USA Trip: Viva Las Vegas!

Hi again,

We have just left the sweltering heat of Las Vegas and are heading back towards Barstow, as we make our way to the Sierra Nevada National Parks i.e. Sequoia, Kings Canyon & Yosemite.

Since we last blogged, we have spent a wonderful day viewing the Grand Canyon from its many lookouts along the South Rim. It is truly a jaw-dropping experience and makes you feel very small and insignificant in comparison. We were surprised to find that a forested environment surrounds the Canyon, expecting instead for it to be relatively desolate. The elevation here is about 7.700 ft and nights were quite cool.

We spied grazing elk and deer on our shuttle bus trips between lookouts, as well as condors and ravens soaring above and below us. There were many helicopters zooming through the ravines, some dragging what looked like baskets on long ropes behind them.

At least 600 people have died at the GC so Rebecca was a little nervous at those lookouts with limited railings. One lady told us that a four year old fell fairly recently at a particular lookout we were visiting. We stayed until sunset to watch the colours of the rocks change from brown and red, to pink and purple, before finally growing dark. The Canyon was a long drive to visit, but it is worth the effort to see this spectacular feature, one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

From the Canyon, we headed towards Las Vegas, stopping at the Hoover Dam along the way. When this dam was completed, it was the largest concrete structure in the world. It stills looks huge today! After completing a security inspection where big (and we mean, big!) police officers checked our RV inside and out, we drove over the wall, parked and walked back along its wall for a closer look. Here was where the heat hit us, after the relatively balmy weather of the Canyon.

We next drove on to Las Vegas and stayed in an RV park near Circus Circus, one of the casino/resorts. For any one of you who know Vegas, this meant we were close to the “Strip”.

You really have to see Vegas to believe it. It rises out of the desert in the middle of nowhere. We spent both nights we were there strolling and bus hopping along the “Strip” and taking in the sights and atmosphere. The kids especially enjoyed the free water fountain show at the Bellagio and the Volcano show at the Mirage. We didn’t make it back to our base until 11pm on both nights which made for very tired kids (and adults!) and very sore feet! Daytime was spent in the pool or the air-conditioned comfort of the shops.

So as we now head back west, we are looking forward to some cooler weather and a little more greenery in the scenery ahead of us. Tonight, we stay in the town of Bakersfield in Central California before heading to the national parks tomorrow.

Bye for now,

Graham, Rebecca, Jack, Liam & Rhiannon.