Last week I went to Las Vegas (with my business partner Jeff) for a few days to attend a conference related to work (I'll post about that later). We had almost a whole day free (after 10:30 am), to do whatever we wanted. We had the brilliant idea of visiting the Grand Canyon. With a $50.00 car rental secured from the Aladdin Casino we embarked on an odyssey to see one of the 7 wonders (or is that 8) of the world.
We realized we needed a few provisions since we were traveling at least 5 hours each way through the hot sunny desert to see the glorious Grand Canyon. On our way out of Vegas we visited the Wal-mart and bought the following survival gear...
- 12 pack of bottled water (we don't want to get parched in the dry desert)
- Cooler (cheap Styrofoam variety)
- Ice to cool down that water (it's hot in the desert)
- SPF (that desert sun can burn you)
- disposable camera (no need in bringing my camera to a bunch of meetings)
- 2 packs of peanut M & Ms (no explanation needed)
I also looked for a hat while I was at Wal-mart but never saw one that appealed to me so I decided to wait and buy an official Grand Canyon hat at a gift shop hanging off the rim.
When we left Las Vegas the temperature was pushing 70 degrees and it was sunny. About 1 1/2 hours into our drive in the desert it began to sprinkle rain. Next we visited a Jack In The Box restaurant right after getting on Interstate 40 eastbound. We discovered that it was a little cooler than it had been in Las Vegas. After 3 monster tacos (Ted) and a Jumbo Jack (Jeff) we continued on and soon the rain let loose for 75 or 80 miles (in the desert). We purchased gas right after we left Interstate 40 and headed north toward that magnificent site and discovered the temp was flirting with the high 30s. Soon after our freshly gassed up rental hit the road again we started seeing strange little patches of white stuff under the trees. The patches were rapidly spreading to actually cover most of the ground and the temp was solidly in the 30s. I was in my Georgia short sleeves (Jeff brought his jacket) and getting cold fast. Not only was it cold but it was getting foggy and darker (in the middle of the afternoon).
We entered the Federal park for a reasonable fee of $25.00 (per car) to see what would certainly be an unforgettable sight. A quick stop was necessary to pick up a fleece to cover my shivering short sleeved self. Yes the costs were starting to mount but really that was secondary when you consider what we were about to see (and may be a once in a lifetime opportunity). It was odd how thick the fog was getting but that wasn't a problem, we just turned on the head lights and kept going.
Our time had finally arrived and so did the full effect of the fog! I don't mean a little fog that reduces visibility, I am talking about everything beyond 10 or 15 feet disappears. Our alloted time to spend at the Grand Canyon was about 2 hours and we made a decision rapidly that we would be returning to Las Vegas early. Jeff and I sat in the car and laughed and laughed and became goofy in an attempt to deal with the loss of a day to be inspired by the sight of the Grand Canyon. We did walk up to the edge of the rim just to make sure there wasn't something other than white air to look at. It would have been a waste of time to try and drive along the perimeter looking for an opening in the fog.
We did meet people that had driven 22 hours one way from Michigan for this same sight. I would recommend that you do research before you go to the Grand Canyon (or any other destination) to find out the weather conditions and visibility. It is now our Grand Canyon story to tell! We own it and will enjoy it or at least the retelling of it.
