Las Vegas to Arizona Road Trip: Exhilarating South Rim Nature Trip (Fabulous Las Vegas Series 7)

Las Vegas to Arizona Road Trip 
Exhilarating South Rim Nature Trip 
(Fabulous Las Vegas Series 7) 

On our third day in Las Vegas, we booked a tour to the 
Grand Canyon in Arizona located about 250 miles away.

We took a huge bus with panoramic windows which
afforded a wonderful view of both sides of the road,

We took highway 93 south from Las Vegas,

…that took us to Boulder City after about an hour. 

Boulder City is a charming city located at the peripheries
of the State of Nevada, and unlike its flamboyant neighbor,
the city of Las Vegas, it remained rustic and more laid back. 

Boulder City is a city that Hoover Dam made.

The building of the massive dam during the era of depression
needed thousands of laborers who together  with their families,
migrated to the worker’s dwellings located on the present city.
This is apparently the only city in Nevada where gambling is illegal.

Shortly, we caught the sight the lovely Lake Mead,
an artificial man made lake created by the rising
water when the Hoover Dam became operational.

One can see how the water level of the lake
had fallen to critical degrees, by the sallow
discoloration of the lakeside cliffs and rock face. 

Lake Mead is also a major tourist destination in the 
State of Nevada  for watersports enthusiasts. Had
it not been a winter season,  we would have visited
the place, as my daughter is an avid wake boarder.

The bus then cruised leisurely at the brand
new highway leading to Hoover Dam,

…and the security was tight.

The Hoover Dam was a sight to behold,

…and apparently, just like the Great Wall of China, 
which we also had a chance to visit in the past, is one of 
the man made  structures in Earth visible in outer space.

It is difficult to find words describe the massiveness,

Source: LINK

...and no picture could justify the immensity of this humongous
 structure, and staring at its vastness would make one quiver 
with vertigo, with an overwhelming reality that with the power 
it generates,  the dam is actually, a living and breathing entity.

The water level had receded significantly for

the past few years and just like the Lake Mead,

as shown by the discoloration made by the receding

water the rock face of the on the river’s cliff side,

…and the overflow outlet has been

apparently dry and empty for years.

Hoover Dam lies at the between

Nevada and Arizona borders,

…and we were glad that the tour company

that we booked included this as one of the

stopovers on our way to the Grand Canyon.

We got down from the bus for about 30 minutes and

had a chance to take photos of the dam’s environs.

We then proceeded with our trip

on the vast Arizonian desert,

…and immersed ourselves on the beautiful

and rugged rustic western topography.

The limitless sight of the parched and arid desert during

the winter season was mesmerizing  as it allowed some

greenery to thrive on the otherwise hostile environment.

We arrived in Kingman, Arizona,

… and stopped at the  rest at the Castle Rock Diner,

a rustic countryside restaurant that offers excellent pizza,
and the restairant also had a awesome souvenir shop.

Since we were not hungry me and the kids  decided
 to take some photos of  the scenic desert  environs
while my wife went on souvenir hunting at the shop.

We left after 30 minutes and the roadside
view slowly turned from parched brown, 

 …to a totally contrasting refreshing green.

Acres and acres of pine trees,

…and beautiful multi- colored brick- like

mountain sides dotted the scenic highway,

…until we arrived Williams, Arizona,

…just in time for lunch.

Our lunch was at the Grand Depo Café,

…a beautiful and historic structure of the

old Williams’ Grand Train Depot Station, 

…converted to a beautiful buffet restaurant,

…and souvenir shop.

The Grand Depo Café, had a massive spread of

all time favorite American Dishes on the buffet,.

There was nothing fancy about the food, just good 

old American fares, and as what our friendly driver 
and tour guide described as “…good chow”.

The restaurant lies on the famous Route 66,

America’s iconic and most historical highway,

…and appears like an outdoor museum, as it is a 
repository of some of the oldest trains in America.

From Williams, it was only a short drive

to the Grand Canyon National Parks,

…where we walked our way

to the Mather Point overlook.

Despite with all the previous photos we have seen, and tons

reading  materials from  travel books, encyclopedias and even

old issues of National Geographics Magazine, that we have

read and researched prior to our visit to the Grand  Canyon, 
we were still not prepared of what we were about to see.

The Grand Canyon is probably

one of the most beautiful,

…and one of the most spectacular sights in the  world.

The awesome display of different

linear hues of natural earth colors,

…each representing billions of years

of the earth’s archeological history,

…drawn along the earthen cliffs

by the receding Colorado River.

From the Mathers’ Point we drove

to Bright Angel Lodge view deck,

…for a different perspective of the

breathtaking Grand Canyon.

The temperature had dropped to 1 degree,

so we went to the restaurant to warm up,

…and had some pretzels, chips, sodas and coffee.

We left the Bright Angel Lodge at dusk,

…and had a dinner in Kingman, where the brightly
 shining star of Carl’s Jr, was a welcome respite,

…as we were all tired, weary,

…and starving.

After dinner, the bus drove us back

to the glittering city of Las Vegas.

 Read my other blogs on

Spectacular Las Vegas Series

Anaheim to Las Vegas Road Trip 

Comfort Ride on LuxAmerica Bus
(Spectacular Las Vegas, Series 1) 

Tropicana Double Tree by Hilton 
Tropical Paradise in the Las Vegas Strip
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 2) 

Rio’s Carnival World Buffet

Dining the World in One Place
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 3) 

The Fabulous Las Vegas Strip

An Enchanting Evening Walk on the Strip
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 4) 

Bavarian Restaurant Las Vegas

A Piece Germany Transplanted in Las Vegas
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 5) 

High Roller Experience at the Linque

Brightly Shimmering Splendor at 550 Feet
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 6) 

Las Vegas to Arizona Road Trip
Exhilarating Nature Trip
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 7) 

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead
Breathtaking Man Made Wonder
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 8) 

Majestic Grand Canyon
Nature’s Grand Design
(Fabulous Las VegasSeries 9) 

Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium
An Underwater Experience in the Desert
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 10) 

Freemont Street Experience
Modern reinvention of Old Las Vegas Downtown
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 11) 

Dazzling Las Vegas, Nevada 
America’s Flamboyant Urban Paradise
(Spectacular Las Vegas Series 12)