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Published: August 22nd 2010
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Today was our Grand Canyon West Rim tour with a bus pickup at 6am at our hotel. Bus was prompt and was doing the rounds picking up people before taking us to the tour office which was a few miles south of the Strip. At the office, we paid the balance of our trip, bought tickets for Skywalk and were given a light breakfast before boarding a black double decker luxury bus. Our driver and guide was a bloke named Felix who was not only helpful and informative - he was also pretty funny which made for an enjoyable experience for all. Since we only had 2 hrs sleep - we were nodding off for most of the trip. First stop was the Arizona side of the Hoover Dam which I think is an engineering marvel considering it was built way back in the 1930's. It is a massive structure and holds back a huge amount of water, at the moment the dam is only above half full but it has come close to the top a few times which is why they built a massive overflow tunnel to protect the rest of the dam. Currently they have built a bridge
overpass over the top to cope with the increased traffic and that looks marvellous as well suspended above the dam.
Our next stop was a shed in the middle of nowhere which was like a convenience store and a toilet stop. After that we made our way to a bus depot where we transferred to a different which would take us the rest of the way through a dirt track. Not only was it unsealed roadway - it was rough as hell. Rocks littered the road causing jolts right through the core of the bus. We understood why they didn't take the fancy black double decker bus through that track. We got to our destination which doubles as a small airport and helicopter base for all the Canyon tours. From there we caught a shuttle to Eagle Point which is home to the Skywalk. I have to say the Grand Canyon is spectacular due to its sheer size and depth. I didn't get too close to the edge as there are no safety barriers and I had slippery sneakers on. Got close enough to get some good looks and photo opportunities though. The Skywalk is a nifty idea -
a U shaped glass platform hanging off the edge of the canyon. So you walk on glass and look straight down to the depths of the canyon - a pretty unique experience in my opinion. They charge $30 a photo out there as they don't allow you to take any belongings out there. Pretty steep but what choice do you have?
After that we checked out some indian huts both timber and mud which actually are quite cool even under the glare of the midday sun. Our next stop was another lookout with some more stunning views and you can hike to stop awesome spots. We didn't bother as it was too hot. Off to our next stop which is a cowboy ranch where we also had a hearty lunch of ribs, potato and corn.
It was now after 3pm and time to start heading back. Was a pretty uneventful ride home where I managed to grab a little shut eye. We were dropped off at our hotel just before 8pm and headed to Downtown and Fremont street. It is a strange part of Las Vegas, it is the original area of Vegas and has much older hotels
and also older clientelle. Apparently is where the locals come to gamble. They were having a street party so Fremont Street was very busy. We had a look around and headed back to the Strip. The bus ride back was painful due to the insane traffic around the strip. Lou and I went to gamble separately at our preferred venues. I went back to Planet Hollywood and had a pretty good few hours, immersing myself in the vibe of the place.
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Anne
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Sundance Helicopter Tour
BEWARE!! of tours with the Sundance helicopter/ boat ride. We waited for over an hour to board helicopter and therefore only had 11/2 hour to view other 3 points of interest. THEY DO NOT LIVE UP TO THEIR CLAIMS!!!!