Just realised that perhaps it is easier if I post each day as a new topic - so that’s what I will do from now on – previous days relating to this report can be found on “USA Trip of a Lifetime Report”
Day 3 – 25th August 2008 – The Grand Canyon
Well all too soon our Las Vegas experience is over. We were always aware that with a trip such as ours we were only ever going to be able to sample each location but we agreed early on not to be sad about the things we were unable to see or do but just enjoy the things that we could do. Anyway that leaves plenty to come back and do at some time in the future.
So, up early (ish) day 3 something like 6:30am and popped down to Starbucks – get Lyn a coffee – she is still not well – she said that if she was at home she would have stayed in bed but bless her heart she is dragging herself around as best she can.
Today I pick up the rental vehicle – 8:00am – we booked with Dollar and they have a little area allocated to them at the Luxor Reception Desk. So all packed I head down to Reception – check out and pop along to dollar to pick up our car (complete with GPS). Now I’ve not used a GPS before so I needed instructions on how to use it. We were going to stop off at the Hoover Dam on the way to the Grand Canyon and so the Dollar man was good enough to programme our first stop in for me. Great we’re set then – car was waiting in the car park (Chrysler PT Cruiser) – Lyn was waiting at the hotel entrance with the luggage – all I have to do is drive the car from the car park to the front entrance – what could be easier – well in my case understanding the theories involved in quantum mechanics would probably rank up there as slightly easier.
Surely all I have to do is turn right and right again and I’m bound to end up at the entrance – yea the entrance to the highway that takes you straight out of Las Vegas. Ok Choices - do I carry on and enjoy the rest of the holiday and hope Lyn doesn’t miss me or try and find my way back and pick Lyn up – only joking would I do that!
So pull in and have to plug in the Luxor into the GPS – it takes me back but to the wrong entrance – I park the car (in the wrong place – doorman asks me to move on) and decide to walk to the right entrance where hopefully Lyn is still waiting with the bags. Goodness that LV sun is hot!
Arrived at the correct entrance - Lyn was by now in the final stages of heat exhaustion and was providing a reasonable impression of a human red hot chilli pepper - she gave me one of those looks – words were not required – well it wasn’t my fault was it! Was it?
Anyway, all is well, packed the car, got in and wacked up the air conditioning – slip Snow Patrol – Eyes Open into the CD player give it a couple of extra nothches on the volume and we are off – what could be better. GPS is wonderful and for the moment is my friend (note for the moment) – although I have to say I don’t think its and accident of design that she sounds slightly irritated when she says the word “recalculating”
Said goodbye to Las Vegas – what little we saw we loved – America’s playground for the grown ups.
We need provisions so we stop at a store in Boulder just before the Hoover Dam filled up with the necessaries – box of Buds – wine – sherry oh and water lots of water. Walk across the car park to a place called Capriotti’s (I think) who made up the best sandwiches we ate on our whole trip – try them out they were great.
Arrived at Hoover Dam – only a short drive from Vegas – Lyn was still bad and so we only popped out for a quick look and a few photographs. Lake Mead looked beautiful and really deserved a much closer inspection but not today – Lyn was not up to any long walks in the sun – so back in the car and head onto the Grand Canyon.
The drive to the Grand Canyon was fairly uneventful – bland scenery but we did drive through a tremendous thunder storm. The drive was a long one probably about 280 miles from LV to GC and about 5.5 hours driving. Although the scenery has nothing much to commend it there were occasional glimpses of what was to come – I for one was getting very excited.
Although the RV was supposed to come with a full tank it was only three quarters full and so we filled up at Kingsman - ￡20 – ($38). Those of you from the UK will be interested to learn about the intricacies of filling your tank in America - drive into filling station - park next to a pump – note the number of the pump – go to payment desk – give cashier the maximum amount of money you want to pay for gas – go back to the car fill car with gas (some pumps will not work until you lift the lever that the pump rests on) – if you use all the money that you gave the cashier the pump will cut off when the amount you paid is reached – if you fill the tank before all of the money you have given then you have to go back to the cashier for your change – isn’t that neat! However, it does mean that you may have to queue twice so it may be wise to pay slightly less than you think you need or pay at the pump with your card of course.
Anyway where were we – ah yes Kingsman – well it was decision time do we turn left onto Highway 64 at Williams and go in through the South Entrance or do we drive onto Flagstaff turn left onto Highway 89 and go in through the East Entrance (as recommended by one or two Trip Advisors). Well I know what I should have done but I was so keen to see the Canyon that I went in through the South Entrance (sorry Tet you were right). We based this decision on the fact that to get to Lake Powell (our next location) we were going to have to leave via the East Exit therefore we could see those view points on the way out of the park (big mistake).
Arrived at the South Entrance at 4:00pm the excitement was building – paid $80 at the park entrance for the Annual Park Pass and in we go. The Canyon hides its secret very well – you have no idea of the presence of this magnificent spectacle until you are actually upon it. I of course couldn’t bear to check in and all that business, we had to stop at the first view point and take a look at this magnificent beast – we stopped at Mather Point and walked as nonchalantly as we could to the Rim – it was awesome!
Its difficult to express my feelings – this trip has managed to strip me bear of sufficient superlatives – I have seen the canyon so many times in pictures, which can never do it justice - it is so vast in fact it is difficult for you to take in its totality with your own eyes. We stood beside the canyon for a long while – your mind fills with selfish thoughts of wanting all the other visitors to disappear so that you can enjoy this moment by yourself. Once you become accustomed to the scale and scope of the canyon you begin to see the diverse geological structure and the myriad of colours and shades that make up this natural wonder. It was everything I wanted it to be – it was beautiful and unfortunately it can only be truly appreciated by seeing it yourself – it has been 57 years in the coming but it was well worth the wait.
Blown away with our first view of the Canyon we got back in the car and drove onto our accommodation at Maswik Lodge. The Lodge was just as I expected – bear in mind these are lodges in the middle of the Grand Canyon National Park they are not the Luxor nor would you want them to be – they are in-keeping with the environment, basic but clean and tidy – you are told there is no air conditioning but there are fans. The location is fabulous you are set in a little wood no more that 1,000 yards from the rim – if that. I must admit on reflection I think I would have like to have looked at the El Tovar lodges they looked really nice and they were right on the rim.
As soon as we had unpacked we were back to the rim – the nearest viewpoint from Maswik was Bright Angel (Hermit’s Rest is closed due to improvements until November 2008). We arrived just as the sun was setting and managed to take a card full of great pictures. Lots of like minded people on the rim exchanging their canyon and holiday experiences – perfect.
Lyn although looking better was still not well so as soon as the sun was down we grabbed a quick snack at the Maswik lodge (good food and reasonable prices) and then returned to our cabin – reviewed the photographs we had taken and went to bed ready for an early rise in the morning to capture sunrise pictures – what a day!!
USA Trip of a Lifetime Report - Day 3SomersetBoy, I only arrived home last Sunday from a month in the USA doing some similar things to you. I%26#39;m very much enjoying what you are writing. I had ';Watch this topic'; saved from your previous post. Now I%26#39;ll have to keep checking so I don%26#39;t miss any instalments.
Can%26#39;t wait for the next one. Just wish I had the time and energy to report as you are doing.
USA Trip of a Lifetime Report - Day 3Somersetboy...this is brilliant.....we start our adventure next week, very similar trip to yours but starting the other way round SF to LV ....hope we get to read all of your (very interesting) reports before we leave...
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