taste of it by going to the Broadway Burger Bar at NY (after another roller coaster ride)
We have a great burger and fries and a chocolate malt (and a couple of cocktails) take one last look at the city lights and head back to the hotel to sort ourselves out for tomorrow, it's going to be a shock to the system heading back into the cold after the last few warm days here in Vegas.