The Grand Canyon

My first trip to the Grand Canyon was a very long bus trip from Las Vegas. We rose at 5.30am to be greeted by the ever present party people of Las Vegas trying to make a great night never end. Our first stop after a short drive was at Hoover Dam. Now there was no dam tour, there was no dam guide & we didn't get to have any dam photo opportunities (good ones anyway). As we drove across the dam wall we pulled up on the other side for a distant 100 metre view & our first toilet break. Now I had come from Egypt & New York before arriving in Las Vegas. Out of all the toilets I had used on this trip, Hoover Dam had the most disgusting. After barley surviving this horrific incident, we were on the road again. It wasn't long before we were travelling down the famous Route 66. There is not a great deal to see along this route except for a few random wild west stores & believe it or not, the occasional tumble weed dancing through the grass mounds. We took the opportunity to use the restrooms at a few of the shops & then settled in with our boxed lunch, knowing that The Canyon would be the next stop.

A few more hours down the road we could feel it starting to get quite cold. Our guide told us that it's not unusual to see snow at the Canyon that time of year. Once we arrived, we donned the tour companies wind jackets and made the short walk to the South Rim. I have always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, but always assumed that it would be some very red hole in the ground that's worthy of a few photos. Let me tell you....... WOW! It just takes your breath away the first time you see this natural wonder of the world. As you approach one of the many lookouts at the rim, all the trees just give way into the most amazing view. It wasn't just a red hole in the ground. You could see various shades of green, brown, red & blue. There were different layers of rock with formations jutting out from the rocky wall. We could see what looked like the other side of the Canyon, but was in fact just the mountains of rock that had formed in between.

As we strolled along the rim's edge, you can see why there are an estimated 16 deaths a year, with people putting them selves & their family in dangerous positions for the perfect photo. Before we knew it, we had been walking for two hours & made it to our destined pick up point. After the rest of the group had made it back to the bus we were heading back to Las Vegas. This was possibly one of the longest drives in my life, 6 hours straight driving with with silence for the first half and then the crappy chic flick "Under then Tuscan Sun"......... shoot me now please, anyone.

It had been a very long day departing Vegas at 5.30am & returning at 9.30pm. Even though we were only at the Canyon for two hours it was worth the trip. Next time though I don't think I would do the long drive from Vegas. The drive cost $90 USD but there was an option to fly from Vegas for about $300.