Thanksgiving 2010 saw us packing our bags off to the West Coast.
Trip Outline:Fly RDU ---> Vegas.
Drive from Vegas ---> Tusayan (Grand Canyon South Rim Visitor Center)
Drive back to Vegas...explore Vegas
Fly back Vegas --->RDU
Preparations:
- Lots of warm clothes!! Trust me and pack as though you are going skiing...South rim in November can get very chilly!
- Hiking boots
- Tripod and camera
- Sunscreen.
Day 1: The Road trip
Our flight arrived in Vegas at about 2 am. We picked our rental car and started our drive at approximately 3 am after sufficiently caffeinating ourselves. This route chosen by Rahul after some research encompassed parts of Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Arizona again, and touched bit of Zion National Park, Utah.
Our flight arrived in Vegas at about 2 am. We picked our rental car and started our drive at approximately 3 am after sufficiently caffeinating ourselves. This route chosen by Rahul after some research encompassed parts of Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Arizona again, and touched bit of Zion National Park, Utah.
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The Drive from Vegas to Page, AZ
I am at a loss of words to describe some of the beautiful sceneries we encountered on our way...I hope these pictures speak more than a 1000 words!
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| Surreal sunrise |
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| Road to....??? |
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Entering Glen Canyon Small town in Utah Lonely Rock, Lake Powell, Utah Just to give you a perspective of the size of this rock, spot the white caravan in front of it..  Glen Canyon Bridge  Interesting rocks and patterns of the canyon  In front of the Glen Canyon Dam and Bridge We set out to our next destination, Horseshoe Bend, on the way to Page, Az, located on Hwy 89. Look out for a sign board that says "Horseshoe Bend Overlook". Follow the sign to a clearing where you will see cars parked. There is a trail (about a mile I would say) that leads up to the view. On a hot day this can be very treacherous, because the trail is largely open desert land, studded with sandstone rocks with pretty patterns that make you sit down and meditate! As we walked up to the overlook, we had no idea about the magnificence of the sight that awaited us...its a several hundred feet drop of rock that stares over a beautiful emerald necklace made by the Colorado river just before it flows into the Grand Canyon. The size of the rock instantly makes you feel tiny!  We spent about an hr or so here, and I had to literally drag Rahul away from the bend. Its was a photographers paradise! We left the overlook and started on our drive to the South Rim..another 2.5 hr to go. We stopped on the way a couple of times just to take the desert pics...we caught some green lights in the sky (below).  Can you see Aurora Borealis as far south as Arizona/Utah? Creeeeepy! We reached Tusayan, AZ (about 6 miles from the South Rim Visitor Center), where we had booked an inn. Many people I know who visited GC prefer to stay an hr or so away in Page, AZ, mostly because there are more hotels. We however preferred to stay closer as our activities were mainly planned in and around the South Rim. Ready for day 2, we unpacked and retired for the day. Still jet-lagged (remember we flew in from North Carolina, and have had no sleep since 2am!!), we slept like babies...zzz Day 2: Sunrise!!!  
Luckily for us, being winter the sun let us sleep in until 6:30 am. With a cuppa, and some warm clothes, we rushed out to secure a spot to view the sunrise. The GC being so vast, picking the right spot was a challenge, but after asking around, we picked Maricopa Point. This link is a pretty good guide. Try to get there at least 20 min before the sunrise, and wear layers of warm clothing...I certainly recommend ear warmers, beanies and warm footwear. The desert winter can be cold, but early morning desert winters are a double whammy!! That day in particular was below freezing and the sun decided to not keep up with time. Although we got pretty shots, we could not feel our limbs and ears by the end of the sun rise.
After the sunrise we went back to the hotel for breakfast buffer, and got ready to head out for the day. I had a surprise awaiting me. We were going on a helicopter ride over the Canyons!!! Rahul had booked a ride with The Papillon group of of GC. I am not sure of one company is better than another, but we certainly got the bang for our buck with this one! You have plenty of opportunities to take photos and videos during the 1 hr tour over the Colorado River (above, left) North and West Rims (above, right and below).  After collecting some memorabilia and our photos from the ride group, we set off to the visitor center. Be sure to take a map with you of the free shuttle bus routes. The buses run from before sunrise to after sunset to all the points of interest. We decided to do a short 1-2 hr hike down the canyon and back. It was a beautiful sunny day, although the trails were a little icy, making our hike more adventurous! Carry plenty of water, fruits and snacks with you, dress in layers and wear hiking boots. 2 hrs later, we took the shuttle to the West end of the Canyon to watch the sun set which is spectacular! What a view to end the day! |
