Day 10 - Grand Canyon

[Guest]

West Coast Trip Report Index



Cast

Me - Laura - 23
Planner and organiser. Loves travelling, food and having fun!

DF - Kris - 24
Driver and plan follower. Loves travelling, food and having fun!



Day 10 - Grand Canyon

I had been looking forward to this day for so long! It was one of my life ambitions to see the Grand Canyon and today it was going to happen.

We woke about 7 o'clock completely shattered after only six ish hours sleep. We got showered, dressed, etc and left the hotel room at about 8:45. In the hotel lobby we went to Starbucks for breakfast, which cost us $18. We both had a pot of cereal, fruit and yoghurt, Kris had a hot chocolate and I had an orange juice.

At 9 o'clock we left the hotel and walked through the MGM Grand to the strip. Once outside we got on the Duece bus and went up just one stop to the Planet Hollywood hotel. It wasn't far and we probably would have walked if we weren't in a rush, my feet weren't killing me still and we weren't trying to make the most of our Duece passes!



With the time we saved getting the Duece, we were able to take some photos of the hotels nearby.







We were heading for the bus terminal inside the Planet Hollywood but we didn't know exactly where it was. We asked lots of people who worked there but they all directed us to different parts of the hotel, none of which were right! After seeing a lot of the inside of the Planet Hollywood we finally found the right place (underground) and sat waiting for our bus.

Our bus was due at 10:15, by which point we'd already waited for half an hour (we weren't in as much of a rush as we'd thought!) By 10:25 several buses had arrived for other people and I was really starting to panic that we were in the wrong place or got the wrong day or time. My mind went into overdrive! The bus eventually arrived at half 10 and we headed to the New Orleans hotel to pick another couple up. The bus driver explained he'd been late getting us because he'd tried to pick up a couple from the Treasure Island before us and they weren't there! We headed back to the TI and eventually found them. Apparantly the tour company had told them the wrong pick up place.

Anyway, it was just the six of us which was nice, and we got to Boulder City airport about 11:45. We checked in for our trip and sat down to wait. We waited, and waited, and waited some more. We must have been sat around for about an hour. I was really annoyed by this as we seemed to have wasted half a day one way or another but my annoyance soon disappeared! We'd booked a tour where we'd have a plane ride to the rim of the Grand Canyon, a helicopter descent into the Canyon then a boat trip along the river. So very little time in a helicopter. When we walked onto the airfield there was a helicopter waiting for us! I'm not sure quite what happened but we were so pleased! A helicopter was going to be a much better way to travel and would give us a much better view.

This was our ride;



And our pilot Joseph, well the back of his head anyway!



I have never been in a helicopter before (Kris has) and it was such an amazing experience. It feels so surreal and exhilarating! I thought it would be like being in a mini plane but it is so different. And so loud!

We flew over the Hoover Dam on the way, which was great to see from the sky. Here are some photos from our journey to the Canyon;













Once we'd landed in the Canyon Joseph and the helicopter flew off to collect some more people.



We walked down to the side of the river, taking in the pure beauty and scale of it all.







We boarded our boat and had a short, relaxing ride along the river, still completely in awe of this place.





The weather was so beautiful. It was probably the hottest of our whole trip. Boat trip over and suitably relaxed (but now starving) we got back in the helicopter and taken to the West Rim "airport", by which time it was about 2pm.

From the "airport" we got on the bus and got off at the Skywalk. We had initially decided not to go on this as we felt the experience didn't justify the cost. When we got there I changed my mind as I felt I would have regretted coming all this way and not doing it. I told Kris I was happy going by myself but I think he felt left out and decided to come too! It cost us $64 total.

Eagle Point;





Continued...

[Guest]

The Skywalk was amazing, although Kris wasn't as impressed as me. To look below you and see thousands of feet of natual beauty is just awesome (and a little scary!). We didn't have our picture taken, definitely couldn't justify the cost of that!

After watching some tribal dancing we got back on the bus and headed to Guano Point.



Here we finally got some lunch! I was about to eat my own arm by this point lol I knew we should have had something more than a cereal yoghurt pot thing for breakfast! We had a lovely buffet style lunch of chicken, pork (I think it was pork but it could have been beef), corn on the cob, vegetables, rice, spicy beans and a tortilla wrap. Oh and a coconut thing for pudding. The meal was included with the trip, but we paid $4.50 for a drink each. We needed it in the heat!



Sitting eating lunch with a cool breeze looking out at the Grand Canyon was fantastic!



We spent a bit of time taking more pictures of the amazing view before heading back to the bus.







Once back at the "airport" we got our certificates to say we'd been to the Grand Canyon and bought a fridge magnet. We met up with the rest of our group and Joseph and headed back to Boulder City airport in the helicopter. This time it made me feel a little nauseous, so I spent the journey clutching a sick bag. I felt fine on the way out so I put it down to having just eaten.

A bus took us back to the strip and the driver very kindly dropped us off at the Signature rather than the Planet Hollywood. We got back to our hotel room at about 6 o'clock.

Despite being knackered from our long, busy day we didn't want to waste any time sitting in the hotel room so at 6:45 headed back out onto the strip in the search of somewhere to eat dinner. We decided on the Hard Rock Cafe as we hadn't been able to eat in the New York one a few years ago (about a 2 hour wait for a table) and we hadn't had the chance to go to the Pier 39 one in San Francisco.



We didn't have long to wait for a table as we'd opted to sit outside. This place was so cool and I treated myself to a fabulous "Hurricaine" cocktail.





This was the view from our table on the balcony;





Our server reminded us both so much of Drew Barrymore! She looked like her (but with dark hair) and had a similar accent and mannerisms. It definitely wasn't her but she was so lovely and enthusiastic about everything! Probably our best server of the whole holiday.

Kris had a pulled pork sandwich with a coke and I had chicken and beef fajitas with a diet coke. We also had a few extras with our food but I can't remember quite what. I think Kris had cheese and bacon on his fries and I had mushrooms and something else added to my fajitas. The meal was so delicious! I am so glad we ate there. We paid $72 which included a very generous tip. Although a lot for two people the atmosphere, the view, the food and our server were 10/10 so we didn't mind at all. Plus we'd only spent $22 on breakfast and lunch!

From the Hard Rock we walked to Planet Hollywood. Our friends had been to Vegas a few months earlier and stayed here. They had $10 left when they came back and wanted us to gamble it for them. Their favourite was roulette and as they stayed in the PH, we couldn't think of anywhere better to waste, I mean bet, their money!









Suprisingly we didn't win and nor did we win when we bet $10 of our own. Neither of us are really into the whole gambling thing so we didn't bet anymore than that. I really liked the interior of the PH though. I loved how the lights all changed colour. I think if we ever went back I'd consider staying here (or the Bellagio) as it is so central to the strip.

From the PH we headed across the road to the Bellagio. One of the things I was most looking forward to was seeing the fountains. We stayed to watch two shows and they were great! One of the highlights of Vegas to me!









Continued...

[Guest]

I loved the fountains so much and I could have happily stayed all night to watch them. Luckily I realised this would mean not seeing the rest of the strip and so we carried on.

We walked up to Caeser's Palace, which was massive!













We didn't actually go inside the Caesar's Palace but the theming of the outside and the surrounding area was great!

From there we carried on up the Strip to the Mirage.



There were loads of people waiting so we assumed a volcano show was about to start. As we'd seen it the night before we didn't stop.

Next was the Treasure Island.



We arrived about 5 minutes before the Sirens show was about to start so the street outside was packed with people. We are both pretty short (5'3 ish) so we knew we had a poor chance of seeing much of the show but we decided to stay. Anyway by this point we were so jam packed within the crowd there was pretty much no way out!

The show was good, even with a limited view. I took the following photos after the show, once the crowds had moved on and we were able to breathe and see!







It was now getting late and we were tired so we got on the next Duece bus and travelled down the Strip to our hotel, getting back at about 11:30. We went straight to bed and, after such a long day, we both fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows!



Tomorrow - Hoover Dam and Fremont Street

[Cyclospora]

Really enjoying your trippy! Makes me look forward to my trip there in Aug!

[anji]

Me too! which tour company did you use for your trip to the Grand Canyon - looks amazing!

[florida girl]

Great trippie and photos.

Might have a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe on our next trip the veiw looks good as did the bill.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by anji

Me too! which tour company did you use for your trip to the Grand Canyon - looks amazing!

See more...

We booked through All Las Vegas Tours which we thought was the actual company but it turned out they were actually like a TA. The company they booked us through was Stars and Stripes. If we went again I would book directly with them. I think ours would have been the "Above and Beyond Tour" on their website. They were great! Although if we went again (or when we go again) I would go to the South Rim rather than the West Rim.

Originally Posted by florida girl

Great trippie and photos.

Might have a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe on our next trip the veiw looks good as did the bill.

See more...

Definitely do, it was amazing! I think the actual bill came to about $58 and we left about a 23% tip (high I know but she really deserved it). $58 at the time was about £36, so only £18 each. To have 2 fantastic meals, plus drinks, a cocktail and an amazing view and atmosphere for that price is a fantastic bargain to me!



Glad you're all enjoying my trip report. Sorry it is so slow but life is busy at the moment. Will try to speed it up a bit though

[budgie6741]

great Pics and report

[Guest]

Great photos & report!

[pepsicube]

Stunning picces