|
THE ROUTE
The Route above starts at Las Vegas, then
onto Hoover Dam, Kingman, Route 66, Oatman, Lake Havasu City.
Back to Kingman, Route 66, Grand Canyon Caverns,
Prescott, Sedona.
Onto Grand Canyon South Rim, then to Monument
Valley. Next Mesa Verde NP, then Durango,
San Juan Highway and Telluride. To Grand Junction,
then Moab, with Canyonlands and Arches
National Parks.
Moving on to Blanding, then Natural
Bridges NP and Capitol Reef NP. Next is Bryce
Canyon NP and Page, followed by Grand
Canyon North Rim.
Up to Zion National Park and back to Las
Vegas. Altogether some 2,840 miles over 18 days. |
THE
TRIP
In May 2002, Penny and John went
on holiday on an eighteen day trip to the American South West. We
planned the trip ourselves, from knowledge of our previous visit and
help from our computer National Geographical Trip Planner and visits
to the Internet. We flew by Virgin Airways and booked some
accommodation and car hire from them, with further hotels from Best
Western Group and direct from the Internet.
Our daily diary is shown below,
together with some photos of the trip. The photos were taken with our
Canon Digital Ixus V camera. There
are several pictures
for most days, so CLICK
ON THE DAY to
see them.
THURSDAY 2
May  GATWICK
TO LAS VEGAS
We drove to Gatwick the night before and stayed at
the Copthorne Manor Hotel, near to the Airport. The overnight
accommodation, plus parking for the next couple of weeks and
including courtesy coach trips to and from the airport came to around
£115, which we thought was extremely good value.
The ten hour flight was comfortable and we arrived
at Vegas around 3.30 pm and picked up our hire car from Dollar. We
had chosen a Chrysler Voyager, which we consider excellent for our
needs, being spacious, comfortable and easy to drive. At the Dollar
pick up point we were happily surprised to be told to take any car we
wanted, from ten or so parked against a wall. We chose a green LX
model with only 2,750 miles on the clock.
Driving to our Hotel, the Monte Carlo, on the
Strip, was fairly straightforward and we parked up with no problems,
other than the carrying of Penny's suit case, the size of which was
the talking point of the trip by all the hotel porters who
encountered it!
We had a brief trip out, visiting the Belagio
Hotel, with its magnificent gardens, and walked some of the Strip,
before eating at McDonalds, then returning to our Hotel for a well
needed sleep, as our body clocks told us it was the early hours of
Friday morning.
FRIDAY 3
May  LAS
VEGAS TO LAKE HAVASU
Following a restless night we
were up early and after breakfast at the Hotel, we were on the road
by 8 am, to the Hoover Dam. We stopped at the Dam for about an hour
and walked from Nevada to Arizona and back again. We then drove
across the top of the Dam and the road to Kingman was very straight
and barren. At Kingman we found our way to Route 66; unfortunately we
took the road Eastwards instead of West. However we soon realised our
mistake and stopped at an excellent cafe that served cheese and salad
rolls. We retraced our route and drove towards Oatman, along a narrow
and twisty road with steep inclines across the Black Mountains. At
Oatman we stopped to find wild donkeys (burros) walking the street
and a Western gunfight taking place, completely blocking the road to
all travellers! Some of the gun-fighters seemed reluctant to die, and
it was all good fun. We continued along Route 66 and then linked with
Highway 1-40, turning off to Lake Havasu City, where we immediately
found our hotel, the Ramada Inn. We then made our way to London
Bridge. It seemed strange that we had seen this bridge before, but in
London. It looks fine and is probably appreciated more by those who
visit it in new surroundings.
The township of Lake Havasu City
was founded in 1964, by an entrepreneur named Robert McCulloch, who
had an idea and saw it through. He purchased the largest ever land
deal in Arizona and teamed up with C V Wood, the man who had designed
Disneyland, to help him. It took 3 years to dismantle London Bridge
and each of the 10,276 blocks was individually numbered. You have to
admire the man's vision and determination. Lake Havasu today seems to
be the playground for the rich and young, who spend most of their
time posing on their boats, parked on the beach.
SATURDAY 4
May  LAKE
HAVASU TO SEDONA
This morning, bright and early, we left Lake
Havasu City and made our way back to Kingman on the direct route,
where we again joined Route 66 travelling east bound. The road ran
parallel to the Santa Fe railroad and we saw long freight trains,
with up to four engines pulling countless trucks. We reached Grand
Canyon Caverns and stopped to visit. Our guide, David, who had a
lovely sense of humour, took us down an elevator shaft to the bottom
of the caverns. We then spent around an hour on a tour of the
spectacular underground chambers. When we arrived back at ground
level the place was solid with visitors. A Route 66 Fun Day was in
progress, with a display of classic cars filling the car park. Our
timing had been brilliant, as we left towards the next gas station,
some 23 miles on, at the junction with State Highway 1-40. We made
our way to Route 89, towards Prescott, along a very pleasant drive
which included some really mountainous terrain, and passing the
pretty town of Jerome, which sits on a hillside in the clouds.
Approaching Sedona, we took time to stop at Red
Rock Crossing, with its famous and spectacular view of the River and
the fantastic backdrop of Red Rocks. We then found our hotel, the
Best Western Inn of Sedona, and were delighted with the wonderful
view of Sedona from our balcony. In the evening we drove along the
Airport Road, to view the sun setting over Sedona. The view was
great, although the sunset lacked any cloud to be special, but the
cameras still clicked and the videos whirred!
SUNDAY 5
May  SEDONA
TO GRAND CANYON
Sunday continued the weather we had enjoyed so
far - hot, sunny and without cloud. We again rose early and set off
towards Grand Canyon. From Sedona to Flagstaff we drove along Oak
Creek Canyon, a scenic and winding route with spectacular canyon
walls and a view at the end looking back and down on the road we had
travelled. At the viewpoint Indian stalls offered jewelry, pots and
other mementos
We stopped at Williams to visit Twisters, a
60's cafe and enjoyed a milk shake, then on to Grand Canyon to arrive
by 11.30 am. We made our way to the village, parked and took a free
bus ride to the Rim. We then got another shuttle bus for a tour along
Hermits Road, West Rim. This service is excellent. Buses make the Rim
Tour about every 10 minutes, stopping at various Scenic Views,
allowing you to get off and take in the splendid view, then catch the
following bus to the next Scenic View. We walked along the Rim Path
between two of the pick up points and savoured the atmosphere.
Although this was our second visit to Grand
Canyon, the beauty remained outstanding - one cannot get accustomed
to the sheer size of the vistas. A visiting Canadian chidingly asked,
"Do you have anything like this in England?" and I replied,
"Yes, we call them ditches!"
But the Canyon is unique. It is so quiet, if
you get away from your fellow travellers - so wild - so
"Grand". We spent over 3 hours on the Western Rim Tour and
when we got back to the Village and Bright Angel Trail, the mules and
their riders were returning from their 7 hour trip, deep into the Canyon.
We got a bus back to the car park and drove to
the Grand Hotel at Tusayan, a few miles away, visiting Yavapai and
Mather Points on our journey.
We had an early meal and were entertained by a
singing cowboy and Indian dancing. We then went to the nearby Imax
Theatre to see (again) their film on the Grand Canyon. This film is
awe inspiring, with a huge screen that has you ducking and swerving
to miss the canyon walls, as you speed along the Colorado River. |
MONDAY 6
May  GRAND
CANYON TO MEXICAN HAT
Yet another early rise saw us
eating a breakfast of bananas and hot cocoa, at a scenic pull-in on
the East Rim Drive of the Grand Canyon. We travelled the Rim Road,
stopping at all the available view points en route. After a stop at
Desert View, at the end of the Canyon, we sped off towards Monument
Valley. Our journey was delayed an hour at Kayenta by road-works, so
we stopped for a burger lunch. Another hour was lost by Utah time
being an hour ahead of Arizona time. However, we found plenty of time
to visit Monument Valley and drive the 17 mile unpaved Scenic Route
through the Park. The enormity of the bluffs and buttes were splendid
and we enjoyed our visit to the full, before moving on to Mexican Hat
and the San Juan Hotel.
That evening we drove up to
Goosenecks State Park and saw the extraordinary way that the
meandering river had carved its way through the rock to create the
goose-necks, making the distance 3 times further than a straight
line. From there we drove up to the Valley of the Gods Road and drove
a couple of miles, amongst scenery similar to Monument Valley, before
turning and going back to the Hotel.
TUESDAY 7
May  MEXICAN
HAT TO MESA VERDE
Tuesday morning and after a
hearty hotel breakfast it was off again eastwards to Mesa Verde
National Park. We are so impressed with road travel in the USA. The
roads are wide, smooth, and best of all, empty. We travelled through
Bluff and Montezuma Creek and onwards, seeing Shiprock in the
distance. Then northwards and to Cortez, where we visited the public
library and sent e-mails home. We arrived at Mesa Verde Visitor
Centre at 11 am, and pre-booked guided tours for Cliff Palace at 2 pm
and Balcony House at 3.30 pm. We were told we needed to be fit for
these tours, particularly the second one. We visited the Museum, very
interesting and full of information and artifacts and then the nearby
Spruce Tree House. This is the most original (about 90%) and intact
of the cliff dwellings within the Park.
The Cliff Palace and Balcony
House trips were amazing - we climbed 32 feet ladders and crawled
through narrow tunnels and although we are a couple of old
"fogies" we kept up with the rest of the group. The guide
at Balcony House was a real character and informed us that the tour
was very strenuous. A couple of weeks previous, a member of his tour
had died of a heart attack and he implied that if one of us was to
repeat this misfortune he would have no hesitation in pushing us over
the cliff-face, as he did not want further association with such
events! We left the Park at 5.15 pm and drove to the Enchanted Mesa
Hotel at Mancos, where we were told my room booking had been
cancelled! This was not a problem as they still had several rooms available.
Mancos is a very nice town, but
lacking in restaurants. We dined at the only place open - a pizza bar
attached to the local store.
WEDNESDAY 8
May  MESA
VERDE TO TELLURIDE
Our usual early start enabled us
to drive the 28 miles to Durango and arrive around 8.00 am. We parked
near the Station and found a cafe for breakfast. We got back to the
railroad in time to see the engine arrive and back up to the
carriages and I got "told off" for crossing the tracks to
get a better picture! We moved on, along the San Juan Highway to the
town of Silverton, at over 9,300 feet above sea level. The views were
great, but not as much snow as we had expected. We were told that
this year the snowfall was only about 30% of usual, which will affect
the water in the rivers and lakes, and later in the holiday we saw
evidence of the impending drought. As we reached the higher mountains
between Silverton and Ouray, snowflakes fell on the car windscreen,
but by the time we reached Ouray the sun had re-appeared. The
waterfalls at Ouray provided an exhausting walk, as a long climb at
that altitude left us breathless.
We drove on to Telluride, via
Ridgeway, admiring the snow-capped mountains en route. This town is
around 9,600 feet above sea level. At the Bear Creek Bed and
Breakfast, in the main High Street, we enjoyed a sumptuous room, with
splendid views. We went out and drove towards the Bridal Veil Falls,
and stopped short along the unpaved road to see waterfalls down a
frozen cliff-face.
THURSDAY 9
May  TELLURIDE
TO GRAND JUNCTION
The journey from Telluride to
Grand Junction took us along the Tabeguache Scenic Byway. The changes
in scenery were diverse and dramatic, from mountains to the high
green plateau, to deep valleys following the San Miguel River, with
the lush green foliage of the river valley contrasting with the rust
red rocks of the towering cliffs. We stopped several times to take in
the spectacular scenery. At one scenic point we saw where water
troughs had been bolted to the canyon walls to bring fresh water to
the mines. As we looked down the steep ravine-like cliffs we saw two
large animals swimming and diving in the water below. We could not
make out what they were, but guessed they must be beaver - they
seemed larger than man-size.
As we reached Grand Junction, we
took a diversion to the Colorado National Monument - a winding road
with dramatic views of canyons, cliffs and rocks, reaching high into
the sky. We drove the road through the National Park both ways,
before driving on to our hotel, the Best Western Sandman at Grand Junction.
FRIDAY 10
May  GRAND
JUNCTION TO MOAB
We drove West from Grand
Junction, along State Highway 70, under cloudy skies and dull
scenery. Our exit from the highway was Number 202 and after over a
week in the US we realised that this was because the exit was at Mile
202 of the Highway!! We joined Scenic Byway 128 and quickly found
ourselves on a road with wonderful views every mile, some reminiscent
of Monument Valley. The mighty Colorado River swept alongside the
highway. However, the low snow falls and lack of rain had put the
river at its lowest level in living memory. Already, in May, areas of
the river bed normally flooded are bare, with cracked earth. We took
longer to travel than expected, due to the need to stop so often to
admire a scenic viewpoint.
We reached Moab, crossed the
Colorado River and made our way northwards to Canyonlands National
Park. Incidentally, we had purchased a National Parks Pass via the
Internet, before we left the UK, for a mere $50.00, and it paid for
itself at least twofold, giving us free admission to all of the
National Parks areas we visited. (Get one from nationalparks.org)
As we arrived at Canyonlands the
skies cleared and the sun came out, although there was a strong wind
gusting, causing visible dust storms. Canyonlands was well worth the
visit, with enormous vistas. As we viewed the Island in the Sky area
we saw the Upheaval Dome, which we were told was caused either by a
meteorite or by evaporating salt deposits - surely someone should
know which! We drove to Grand View Overlook and agreed that the name
befits its description as we looked across the panorama which
included the Needles area to the South.
We turned back towards Moab,
calling at Dead Horse State Park on the way. Myth has it that it was
so named because skeletons of horses found there were caused by their
owners turning them loose and forgetting they were there, so they
were not watered. However, this is an unlikely explanation, as horses
were so valuable, no-one would forget or abandon them. The viewpoint
at Dead Horse Point Overlook is memorable, with the gooseneck on the
Colorado River.
We returned to Moab and
registered at the Aarchway Inn, then drove back across the bridge to
arrive at the "Canyonlands by Night" headquarters for 6.30
pm. We then enjoyed a splendid barbecue of assorted meats, salads,
vegetables and sauces, followed by pudding. The food was exceptional
and the company of fellow diners interesting and pleasant. Our guide
for the evening, a gentleman named Preston, was witty and convivial
and ushered us into a large jet boat as dusk drew near. We glided
upstream, to an informed commentary from Preston about the various
canyon formations and local history. As the last of the sun's rays
disappeared and darkness set in, we stopped on the river and a
recorded commentary with music was played. Suddenly the canyon
erupted with light, as the accompanying light truck lit the scene
from the shore road. We drifted back with the river, with the lights
from the shore illuminating the cliffs on both sides, while the stars
shone from above. A memorable and rewarding evening and highly
recommended to all. (canyonlandsbynight.com)
|
SATURDAY 11
May  MOAB
TO BLANDING
We slept in longer than usual,
probably due to the previous "late" night. We phoned home
to check all was well there and apart from our dog developing a limp,
(probably from over exercise!), things were fine.
We drove a few miles northwards
to Arches National Park. The arches were plentiful and impressive,
although we limited the amount of walking, due to time, which
restricted the number of arches we saw. We soon realised our schedule
for the day was too full, so abandoned our intentions to visit the
Needles area of Canyonlands later in the day.
When first entering Arches NP
you come across a canyon of massive rocks, named Park Avenue due to
the resemblance of the massive rocks and cliffs to sky-scrapers. We
thought Landscape Arch was impressive, and enjoyed
our visit to The Windows area. Our visit lasted over four hours, but
we could easily have stayed another two, to see many more interesting sites.
We drove back into Moab, stopped
for a burger lunch and found the Moab Skyway Scenic Chair Lift, which
took us soaring into the sky, from 4,000 feet to 5,000 feet above sea
level, in a few minutes. The ride was exhilarating and the views from
the top took the remainder of our breath away. Although I understand
that the Skyway closed on 9 June 2002, due to lack of funds, it was
then bought at auction and re-opened in August.
We then drove south on Route
191, to Blanding, stopping to view Wilson Arch from the highway. At
Blanding we stayed at the Best Western Gateway Inn.
SUNDAY
12 May  BLANDING
TO CAPITOL REEF
There had been rain overnight,
but we set off with blue skies chasing away the clouds. We took Route
95 to Natural Bridges Monument National Park, which comprises of a
seven mile Scenic Loop, with views of the three arch bridges. These
were easy to view from short walks from car parks, although involved
strenuous trecks if you were to get close up. I walked down a steep
walk to view the third and largest bridge, Owachomo, where it was
possible to see the sky from beneath the archway. We also stopped to
view ancient Indian Ruins, built inside the cliff face and similar to
Mesa Verde.
We continued along Scenic Route
95, lined with huge cliffs and stacks. We crossed the Colorado River
and viewed Hite Marina on Lake Powell below. The lake was also low on
water, due to the drought, but the panorama below was still
spectacular. At Hanksville we saw the Henry Mountains and took Route
24 to Capitol Reef National Park. Capitol Reef has huge domes and
rock faces alongside the Freemont River. We saw the huge Capitol Dome
from several viewpoints, but in the heat of the day the walk to
Hickman Bridge proved too much to handle.
We drove the Scenic View from
the Visitor Centre, past the Mormon community of Fruita, with more
views of the Park. We then returned along the same road, where the
views seemed better than the other way. We found our Hotel for the
night at Torrey, the Best Western Capitol Reef Resort.
MONDAY
13 May  CAPITOL
REEF TO BRYCE
Another busy and interesting
day. From Torrey we drove south along Scenic Byway Route 12,
initially through Dixie National Forest, with mile after mile of
aspen trees, that were mainly a week or two from providing a sea of
green. The views behind us, of Capitol Reef, contrasted with those
ahead of the Grand Escalante Staircase. We stopped at the Escalante
Petrified Forest National Park for a picnic lunch and then onwards
with spectacular views on all sides. The lack of water was apparent,
with river beds run dry, at times the Escalante River being a mere
trickle. We continued on Route 12 and made a turn into Kodachrome
State Park - at a charge of $10, as we did not have a $5 bill for the
self registration fee! The Park had been well recommended by the
guide books, but we found it a little disappointing, as it had
limited access roads and strenuous walks to viewpoints. Perhaps we
had been spoilt by all the wonderful scenery we had already seen on
our holiday.
Continuing towards Bryce Canyon,
we saw a fire raging to our right, off Route 22. We checked into
Ruby's Inn and still had time to visit Sunrise and Inspiration Points
to admire the amphitheaters below of golden hoodoos and spires. We
called in to the Visitor Centre, where we watched a well presented
film on Bryce Canyon National Park and visited the interesting Museum.
TUESDAY 14
May  BRYCE
TO PAGE
We spent the morning exploring
Bryce Canyon. We drove to the end and then stopped at all of the
Viewpoints on the way back along the Canyon.
We left Bryce and journeyed
towards Page, via Red Canyon and Kanab. We had considered travelling
along Cottonwood Canyon Road, which runs from Kodachrome State Park
to almost Page. However, we would have needed a 4WD to safely make
the journey and I didn't feel very confident to drive the 40 miles of
unpaved track in our Chrysler Voyager.
We stopped at Kanab at the Best
Friends Animal Rescue Centre based at Angel Canyon and watched a
video there, while getting our fix of pampering any dog we could get
our hands on! (bestfriends.org)
We drove to Page, and visited
the Carl Hayden Visitor Centre and marvelled at the Glen Canyon Dam
and the incredible road bridge that spans the canyon. We visited Page
town centre and did some shopping, before arriving at the Wahweap
Lode and Marina Hotel for dinner and bed. |
WEDNESDAY 15
May  PAGE
TO NORTH RIM
An early start saw us boarding
the boat trip at Wahweap Marina to cruise Lake Powell and visit
Rainbow Bridge. The five hour trip comprises of two hours journey
each way, with an hour to spend at the Bridge. It was a sunny day and
ideal for our trip. When we arrived to dock at our destination, we
had to walk on pontoons and then a pathway to the Bridge, being
around half a mile. I was surprised by this, as photos I had seen
previously showed water right up to the Bridge, with its reflection
in the water. However, due to the lack of snow and rain over the past
year, the water level of Lake Powell is well below normal. A National
Park Ranger appeared out of nowhere at the Bridge and gave us a
conducted tour of the site. It was a very pleasant morning and we
arrived back at Wahweap around 1.00 pm.
The previous evening at the
Hotel we had been admiring some photos in the foyer, to be told by a
fellow guest that the subject of the pictures was Antelope Canyon,
just a few miles down the road from Page. On our way to Grand Canyon
we did a detour and sought out Antelope Canyon for a visit. The site
is owned and run by Navaro Indians and we paid our $17.50 each and
explored the Lower Canyon. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon, being a
narrow crack or gully deep into the rock, with spectacular rock
formations along a steep, narrow and challenging pathway. It involves
steep inclines, some with ladders, over rocks and very narrow access,
particularly difficult to walk. The walkable Canyon goes about a
quarter of a mile and is around 130 feet deep. The colours and
patterns of the rock face and their appearance to the overhead
sunlight is an experience to remember. We walked the length and then
climbed a series of steps and ladders to exit. If we had more time
available we would have turned and journeyed the Canyon the other way.
Then onwards and upwards towards
Grand Canyon North Rim, taking us back to Highway 89, then 89A and
67, passing the Marble Canyon, Vermilion Cliffs and Navajo Bridge.
As we neared the North Rim we
were amazed by the vast forests and lush and wide meadows, running
some 30 miles on the approach road. We saw herds of deer and some
wild turkeys, before arriving at the Grand Canyon Lodge, where we
watched the sunset.
THURSDAY 16
May  NORTH
RIM, GRAND CANYON
We spent the full day at the
North Rim, Grand Canyon, where we made the short drive to Point
Imperial and Cape Royale. A stop at Vista Encarte gave us a close
encounter with a mule deer on the Rim, who posed patiently while I
captured her on video and took several digital photos, resulting in
what I consider is the best photo I have ever taken. All I had to do
was press the button! CLICK
HERE, to see the photo. The North
Rim has some fantastic views and is a lot quieter than the South Rim,
with far fewer tourists. We enjoyed our stay and were glad we
visited, but if we had to choose, we both preferred the views from
the South Rim.
Overall we had our first lazy
day, although we did our fair share of walking. We had a late meal at
the Lodge, due to the poor booking system they have for meals, and at
9.30 pm we were almost too tired to want our food. Anyone staying at
the North Rim should decide if they want to eat at Grand Lodge well
in advance. They take bookings for months in advance and if you wait
for the day you take your chances, with a probable late dining time.
FRIDAY 17
May  NORTH
RIM TO VEGAS
An early start set us on the
road towards Zion, with some 300 miles of driving planned for the
day. As we were leaving Arizona for Utah and then Nevada, we also had
an extra hour today, as our watches had to be put back one hour to
adjust for the Time Zone difference. We again enjoyed the first 30
miles from the North Rim, through the meadows and forests. We made
our way to Kanab and were on familiar territory again. We approached
Zion from the East and drove along the Zion - Mount Carmel Highway
through the two tunnels, the second being about a mile long, with
"windows" in the tunnel giving spectacular views of Zion
Canyon (to the passenger, but not the driver!)
Zion Canyon National Park was as
massive and overpowering as it had been when we first visited in
1999. This time we had to park up at the Visitor Centre, as no
private cars are allowed in the Canyon. However, an excellent bus
shuttle service is in operation, similar to the one at South Rim,
Grand Canyon. We took a ride to the end of the Canyon and then walked
alongside the river, until the track ended, a couple of miles along.
We spent 4 hours at the Canyon, before moving on towards Las Vegas.
Most of the journey to Vegas was on Interstate Highway 15 and we
easily lapped up the miles. We passed through the magnificent Virgin
Canyon, with the Virgin River and the Canyon alongside the highway -
a tremendous and scenic route. We arrived at Vegas and booked into
the Luxor Hotel. In the evening we went to the Imax Theatre at the
Hotel and saw a 3D film about the American Space Programme. It was
good, but the film we had seen at Grand Canyon Imax was better.
SATURDAY 18
May  LAS
VEGAS & TOUR
This was the last full day of
the holiday and we had made plans to go out on a highlight! At 7.30
am we were collected from the Tours Lobby of the Luxor Hotel and
taken to the Airport, where we met our Guide, who ushered us onto our
Las Vegas Airlines aircraft. We flew eastwards, over the Hoover Dam
and Lake Mead and after an hour's flight overflew Grand Canyon, near
Pearce Ferry and landed on the nearby Grand Canyon West Airstrip
belonging to the Hualapai Indians. We then transferred to a
helicopter, that took us searing over the Canyon edge and to the
river bank 4,000 feet below. These few minutes of my life will never
be forgotten, as our helicopter pilot must have been in a hurry as he
raced to the bottom like he was in a "Whirlybirds" film!
Having staggered from the helicopter we were then directed onto a
boat, which took us about half a mile along the Colorado River and
back again. We then got back into a helicopter and ascended to the
top of the Canyon and back to the Air Strip. Going up was even more
exhilarating than going down, and I blinked as the rotor blades spun
uncomfortably close to the rock walls. We landed ok and then got into
a coach, which drove along a rim road, to a barbecue area on the edge
of the Canyon. We stayed about an hour an a half while we had lunch
and savoured the views of the Canyon beneath. The motor coach
returned us to the air strip, and we returned by plane to Las Vegas.
The air flights were pretty bumpy both ways, due to air turbulence,
but overall it was a great way to spend 6 hours. However, if this is
to be your only experience of the Grand Canyon, then you may be
disappointed. The Canyon is not very wide at the area you visit,
probably no more than half a mile, and does not compare with the
magnificent viewpoints on the South and North Rims, where the rims
are more than 10 miles apart.
After returning to our Hotel, we
had a short rest and then took a taxi to Freemont Street, where we
hoped to buy presents for all those back home, plus a further suit
case to put all our extra stuff in! Although it was something to see,
Freemont Street was not the place to shop in, rather just to look at,
so we took another taxi back, which cost us another $20 including tip.
In the evening we decided to
walk the Strip and so we got back late to our Hotel, absolutely dead
on our feet.
SUNDAY 19 May
We packed our bags in the
morning and left them with the Hotel Desk. We had a few hours to
spend, so after a late breakfast we got the mono-rail from the Luxor
to the Excalibur Hotel and spend some time in the gift shops there,
as well as being entertained by a juggler. We then returned to the
Luxor and made our way to the Mandeley Bay Hotel, with its fantastic
beach set up with breaking waves. At the Mandeley Bay we paid to
visit the Aquarium and saw turtles, sharks and all sorts of marine
life, before making our way back to the Luxor, collecting our car and
luggage and driving to the Airport. We easily found the Dollar car
returns and arrived for our flight with time to spare. We were
impressed with the speed that we were processed and our baggage taken
and cleared. Our Virgin flight left at 6.05 pm and our overnight trip
was pleasant with no problems. We arrived at Gatwick around midday on
Monday and home about 4.00 pm, with no money, but lots of happy memories!
If you enjoyed seeing our
memories of this holiday, why not view our previous time in the USA,
in October 1999, which includes Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Phoenix,
Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Vegas, Death Valley, Mono Lake, Yosemite,
Kings Canyon, San Francisco, Pacific Route 1, Moro Bay, Solvang,
Ventura and lots more.
OCTOBER 1999 HOLIDAY AMERICAN
WEST
JUNE 2004 HOLIDAY  THE
ROCKIES
NEXT
HOLIDAY = MAY 2003 = ALASKA CRUISE
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