Viva Las Vegas (but probably never again!)

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Geo: 36.0846, -115.172

It was an exciting moment as we packed up our tents for the last time, although we knew it was going to be a long day with a five to six hour drive back to Las Vegas. We needed to be up and in the van by 5.20 in order to get to the viewpoint to watch the sunrise over the Grand Canyon. However, due to us forgetting to set our alarm clocks back an hour, we woke up at 4.05. It was fruitless going back to sleep for an hour and so we passed the time by reading, ready to get up at the proper time! At 5.20 we were all belted in and our way wrapped in sleeping bags, ready to sit on the rim of the canyon and watch the sunrise. It was simply stunning. With the stars fading and the sky lightening, we were treated to an actual sunrise, with not a cloud in the sky. The sun rose from behind the far rim of the canyon, lighting up the entire chasm before us, revealing the deep fissures in the canyon little by little. Before our eyes, the rocks changed colour from dark to fiery red and we were able to see the full beauty of the canyon.
On the way back to the campsite to pack up one final time, we encountered an elk grazing at the side of the road. It stood behind the trees, moving slowly into view and we were able to watch him for a good ten minutes. Hs antlers were enormous, and Jen, the guide, deduced that he was a mature male. It was a beautiful, peaceful moment, watching one of the giants of the animal world simply going about his business without a care in the world. Once the tents were down, it was a quick stop off for breakfast and then we hit the road.
Our first stop was an hour into the journey when we encountered some more adorable prairie dogs. We pulled off the road and there was a field full of the cute little critters scampering around. Some were sitting in their burrows, others were feeding on the grassy pitch in front of us, while three or four were sitting up in their back legs, scouting out the surroundings. Because of our proximity, this time we could hear the squeaks they emitted as they communicated with one another. When we realised that they liked the yellow flowers in the fields, we were able to entice them to come nearer to us and spent about ten minutes watching them play, eat and run around.
We then stopped off at a Route 66 town, on the original route from Los Angeles to Chicago. This town was one the major draws on the route back in the 50s and everything in the area gave a nod to that era. Vintage signs, shops and bars lined the streets and souvenir shops sold old style Coca Cola signs, number plates and memorabilia. We stopped of at Delgadillo's Snow Cap - a sandwich shop that has been going since the tourists were hitting the original road back in the day. We also visited one of the shops that housed an original barber's chair, complete with business cards and currency from visitors from all over the world. This was where Billy Connelly stopped off when he did his tour of Route 66.
Back in the van, we had another two hour drive to go of uninspiring landscape. It was flat lands as far as the eye could see and the traffic was fairly light, meaning no chance of adding one of the final three numberplates! At lunch time, we arrived at the In and Out burger bar. A franchise that only operates in three states in the west - Califfornia, Nevada and Arizona - this was fast food with a difference. Everything on the menu is made freshly on the site. Nothing is reheated in the microwaves; nothing is frozen. There are only five different options, which makes the menu small and the food good - what limited menu they do, they do well! The fries came with skin on and everything was made to order. We had been recommended to go there by a friend and we were not disappointed. The decor was that of a traditional American diner, with red leather booths and red and white tiles. The whole place have off an aura of 1950s style and good old fashioned food, done the way it used to be!
Back in the van, it was a further hour and a half to get to our ultimate destination of Las Vegas. This time the drive was more scenic as we climbed and dropped in elevation, and the road wound along past the Black Mountains - scenery we had passed through an enjoyed a week earlier on our Ghost Town Explorer. The mountains rose up on either side of the road and the contrast in colours and shapes was a far cry from the flat landscape we had just come from. We passed by the Hoover Dam, and the shimmering lake created by stopping up the Colorado river just outside Las Vegas. We also passed by pretty Boulder City, but did not drive through this time.
Finally, we arrived back into the hustle and bustle of Vegas. It was a culture shock to have gone from such serene and scenic places into choked roads, clogged with cars sitting bumper to bumper, and huge buildings looming over us at every angle. We stopped off at the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign, where we had a photo stop, and then it was a busy drive through the streets of Las Vegas, up and down the strip dropping the weary travellers off at their hotels. It was time to say goodbye to some of the participants of the trip, who were staying at the Venetian! It was, once again, an excellent way to familiarise ourselves with the layout and location of the key buildings, and we passed through Paris, Venice, Rome and Egypt before pulling up at New York, New York - our home for the night.
New York, New York is even better than the Paris. We were pleasantly surprised and frankly amazed as we had been expecting to be disappointed. However, having spent time together in New York, it was an instantly recognisable environment. From the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge outside the entrance to the paved streets inside, it really was like stepping onto the New York sidewalks. Delis, pizza parlours, bagel shops and brownstones lined the streets, while the greenery of Central Park was painted onto the walls. We ascended in the. Chrysler elevator - decorated to resemble the famous skyscraper - and arrived in our spacious, cool, comfortable room! We brought four stowaways with us who, like us, were desperate for a shower and a rest before hitting Vegas one more time. They were all flying or bussing out that evening and so we freshened up away from the tents in our luxurious room and hit the casinos together.
We went straight to the famous roller coaster to ride around the New York skyline, but were put off by the price tag and decided to try our luck at the tables and slot machines instead. Both German girls won big, which was great as they had struggled for money on their au pair wages for the entire trip. Stacey and I broke even with a couple of big wins which we ploughed back into the machines, sucked into the Vegas feeding frenzy! However, with a constant supply of free drinks, we had a fun evening and still had enough money left over for New York pizza. We said sad goodbyes to our lovely new friends and made promises to stay in touch. With potential accommodation all over the world, I envisage some trips in the pipeline to Washington, Miami, Milan and Hamburg!
We wandered out onto the strip for one last look at the bright lights of Vegas and enjoyed spectacular views from the MGM Grand of New York New York's illuminated facade. It was much quieter at that end of the strip, with more homeless people on the streets. It's the end of the strip that less people venture out to, even though it's only around half a mile away from the big draws of the Bellagio and the Venetian. Despite the slightly deprived feel to it, we much preferred the quieter end of the strip, and can quite happily conclude that we won't be visiting Vegas any time soon. It has been fun, but it really is a party paradise, and the crowds, heat and noise were too much of a culture shock after seven days in the paradise of the national parks.
At 2am we suddenly realised the time, and that we had another early start before hitting the airport for the flight to our final section of our holiday and so, with full tummies and a head full of memories, we hit the sack!

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