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Published: December 18th 2010
Our flight from Rarotonga to LA was delayed five and a half hours, so we spent the night lying on the tiled floor of the smallest airport we've seen on our travels. When dawn finally arrived, we were grateful to climb into the comfort of the plane. Flying east, it was difficult to believe we would soon be on North American soil, and even more so because my sister and her boyfriend would be waiting for us at the airport. Jess and Tyler had flown down the previous day and we had planned to spend the last part of our trip together, travelling through LA and Las Vegas. It really felt like we were going home.
We had stopped in LA on our way to Australia a year ago, but as we flew over the city we were still taken aback by the hectic streets and large highways of this vast city in contrast to the relative calm of Australia. It took us 45 minutes to pass through Customs, and by this time we were anxious to meet up with Jess and Tyler - the first family we would see in over a year. We found each other easily, and
after several hugs made our way to the hotel to catch up on things. It was a bit of a reverse culture shock for us to return to LA as we inched our way through the chaotic traffic and impatient drivers. We spent a couple of nights in LA and revisited Venice Beach and the Hollywood sign, and took a drive through the mansions of Beverly Hills. The places here were unbelievable; we even saw one place with
two leopard print stretch limos in the drive.
From LA, we made the four hour drive to Las Vegas. We planned it so we would arrive at night, to take in the lights of Vegas and all that the strip has to offer. We stopped for a shopping spree at The Liquor Depot and then cruised down Las Vegas Boulevard to the downtown area. All of us were taken aback by the bright lights, busselling streets, and infamous casinos. We spent the first couple nights at The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in downtown Vegas. It probably wasn't something we would have chosen ourselves, but we had reserved a "mystery hotel" with an online travel agency. It turned out to be
a fabulous place, complete with a water slide through a shark tank, and it gave us the opportunity to explore the original downtown area and The Fremont Street Experience, which we may have regrettably missed otherwise. We moved around throughout our stay, staying at the Egyptian themed Luxor and the towering Statosphere, to maximize our exposure to different areas of the strip. We wandering through the many hotels and casinos, amazed by the intricasies of their designs. Jess and I enjoyed playing the penny slots, and even moreso the complimentary drinks they continuously served us at all hours of the day and night. Tyler sweet-talked his way into a lot of great deals and we were able to see some amazing shows. They were all fabulous, but Cirque de Soliel's "O" probably topped the list. Incredible acrobatics and atheletics combined with an amazing theatrical performance on a stage of water proved to be an awe-inspiring show. We also saw Cirque's presentation of the magician Criss Angel, whose tricks kept us debating for hours. We feasted at Tournament of the Kings, a medieval theatrical performance at the Excalibur. We watched Bite, a sensual take on the traditional Dracula storyline. There were
also many continously run free shows; we saw the water show at the Bellagio, the fire show at the Mirage, and the circus show at Circus Circus - all of which had the flair and theatrics expected of Vegas.
We took a couple of days away from the strip and stayed at Lake Las Vegas. A beautiful resort area centered around the man-made lake, it was nice to have a quiet night relaxing in the hot tub. In the morning we were feeling adventurous so we went for a drive into the Nevada desert in search of Area 51. We had done some online research the night before, so we were fairly confident we could find out way there despite the area being unmarked. We drove through the Valley of Fire on the way there and all laughed when we crossed into the State Park and the ranger kept asking where we were headed so he could give us directions and we avoided giving him a direct answer. We knew we were starting to get close to the mysterious government area when we began spotting observation cameras and alien-themed paraphernalia. Our GPS blacked out, so we navigated the rest
of our way by memory of our earlier research. Driving slowly down a remote, seemingly abandoned road, we knew we must be in the right place when a camera popped out of a gopher hole in the road, presumably to check our licence plate (though we didn't have one - we were driving a brand new rental SUV and only had temporary licencing, so I'm sure we really caught their attention). Out of nowhere, several vehicles came speeding out of the distance, doing U-turns and circles a couple hundred metres from where we were. The dirt is so finely ground on these roads, they created a huge dust cloud, minimizing our visibility of the area. Not that easily deterred, we continued on at a snail's pace through the wall of dust. By the time we reached the Area 51 outer border, the security truck was already in place to keep an eye on us. We decided not to push our limits at the "Lethal Force Authorized Beyond This Area" sign. Though we couldn't see anything from the border, we all agreed there certainly must be
something to hide to account for all the security. On the way out we searched
for the "alien mailbox," which some extra-terrestrial fanatics claim is a portal between the two different worlds. Complete with a locked donation slot, we were all gawking at it when a school bus pulled up and dropped off the local rancher kids - boy did we look silly! We made it back to Vegas without being abducted, but certainly with a new insight into Area 51.
A Vegas adventure wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Grand Canyon; and we opted to take in this awesome natural wonder by air. Our first time in a helicopter, it was a sensation unlike other aircraft we have been in (or jumped out of). Flying over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and into the canyon was truly spectacular. We flew through the canyon, taking in the many sights, and landed at a ranch in Arizona. Greeted by the ranchers, we were picked up by a horse-drawn wagon and taken to an old ranch house where we were served a delicious homestyle dinner. The ranch was set in the Old Wild West theme, and we were given some time to wander around, check out the historic houses, and watch a gun
draw show put on by the ranchers. As dusk began to settle in, we climbed back into the helicopter and flew back to Vegas as the sun was setting over the canyon. It was dark by the time we arrived, so we were treated to an awesome night fly-over of the strip.
With our Vegas adventure accomplished it was finally time to head home. Going home... such a bittersweet feeling. We were both ecstatic to be reunited with our family and friends, yet devastated that our incredible adventure was coming to an end. We had been travelling for so long that it became a way of life. Though frustrating and difficult at times; looking back those troubling moments are some of our greatest memories. We were both looking forward to a rest, a comfortable bed, and home cooked meals, but were unsure how long that feeling would last. We both had a strong desire to return to the comforts of home, but had that same desire to continue our travels. It was such a strange feeling flying into Toronto, seeing things so familiar, yet memories from a time that seems so distant. Jess and Tyler drove us back to
Barrie, stopping for a much needed Tim Horton's along the way. I had been fantasizing about a honey crueller for most of the flight back, and to my intense disappointment they were fresh out of them! It was quite late, but we had a surreal reunion with our parents and spent the night in a familiar bed. With only weeks to go until Christmas, there really is no place like home for the holidays!
In the end, it was back to the realities of finding jobs and a place to live. I am sure throughout our whole lives we will continue to be travellers (though on a smaller scale... unless we win the lottery). It was a life-changing experience, full of adventures and challenges, new people and new places, and the memories of this we will forever cherish. It truly was the adventure of a lifetime, and we wouldn't trade our experiences for anything. To all who wonder how we could just pick up and take a year off; it was more like a year on... a year where we lived for each day, relished
Pool Bar!
Golden Nuggetin life's simple pleasures, enjoyed each other's company. After all, what is life for if it's not for living?
Our final tally came in at 397 days on the road, 34000 kilometers travelled by car, 19 flights, 13 ferry crossings, 8 bus rides, and 7 train rides. We worked 10 different jobs, read 25 books, and camped out over 160 nights.
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