Grand Canyon

Though most people align Las Vegas with money, booze and gambling (and they wouldn't be wrong in doing so), there is so much to do beyond the city limits.  Rent a car, take some day trips, balance your holiday between partying and outdoor experience. What lies as close as a half our drive from the Strip is just

The drive from Las Vegas to the Canyon is an experience onto itself.  Driving along desert highways, amidst the vast, dusty landscape, surrounded by magestic mountain ranges, is one photo opportunity after another.  We left Vegas fairly early in the morning (about 7:30 a.m. ) and made our way towards the Hoover Dam.  We took the Dam Discovery Tour that takes you into the innards of the gigantic dam and relates its history.  The tour also includes a very interesting movie and a lot of amazing facts about the importance of the dam.  The really cool part of the tour is the fact that when you cross over the dam, you are actually crossing into a different state and time zone!  This is very important when you are on your way to see the Canyon-- the sun sets pretty early as it is in the winter months, add in the time difference and we were beginning to wonder if we had budgeted our time properly. 

There are a few different travel routes between Vegas and Grand Canyon National Park but we chose the most direct route: 

Though you can visit the North or South Rim pretty easily from Vegas (all you need is five extra hours to get to the North Rim), the South Rim is home to the Village, shuttle buses and the visitors centre.  Our choice to visit the South Rim was pretty much made for up for us since the roads that lead to the North Rim are closed during the winter months.  Despite the enormity of this National Park, the way that the buildings are set up actually give you the impression that you could be back at an Ontario Conservation area!  We parked our car in one of the few remaining spots in the parking lot and make our way along the Rim Trail to the closest observation point to take in our first glimpse of the Grand Canyon .  There aren't the right words to describe the immensity and grandeur of the Canyon, nor to describe the feeling that hits you when you first take it all in.  As we drove along the trail, stopping at key points along the way to read about the Canyon's history and natural splendour, we found it all a bit hard to process.  Looking down into the Canyon, it's easy to mistake its size-- without taking a careful look at the details, the river far below or the trails that wind down the canyon-side, you will fail to appreciate the Canyon's true size.  It was all put into perspective for us when we saw a few hikers meandering along the trails below, looking very much like little ants walking along in the sand.

As we were getting close to sunset (even though it was only just after 5 p.m. ), we decided to stop and find a nice place along the rim to sit and enjoy the show.  Of course, being that it was the first week of January, it was incredibly windy and extremely cold.  If you decide to visit the canyon in the winter, despite the stories of heat stroke and dehydration in the summer months, the opposite is true in the winter!  True to what we had heard about Canyon sunsets, we were amazed by the colours and how the sunset made the landscape seem to shift in the shadows of the fading light. It was simply awesome! Once the last light had faded, we drove back along the Rim Trail, through the village and back out onto the highway, disappointed that we hadn't budgeted more time at the Canyon.  That is one thing that we can say for sure, make time for this trip, leave very early from Vegas and bank on a late return or better yet, decide to stay at the village for a night or two in order to get down into the Canyon far enough to appreciate its grandeur first-hand.

For those of you who just aren't into driving, there are many other ways to explore the Canyon, such as organized bus tours, airplane and helicopter tours.  You can't get very far down the strip without being offered a special deal on a Grand Canyon package of some sort.  If you can't make it there on your own, this is your opportunity!  I have friends who have taken the helicopter tour and have felt it worth every penny.  If you have the disposable income, this should definitely be a serious consideration--- the casinos will still be there when you get back!!

Grand Canyon National Park Service

http://www.nps.gov/grca/