We checked out of our gilded, crystal encrusted digs at Trump Tower and set off on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. We could have taken a quick, two hour trip to the West Rim and gotten a good gander at it, but my research revealed that it’s worth taking the extra time to head to the South Rim for the best views. Also, the South Rim is in the official Grand Canyon National Park where as the aforementioned West Rim is on Native Reservation land, so it can get pricey to park and enter. Besides, we came aaalllll the way out here to see this dang hole in the ground. I wanted to do it right!
We procured a rental car (a long frustrating story I won’t bore you with) and rolled out. We would be making a brief stop at the Hoover Dam as well, but first, breakfast! I found this little diner on a list of must do’s. It was a weekend morning so it was packed, but we were able to score a couple seats at the counter in short time.
The Coffee Cup. Adorable.
The Coffee Cup coffee cup.
We both got Bloody Marys. I don’t like Bloody Marys. He drank mine.
I let the internet dictate our selections. I chose the two most popular dishes, plus an order of Avocados to keep up with our healthy additions. We’re trying here, folks.
Huevos Rancheros: Two Corn Tortillas, Refried Beans, Cheddar Cheese, Two Eggs, All Smothered in our Pork Rancheros Sauce Served with Hash Browns
Peanut Butter Pancakes.
We enjoyed the heck out of this meal. I was feeling guilty about the pancakes so I really didn’t need to see this…
Sheesh! Pretty heavy message for a coffee joint!
Back on the road. The vistas all along this trip were just gorgeous. So different from New England.
Gorgeous!
The roads were steep and windy.
We made our way to the Hoover Dam. We didn’t drive over the dam itself, instead we traversed the new bridge that reroutes cars to limit wear and tear on the Hoover. It’s only been around since 2010.
It’s a bit of a trek.
Getting closer.
I really wasn’t sure what I was in for.
The dual-named bridge amused me. I pictured a board meeting with all members, arms crossed, not being able to reach consensus. “Tillman!…No, O’Callaghan!!!”
I guess it works.
Guys, it was really high up there.
This is me trying not to look terrified.
A bit of Lake Mead
He was non-plussed.
It really as an amazing sight to see. You can take tours down at the dam itself, but we needed to hustle along. We made it another hour before Jeff’s pancake sleepiness started to kick in. We pulled off for a wee cat nap.
Even the side of the road pull off was scenic.
Can somebody paint this for me?
Refreshed, we made our way to the Grand Canyon National Park! You don’t see it right away. There are some meandering paths.
Almost there….
Wait for it…
Boom! There it is!!!!!
Friends, there is no way to describe the majesty of this sight. People say all the time, pictures don’t do it justice. Never have truer words been spoken. I won’t clutter up these attempts at photography with my cheeky comments…
My Biggest take away, aside from the magnificence of God’s creation, is that it’s super easy to fall into it! Yes, there are points were railings allow people to get close enough for a good look down and a stellar photo op. However, ninety-nine percent of it is completely unfenced. Rationally, this makes perfect sense. There are hundreds of miles of cliff to fall from so fencing every bit of it would be impossible. Even more notable was the lack of signage saying “Yo, Be Careful!” I guess it was a refreshing turnabout in the age of labels warning you not to use a toaster in the bath tub.
Careful there. Oh, and it was freezing.
Again, trying not to look terrified.
I wanted to find a nice resort overlooking the canyon to have a drink. All the hotels in the park are affiliated on one poorly managed website so it was difficult to get a good feel for what to expect at any particular place. The El Tovar seemed to have a lounge (wasn’t sure). I had hoped to snag a room here, but it was booked up, and pretty pricey anyway. Once got a real look at the place I was very glad we didn’t get a booking. I didn’t get a good shot of the exterior so I lifted one from the ‘net.
Looks nice enough…on the website.
A bit of the grounds.
The plus side…great views of the canyon.
No bad.
You could walk up to a low wall and see those gorgeous views, but the resort itself did nothing to capitalize on viewing from the hotel itself. No patio or deck to be found. Crazy!
A view of the back. The place was worn out
A teensy sign.
I should have taken more photos, but the place was dark, dank and worn out. The restrooms were campground quality. The lounge where we had our beer was way too small for the size of the joint and just kinda…sticky.
There were about five seats. We downed our drinks and moved on.
We drove to yet another area to enjoy the sunset.
Bro, careful.
“What do you want to do tonight? How ’bout play chess on the precipice of death? Perfect!”
We watched the rocks glow and change with the sinking sun.
We’re glowing too!
What an incredible experience. That was a bucket list moment I’ll never, ever forget. Now it was time to head back, but not all the way to Vegas, we would be making camp (La Quinta) on historic Route 66! I found a conveniently located brew pub to have some victuals.
Historic.
Edison lights, chalk board menu…yup we’re in the right place.
The menu was pretty good, but they were cleaned out of a lot of items. Some sort of event occurred earlier in the day. We managed.
We had a few beers. They were all tasty, that’s all I recall.
The most elegantly plated frickles I’ve ever enjoyed.
A hearty grilled chicken salad. Hit all the spots.
Much to my surprise, Jeff ordered a gelato for dessert. Oh boy, so good with a stout!
We stumbled into our room at the La Quinta. I was exceedingly impressed with this hotel. It was clean, well appointed and full of charm. Plus, it was so much more affordable than the musty old El Tovar. Crisis avoided…
Comfy bed with crisp linens.
Charming black and white local art.
Jeez, it’s almost ten o’clock. Time for Bed.
Up Next: We ain’t nearly finished with Vegas yet!!!