Vegas Baby!

Thr past few days have been some on the most scenic of my life. After being punched in the face by the force of the Moab landscape we rode right into the heart of an iconic American landscape. You've seen Forrest Gump run in it and the Griswold's get lost in it: Monument Vallry. It is an absolute must see for anyone traveling this area; you would be foolish to miss it. The highway slopes down a couple mile long dip and into the vast stretch of rock spires that look like natures downtown. And we even got to see a couple giant eared desert foxes on the side of the highway!

The next day was an interesting one. First I'll start off with the Grand Canyon. Nobody that has seen it can imagine how immense it is. The sheer width, depth and length challenge the mind to come up with numbers to measure its volume or even comprehend how something so massive can be created by nature. Now I understand why everyone has always said it is a must to visit in a lifetime. And now Kyle has it checked off the list! Boo yah! 

Now to describe the day's events. These first two things will be a testament to just how tiring all this riding (and a little bit of heat stroke) can be on the body and mind. We hit the showers first thing, followed by breakfast and then hopped on the free shuttle buses that take you to various stops on the South Rim Trail. After being dropped at the east most trail stop we hiked for about twenty minutes before I had an "oh fuck" moment and realized my wallet wasn't in my back pocket. We hoofed it to the next stop with a worried pace and waited for the bus to arrive. Thankfully the bus driver had it, and I threw her $60 for being honest. Then, if that wasn't enough, I realized I'd left my watch in the shower stall! I figured my luck was ran out, there was no way I was getting that back. I checked it off in my mind as a travel casualty and focused on the day. We continued to walk the rim trail for the rest of the day, which is a well maintained, paved trail that for the most part sticks along the edge of the canyon and leads to various viewpoints that offer incredible views. It was really awesome seeing the trail that descends into the canyon, watching the people turn to almost unrecognizable specs as they reach the bottom sections. One day I would like to do that trail. Later we stopped by the shower house and amazingly enough they had my watch! These two honest gestures shows how blown away I've been so far by the friendliness of all the Americans we've met so far this trip. They have truly been some of the best I've ever met, which has blown my stereotypes out of the water so far.

One thing I can't go without mentioning is the types of campers we saw at the campground. A neighbour a couple sites down for some unknown reason threw a butane camp fuel cylinder into their blazing fire pit, which caused an explosion that I'm sure the whole park heard. And then we watched an Asian tourist try to guide their friend who was backing their SUV out of a hiking trail they had started driving up, thinking it was a road. Priceless.

Yesterday we left Grand Canyon in the pouring rain, which continued to pour on us nearly the whole ride to Vegas, so needless to say our gear is drying out in the hotel as we speak. Rain, cold, we will not be stopped. And now we're in Vegas! Our original intention had been to go to Zion National Park but the rain changed that plan. I'm happy it worked out this way, having more than two days to relax and recharge is definitely what the doctor ordered. I plan on blackjack and drinking.