A Break From Gambling …. Hoover Dam & The Grand Canyon

Its been only 24 hours in Vegas and I had to get away already. This place was poison to me. Hence the daytrip I book was a nice relieved after just one night hitting the tables …. When friends ask why did I go to Vegas in the first place …. My answer was always to see the Grand Canyon J

There are plenty of people offering Grand Canyon tours and Hoover Dam Trips or both at the same time and Vegas is actually a good place to do a day trip from. Price for a day trip at $99 which includes pick up , drive to Hoover Dam , Lunch, drive to Grand Canyon and Entry Fee into the National Park and a Drive Home. The tour agency which I had no chance to scout and beat around touts was taken straight off the Hostel Reception trusting that Hostels people wont rip you off that badly since people who stay in hostel are normally broke. SweetTours was the name of the company. Not sure if it was the cheapest one there is out there but oh well.

Today was also a magical day for it was 29 February 2012. Leap Year Day. So a visit to one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World  was in order. *grin*

Woke up really really early almost 530 am after crashing in bed for 12 hours straight due to Casino overdose. It was freezing and never would I thought Vegas would be cold but that day … it was cold … must be the desert

Hoover Dam

Standard stuff in the morning shuffle where we went from one place to place picking up people plus just gathering and changing drivers but finally we were on our way to Hoover Dam and with sweet tours driven by Harold. Joyride on the tour bus seeing Vegas Boulder city which were the first community to settle down due to the construction of Hoover Dam. It was a nice comical town with a height restriction in the middle of the dessert. Even the McDonald signage was short about 1 storey only. I assume just to keep the historical town nice and petite since all the old building were small and cute

That Damm View

Hoover dam was a spectacular view, although we did drove on top of it the driver did not give a chance for the walking on it thou. He did however gave us a detour and show us a spectacular view of lake mead which was the lake formed by the dam. Salt lines of the dam showed that the water level was receding every year. After that was a three hours drive to grand canyon while we just watch wild hogs movie on the bus

The Grand Canyon

The grand canyon was a magnificent beauty that cannot be captured by pictures. It is just massively huge and stunning. One of the best part was that there was about six inch of snow from the previous night and it was really chilly, walking around the small path on a tiny portion of the canyon top we only walked about 3km. This of course all the while together with a Brazilian guy *Ola* whom I met in the bus and just kept each other company. Interesting enough thou he was below 21 years old and he came to Vegas hence there was many things he could not do like gamble and drink alcohol

Grand Canyon

At first I thought what a good thing as then there would be no temptation since he is underage to try anything anyway. He still manage to find a form of vice in Vegas thou. There is always something for everyone in Vegas …

Ola was kinda addicted to the strip club which allowed people over 18 but served no alcohol drinks. He was on a work and travel program from his university and Vegas was his last stop before going back. He almost convince me to join him that night we came back from Grand canyon but the hostel had a signboard showing the weekly casino event which captured my soul as per usual.

So continues the 2nd round of Hitting the tables …. and I shall carry home no stories of strip club in Vegas