Grand Canyon to Las Vegas
Having taken in the amazing journey to the Grand Canyon including the Vermilion Cliffs, then the Grand Canyon itself, the time came to leave and head for Las Vegas.
At some point, we accidentally stumbled on to Route 66. This was unintended but enabled another tick in the box of things we had done.
The journey to Las Vegas gets gradually busier, the nearer you get. We noticed that the Hoover Dam was on the same road signs as Las Vegas, though 30 miles less distance.
After 100 miles or so, the Hoover Dam signs were still the same, so figured that it must be on the same road we were travelling on. At this point it became a race between us and the sun.
A strange phenomenon when you are driving alongside a mountain range is that the sun sets over and over again, depending on how tall the mountains are. One minute, the sun has gone behind tall mountains and the next, it is daytime again.
Hoover Dam
We eventually arrived at the Hoover Dam on our fifth sunset but by then dusk was well established. No matter, the Hoover Dam stay open to visitors in the dark so after some vehicle checks for ‘terrists’, we were able to drive across the Dam and observe it lit up from the other side.
There was some discussion about whether the speed limit was 1.5 miles an hour, but we all heard him say “Do not stop” so we crawled across it. There are the most amazing Art Deco gold doors on the lifts and we also changed time zones in the middle of the dam as it straddles two of them. Cool. There is a clock on pillars each side of the bridge to remind you.
It is a remarkable feat of engineering and we would definitely recommend visiting if you follow this route. It was also very hot. When we left the Grand Canyon it was 27 degrees. By now this had risen to 38 degrees – and it was dark!
Tip 27 – If you arrive a the Hoover Dam just before sunset, you can see it both in daytime and lit up which would be very cool. You won’t need a jacket.
Next stop Las Vegas.
Arriving in Las Vegas defeated all of our expectations.
Firstly, when we drove over the mountain pass and saw thousands of bright lights as far as the eye can see, we were amazed. Until we realised that that wasn’t even Las Vegas. It was Henderson, which is another City before it.
A bit further on we finally reached the outskirts of Vegas. Which is truly massive.
My idea of Las Vegas was a long strip of casinos and bars with fancy statues and fake European replicas. Nope. Las Vegas is a massive horizon filling city which stretches as far as you can see.
There aren’t thousands of lights illuminating the atmosphere, there are millions!
The roads are really busy and for the first time, we encountered lunatic drivers crossing 5 lanes of freeway, only to cross back a few seconds later. After thousands of miles driving across deserted countryside, this can be a bit daunting so be prepared.
The road which encircles Las Vegas is obviously a bit of a racetrack for some of the resident and visitors. Having said this, it is quite handy.
Our hotel was in West Las Vegas and we were a little surprised when the GPS Navigation estimated another 30 minutes to get there, despite us already entering the city limits 20 minutes ago. That is how big Las Vegas is.
Tip 28 – Las Vegas is a busy city, even late at night and can be a little daunting when driving around it for the first time.
Once we had checked in, I checked with reception about what we could do in the dark. He explained that he wouldn’t take his kids to the Strip at night. As we were only planning on staying for one night, we wanted to at least experience it, so he gave us a tip about parking and then a route to follow to see the best bits while avoiding the worst.
Tip 29 – The MGM Grand has 10 floors of free parking. It is also at the east end of the Strip, so has to be the best place to park.
Once we parked, we headed through the MGM Grand and tried to find the exit – no mean feat as it is massive. Eventually after asking quite a few security guards, we found it. Straight away, you realise that Vegas is a busy place.
To describe it to British people, I would say it is like Blackpool on steroids. Take Blackpool at peak season and multiply it by around a million.
We walked a short distance to the M and M Experience, which being honest is not great, and then walked down the strip to see some of the famous hotels and casinos. All in all, there isn’t much for the kids in Vegas at night. But we had done it. Tick.
Tip 30 – Las Vegas is an amazing place, but not for kids after 10pm.
Heading out from the MGM Grand car park is just as easy and we headed back to the hotel.
Tomorrow is another day.