Aah, the great outdoors again! After the hustle and bustle of the Strip, it was nice to take to the road again. Although we did miss the comfort of those huge beds and the cheap sweet mimosas. We left Vegas in the afternoon and drove toward the Grand Canyon, to what we thought was the best place to view it.
Turns out, Grand Canyon West was an absolute rip-off. Over $80 US for a walk on a glass platform and a viewpoint, and no personal cameras allowed? No thank you! And the security guards are no joke either. The whole place made us feel uneasy and like we were getting scammed, so we hopped back in the car for the nearly 4-hour drive to the South Rim. Needless to say, after this long day of driving, we got there only a little before sunset, so we decided to set up camp near the entrance of the park and be up at first light to enjoy some viewpoints before the daily influx of tourists. And now we can say we got woken up by coyotes in the middle of the night! Can't forget you're in the middle of the desert. 😉
The next morning, we were finally rewarded for that long drive from civilization. How absolutely stunning! We were also treated to the most wonderful weather. This is at Mather Point, the one closest to the Visitor Center.
We even spotted this raptor drifting on the air currents.
The Desert View Drive seemed like the best way to get the most out of the park. There are several official viewpoints on the way, but also a lot of pullouts and beautiful unmarked locations. Below you can see: 1. Pipe Creek Vista, 2. Duck on a Rock, 3-4. Grandview Point. There are several trails you can take if you're up for a challenge (and are prepared for the harsh sun and hot weather)!
Make sure you stop everywhere! All of the stops will treat you to a new angle of the canyon.
Below are two pictures of the Tusayan ruins and a panorama of Lipan Point. The ruins don't take long to visit (there's not much to see), and the museum is free.
And we finally got to Desert View, an incredible vantage point with a watchtower! If you can climb up the stairs to the top, you'll get a wonderful bird's-eye view and enjoy the beautiful artwork by Mary Colter (the architect of the tower). As you walk along the rim, you'll also learn that close by is a National Historic Landmark; there was a horrible mid-air collision between two commercial planes here in 1956, with more than 100 people dead. This sparked a thorough reform of air traffic control. Interesting!
If you're curious, by that time it was 41°C. Pretty toasty! ☀️ So, what becomes a necessity after getting so much natural wonder? The second biggest city in the U.S., of course! L.A., we've heard so much about you, you better be good. Stay tuned, folks! 💜
TL;DR: From Las Vegas, drive straight to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, not the West Rim (tourist trap). Follow the Desert View road for the best viewpoints! If you can, try to catch Mather Point at sunrise, but everything's pretty here at any time of day! Just get up early in general to avoid crowds.
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