Vegas 2 Grand Canyon--Road Trip Day 2--ex post facto

(posted a week later) Waking up in Vegas, the city that never sleeps (and we were there on the Summer Solstice no less, so fitting to be somewhere completely electric light dependent on the longest day of the year!), we mobilize quickly for the 2 mile walk from our hotel room to the car in the Circus Circus parking garage. Well, first the kids ride on the roller coaster (say it's very good and big, not a tiny one like most hotels have ;)).

We drive out headed for the antithesis of Vegas, from a man-made wonder of the world to one of nature's greatest triumphs, the Grand Canyon. On the way we crawl through Hoover Dam traffic (I wondered when the concierge said "you have to go around the dam to get to the Grand Canyon" in a sort of weary voice, and now I know, you inch along for miles before the dam). On the plus side, the kids enjoyed referring to "dam traffic" and wondering if we could stop for a "dam soda" or "dam french fries"--we didn't.

The dam traffic, you'll be glad to know, is caused by keeping our nation and the Colorado River reservoir safe by requiring each car to slow down so that a couple of dumpy (I should talk) uniformed women can peer in to the vehicle for a 1/2 second to determine whether you're a terrorist likely to blow up the dam. What are they going to see? Anything short of dynamite piled on the front seat with a lighter is likely to escape their attention. That's me above in front of the Hoover Dam.

Arriving at the Grand Canyon at dusk is, of course breathtaking. E had wondered for the last few miles, "is this canyon really going to be so grand? Or is it just going to be another big canyon?" I didn't try to convince her of anything, just said, "you'll see." And she did. I had seen it twice before. First time for the kids.

Our camping spot in Mather Campground on the South Rim was wonderful--in a quiet non RV corner, right up against a large patch of no campgrounds (in which we saw an elk as we were making camp but we didn't act fast enough--see this video for details: ).