Day 3 in Vegas

On Tuesday we got up very early for our 6:30am pick up for a tour to the Grand Canyon. The drive to the West Rim was 3 hours and luckily we were able to get a little extra sleep on the way out there (keep in mind that we are in Vegas and we were out the previous night!).The drive out was pretty cool. We had a quick stop at the Hoover Dam along the way and got to drive through Joshua Tree Forest. Once past there, the scenery was awesome, and we weren't even at our destination yet!

Joshua Tree Forest

Hoover Dam

(note how low the water level is)

The first stop on the tour, once at the West Rim, was Eagle Point, named so as part of the canyon looks like an eagle spreading its wings. This is also one of the most phenomenal views I have ever seen in my life. Words and photos can not describe it and it is completely breathtaking. This spot is also where the famous Skywalk is but we didn't go on it. We didn't really see the point as the view you get from the edge of the canyon walls is brilliant and unobstructed (there are no railings!!!). Eagle Point also has an authentic Indian Village which has native American performances and presentations. We didn't actually get a chance to see these as we were busy looking (and taking funny tourist photos) at the traditional homes.

Eagle Point
(can you see the eagle in the centre of the rock?)

Playing tourist in the houses

The second stop on the tour was Guano Point, which gives you another view point, but over the Colorado River, and also has a market selling handmade Hualapai crafts and jewellery.

At Guano Point

Our third stop was Hualapai Ranch (also known as cowboy town). This was all set up quite touristy but in an authentic way (does that contradict itself?). There were wagon rides led by horses Bonnie and Clyde, goats and horses you could pet (and you could ride the horses), cowboy games and demonstrations such as lassoing, hatchet throwing, bow and arrow training and horseshoe throwing. The ranch was set up like the old wild west with a jail and saloon bar complete with a country music performer and a guy doing magic tricks (don't really know what he was doing there but he was really good!). Mum the view from here (and the other two spots) reminded me off the Native American framed pictures we used to have up in Evans St. It was so surreal and I wish you could have been there!

Yes that's me in the jail cell!

On the wagon ride led by Bonnie and Clyde
(Mum note the scenery in the distance!)

With Bonnie and Clyde
(check out my hideous t-shirt tan which I am now stuck with)

The ride back to Vegas seemed to take far longer than both of us remembered it was on the way there (we must have actually slept more than we thought on the way out!). We were so exhausted and were getting a bit sick of the the older Americans behind us in the bus (very cliche in their comments and behaviour, plus one spent the whole time coughing). Getting back to our hotel about 7pm we decided to have a lie down before going out around 9pm. This didn't happen, we ended up sleeping the whole way through to 9am the next day!