Unlicked Envelope: Grit and Glitz

Our second day at the Grand Canyon only afforded us a few hours to explore, and the Bright Angel Trail was the perfect choice. This is one of the routes that people take when they are going all the way down, but many people turn around at an earlier, more accessible point. While I would have like to descend farther than our half-day trips allowed, this timeline made us visit more different points along the canyon. The view was, again, beautiful. While my photos don’t do it justice, they do a better job than my descriptions.

One unexpected bonus was a family of long horn sheep grazing at the side of the trail. We saw them nudging each other with their horns and watched as the baby of the group, complete with fuzzy horn nubs, showed its age by its unsteadiness on its feet as it dislodged a shower of little rocks. We were grateful to encounter them as we descended, as they promptly blocked the trail behind us and delayed the hikers who were returning to the rim.

See the little baby in the middle?

Our time at the canyon complete, we repacked the car and headed to the stop most prized by the trip’s engineer: the Hoover Dam. This gigantic dam – the largest in the country – holds back the flow of the Colorado River, allowing water management strategies that steadied the water supply to the region, allowed the growth of Los Angeles, and supported 80% of the winter produce grown in the United States. As if that weren’t enough, it’s also a huge source of hydroelectric power, as evidenced by the tangles of power lines running up both sides to Arizona and Nevada. Josh was in awe, and I will admit I was pretty impressed.

Our tour of national parks and engineering marvels complete, we ventured to a different kind of national landmark – Las Vegas. In addition to being completely overwhelming after a week spent in the woods, Las Vegas is impressive in its ambition. The hotels are larger than you ever dreamed they would be. They offer every convenience, working to ensure people never need to leave their doors. Restaurants, alcohol, and slot machines at every turn? Child’s play. How about tattoo parlors, IV hydration centers (for your hangover – or as a precaution!), oxygen bars, fine art galleries, and 100-oz alcohol cups that dangle from a lanyard? Walking the strip at night is like walking through an endless Times Square, with buildings clad in screens advertising six different Cirque du Soleil shows (including an 18+ only version), shows by seemingly every winner of America’s Got Talent, and rock and pop acts from the '70s through today. Locals full of hustle shove paper advertisements or free entry coupons into your hand as you pass, and girls dressed in whatever skimpy combination of fishnets, feathers, and rhinestones they could find offer pictures for a price. Restaurants compete with attractions as much as with food, from a humongous beach chair out front for that perfect photo to the world’s largest Pac Man game (seizure warning clearly stated). It is a city ready to please, ready to fulfill your every whim or desire with exemplary convenience.

Josh and I checked in after a marathon walk through rows of slot machines, gambling video games, and poker tables. Hotel rooms are relatively cheap in Vegas, as they make their money other ways once you get there. We meandered down the strip on our way to our main event: dinner. Since we don’t gamble, didn’t find any shows that piqued our interest, and had been surviving on PB&Js and Costco bulk snacks for most of our meals, we decided to indulge in a really nice dinner. After three hours at Joel Robuchon’s namesake restaurant, I can confirm that it was totally worth it. I have learned that any restaurant with a dedicated bread guy is going to rank well on my list, and this restaurant had a bread guy and a butter guy. Every dish was just right – unexpected pairings that added richness or crunch or contrast in all the right places. Plus, Josh and I learned that when you want to have multiple dessert courses, you just call the first one a “palate cleanser” and nobody looks at you funny.

On our way home, we strolled past the Bellagio to enjoy the water show – a sweet and simple way to end the evening.