The short trail and the flight to DFW!

Grand Canyon has spectacular sunrises and sunsets. No wonder we did not want to miss on the sunrise after watching the beautiful sunset. Having a kid who is still an early riser did help us to catch the sunrise. There are various sunrise points both near the visitor center and on the Hermit Road like the Yaki Point, Mather Point, Pima Point and Mohave Point. We chose the Mohave Point because along with the sunrise it also had views of the canyon along with the Colorado river flowing through it. Also to note, usually during the peak seasons, there are shuttle buses that can take you anywhere in the national park since private vehicles are not allowed. But during winters, along with the shuttle buses you can drive around the national park in your Private vehicle.

The sunrise was around 7:30 am and we were at the Mohave Point by 7 am. There was sufficient parking for a few vehicles and since traffic was less, it wasn't much of a problem. The temperature was around -8 degree Celsius and layers of clothing is the best solution if you plan to be around for a while after the sunrise. The canyon has amazing views even before the sunrise with clouds surrounding the canyon top. You could see the Colorado river flowing through the canyon and it just made for the perfect picture. When you look at the river from the point, you feel amazed by nature that this river that you are seeing has carved out a canyon! And just as the sun began to rise, the canyon gave out stunning views in different hues of yellow and orange! There was a moment when I wanted to freeze the time, such was the beauty of the place.

The first rays of the sun falling on the Grand Canyon!

After the sunrise we thought of just driving along the Hermits Road up-to the Hermits Rest and back to the village visiting all the points along the way. We went to The Abyss next which has a 914m drop off, the Monument Creek Vista and the Pima point which offer canyon views. It was so peaceful at the Pima Point that just like the map points out, one could even hear the Colorado river!

Then we went back to the hotel for breakfast. The plan for the rest of the day was to checkout from the hotel, do a rim trail, drive to the watch tower and get back to Phoenix for the flight back to DFW. There was no complimentary breakfast but we got some ready to eat Indian breakfast and my daughter was on pureed food.

Sunrise at the Grand Canyon with the Colorado river in the background

The rim trail is a must if you are short of time to do the other trails. Since this was a first long trip and a one with trails after we had a baby, we weren't much comfortable to take the other trails. It starts from the Hermits Rest but we started the trail at the Mather Point and ended it at the Bright Angel Trailhead. The trail is unpaved from Hermits Rest to the Maricopa Point and the rest of the trail is paved. The trail is very scenic giving different views of the canyon. It took us a total of 2 and half hours. There is a museum in between after which the trail of time begins. There are explanations about the various layers and how they were all formed, how old each layer is and many other interesting facts all through the trail. Also, in the Trail of Time, there are samples of each layer of the canyon. If I am not wrong, the base is the Vishnu Schist and then its in the order of Tapeats Sandstone, Bright Angel Shale, Mauv Limestone, Redwall Limestone, Supai Group, Hermit Shale, Coconino Sandstone, Toroweap Formation and Kaibab Limestone. The Kaibab Limestone is 270 million years old and the Vishnu Schist is 1745 million years old! There are also fossils found in the Grand Canyon that indicate of a sea life. The Grand Canyon is amazing with a lot of facts and interesting finds. If you are short on time be sure to check out the museum and the Trail of Time.

The oldest rock layer, Vishnu Schist

The top 4 layers of the Grand Canyon

Can you spot the top 4 layers?

After completing the rim trail, we took a shuttle bus back to the parking near the visitor centre. 

From there we planned to go visit the Desert View Watchtower. There were a few view points on the way to the watchtower but since we had an evening flight to DFW from Phoenix around 9pm, we decided to skip the view points. The watchtower was designed by the architect Mary Colter in the style of Puebloan towers. The tower has murals representing certain aspects of Hopi life. The top deck of the tower is from where you can see panoramic views of the canyon and the Colorado river. The tower also has a balcony. Being short on time, we had a quick view of the tower, grabbed some refreshments from a store near the tower and we were on the way to Phoenix.

The murals on the inside of the watchtower

The roof of the watchtower

A closer look at the Colorado river from the watchtower

We were hoping to find some vegetarian options at some restaurants in Tusayan but again because of the time shortage, we managed with fruits and bread. On the way we stopped at a Subway near a gas station, got some food for us and the car! We somehow just managed to catch the flight with 15 mins left for the boarding to begin!
Back home we were greeted by a turbulent weather near DFW and we longed to be back at the Grand Canyon!

Off to the Grand Canyon.....

The Grand Canyon needs no introduction. The canyon carved by the Colorado river in Arizona is a marvel of nature. Layers, billions of years old, have been exposed as the Colorado river along with its tributaries cut their channels through layers of rock while the plateau was uplifted. For thousands of years, Native Americans have inhabited the area. There are 2 rims, south rim and north rim, among which only the south rim is open in the winters. The south rim has sunrise points, sunset points, trails, different viewpoints, restaurants, shops, hotels. You can find most of the information about the south rim here.

Las Vegas

We started the journey from Las Vegas after having breakfast. It was a 4 hour drive covering a distance of 272 miles. With a lunch break we expected to be there way before sunset but an accident near Kingman caused delay. But we still made it in time for the sunset! We saw the sun set over the Grand canyon from the Mather point which is one of the points known for sunset. There was a certain calmness from the sunset, something magical about the place. The different shades of the canyon after the sunset makes you feel one with the nature. I find it difficult to express the view in words!

The first view of the Grand Canyon

Sunset view

We had booked The Grand Hotel at the Grand Canyon which was outside of the national park in Tusayan. The hotel was a 15 mins drive to the national park. There are some hotels in the national park as well but since this was a last minute trip, we couldn't find any accommodations in the national park. We had a double room which had basics like a microwave, some stationary, and some toiletries. Being vegetarians we found it a little difficult with food. But it still was a good place to stay close to the park.

The room at The Grand Hotel

After the sunset it was time for dinner. The weather was around -1 degree Celsius in the evening which made it super cold to be out for long. Also the park ticket is charged per vehicle as well and its valid for 7 days.

Vegas...Here we come!!

The day to visit the sin city, Las Vegas! We had a long plan for the day with Hoover dam on the way from Phoenix to Las Vegas. We had an early American breakfast of waffles, eggs, muffin, bread, Nutella, fruits and coffee.
With breakfast done, we hit the road to Vegas, US-93 N via Kingman. It was a drive of approximately 5 hours with a lunch break and a stop by Hoover dam. The road trip started just as regular one would. But, a few minutes into the journey and we were greeted by huge cacti everywhere! And by huge I mean an enormous size I had never seen before. They reminded me of the cartoons I watched as a kid where they had these huge cacti which I had then thought of fictional! Life is pretty much full of unexpected things. The things I thought didn’t exist as a child, were in front of me today!

Huge cacti everywhere!

We then stopped at an Indian cuisine restaurant in Kingman called India Spice N Bar. We had palak paneer, pulao and veggie biryani which was good and to be frank it had been a while since we had been to an Indian cuisine restaurant which made the lunch worthwhile!

Joshua trees

Next stop on the journey was Hoover dam which is a must-see if you are visiting Vegas. The dam impounds Lake Mead, in the Black Canyon of the Colorado river, on the border between the states of Nevada and Arizona. The generators of the dam provide power in Nevada, Arizona and California. Another place to visit near the dam is the memorial bridge, also known as Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. It carries the U.S. Route 93 over the Colorado river, which was originally along the top of Hoover dam with several hairpin turns and blind curves. The bridge is the second highest in the United States and world’s highest concrete arch bridge. The bridge offers stunning views of the Hoover dam with the Lake Mead and the turquoise blue river flowing under the bridge. Unfortunately we couldn’t visit the dam and just went to the bridge. The tour of dam is interesting provided you have sufficient time. But if you are short of time, the bridge makes the stop at the dam worthwhile.
A few pictures on the bridge and a few captured in our memories, we were back on to the road to Las Vegas.

Hoover dam from the bridge

The enormous Hoover dam

Las Vegas is a shimmering city in the middle of a desert! Known for its gambling, nightlife, shopping, fine dining and entertainment, this is the 'Sin City'! All of the gambling and entertainment is reserved for the Las Vegas Strip. Some of the largest hotels, casinos and resorts are right on this strip. A look into one of the casinos is nothing less than what can come straight out of a movie! The strip is highlighted by the presence of contemporary architecture, lights and lots of attractions. For as long as your eyes can see, there's nothing but bling!
There's Venetian themed on Venice all with the canals and the famous gondolas, Bellagio famous for its fountain show, Caesars Palace which takes you back to the Roman Empire, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Mirage. You name it and its there!
We checked in to Westgate Flamingo Bay Resort. We had a one bedroom villa booked and it was an accommodation that fit all of our requirements. There are a lot of accomodations available near the strip or on the strip but since most of them were casinos and we were traveling with a baby, we chose to stay somewhere that wasn't a casino but was like a 5 minute drive as well from the strip. The villa had a kitchen, living room and a bedroom with a spa tub.

Kitchenette at the villa

Bedroom at the villa

Living room at the villa

After a small snack break, it was time to check out the city! We went to the Venetian which is a luxury hotel and resort on the strip. It also has a casino and is themed on the city of Venice, Italy. The ceilings, columns, bridges and the gondolas take you to Venice. It was the first time that I had seen a casino but since we had a baby, it was a no to the gambling! Nevertheless it was an experience to see all the extravagance which can be found no where else. We then saw the fountain show at Bellagio, a large dancing water fountain synchronized to music on a lake between the building and the strip. There were people dressed in movie characters, playing guitars and what not! We also saw replicas of Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty!

Venetian designed as Venice

The strip as seen from Venetian

Eiffel tower on the strip

After a long and exciting day, we retired to our room, had some comfort Indian food and then off to bed.

Cactus, casinos and a dam!!

It has been quite some time that I posted something on travel. Being a first time mom, certain things took a back seat. Then we relocated to the USA and I traveled alone with a 5 month old, but all of that in a different post. With things settling down, we went on a small vacation that was always on the bucket list!

Winters in the USA are pretty cold & snowy and you are left with very few options in terms of travel. One of the few places we could visit were the Grand Canyon National Park and Las Vegas.
And en route to Las Vegas there's the Hoover dam.

The drive from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas is scenic with huge cactuses on most part of the journey. We had a late night flight to Phoenix from DFW on December 15, 2017. It was around 1 am when the flight landed in Phoenix. We had booked a suite in Springhill suites which was outside the city. Since we had to travel to Las Vegas the very next day, we were considering options around the freeway. The suite was a decent accommodation for a night with a queen bed and a futon. Kitchen amenities were basic with a microwave and coffee maker.  

We had booked a Nissan Altima from Enterprise at the airport. We deplaned, took a bus to the rental car area and it was a matter of a few minutes before we were driving out to the hotel. Taking a late night flight with a baby was a little stressful and all that we wanted to do was hit the bed.