The Grand Canyon

My boyfriend and I just returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon the other day. It truly is amazing. The more you look, the more breath-taking it becomes.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. During the day it was quite mild -- 50 degrees or so -- and cold at night so that the snow from the week before was still on the ground but the streets were clear. While some places, like Mather and Yavapai Points, were somewhat thick with tourists (though I suspect it was nothing like what it is in the summer), other points, such as those on the East Rim, were virtually deserted.

And yeah, we took a LOT of pictures -- 255 in all. Digital cameras and big flashcards are a modern miracle, no?

I'm still going through the pics and my thoughts about the trip. We flew into Vegas as that was the closest big airport. Actually, we ended up on a bit of a detour. I had to go to the ER the morning of our flight (another UTI -- ugh!), but we made it to the airport in what seemed to be enough time. Checked in. Used the restroom. Then headed to the gate. Of course, you have to though security and I got flagged for the super security search. As I took my place in line, the guy in front of me said, "this is the LONG line." That's when I decided to get a wheelchair as I was too tired to stand for long. It took 20-25 minutes to get through security (for me -- for my boyfriend it was only 3 or 4 minutes). Not as long as say, Ben-Gurion Airport, but definitely heading in that direction. Since this is a blog and blogs are the most fashionable place to rant these days, let me just harangue a bit here about the excessive and yet ineffectiveness of airport security. It seems to me that having our luggage on a flight without us is a hell of a lot more dangerous than patting me down for the statistically insignificant chance I might have plastic explosives. We still can't figure out why the hell it took so long as there weren't a lot of us in line. When we got to the gate, the door had closed and once the door closes, you're out of luck. We'd missed the flight. Thankfully they were able to get us on the flight to Phoenix and then connect to Las Vegas from there without any extra charge.

We stayed in the Travelodge on the south strip. It had this seedy feel compared to the casino hotels around it. But it was safe, clean and comfortable. And in an absolutely brilliant location near New York-New York, MGM Grand, and the Luxor. Though, all I wanted to do by the time we got there was sleep. But we've decided that if we go back to Vegas, we're going to stay there rather than a casino, such as the Orleans where we stayed on our way back. While the rooms at the Orleans are nicer, as a casino it's set up to simply suck money out of you. They didn't even have a coffee maker in the room (which the Travelodge did) so that you would have to go to one of their food places to get coffee or tea. And for me, casinos are exhausting since they are huge (we had to park a gazillon miles away from the front door, walk through the casino floor to check in), and are sensory hell with all the flashing lights, smells and loud sounds (though the Orleans was quieter than the Imperial Palace where I stayed with my mom and sisters back in January).

But the focus of this trip was the Grand Canyon. Vegas was really a place to stay over before driving to or flying out. It's about a 4-41/2 hour drive through Hoover Dam and the Arizona wilderness. We found the police checkpoints at Hoover Dam a bit sinister. Again, not sure they would really be all that effective if, say, a car bomb were going to go over the dam, but it sure does clog up traffic and remind you that you should be afraid. Always. Even driving to the Grand Canyon.

Right. I think that's enough thoughts and pictures for the time being. Still getting over a migraine and dehydration from the high altitude, as well as groggy from the antibiotic for the UTI. Think it's time for a rest.

But hope you enjoy the pictures.