Shock and Awe - Unca John’s Grand Canyon Trip

We* flew out of Stockton, CA, on a Wednesday to Las Vegas. (It’s a great option for Central Valley and even Bay Area folks-free parking and only $39 if you plan ahead.)

Got my rental car and drove to my lodging for the night, Hooters Hotel & Casino. It’s airport and Strip close, and the nicest and cleanest $39 bungalow I ever stayed in. Off to explore pawn and record shops (my weakness) and ride the roller coaster at Circus Circus before finding one of those famous Las Vegas buffets (Sahara on this night). Then, got to walking from the ‘Trop’ on the south end to the Venetian up north. It was fun to people watch, dodge guys handing out “female entertainment” flyers and timing it just right for the Bellagio water show but after 3 miles, my dogs were barking.

Next day, it was off to Williams, AZ (the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon” or at least that’s what the Chamber of Commerce sez). On the way there, I decided to take old Route 66 out of Kingman…not much to see, except that someone has put up some nostalgic Burma-Shave signs, which were a treat.

Found a great Route 66 gift shop in Seligman (it was me, the owner and a tour bus full of Japanese tourists).

Stayed at the William’s EconoLodge, which put every place in town within walking distance (the famous Grand Canyon Railroad also departs from here). In the afternoon, I drove over to Flagstaff to visit our warehouse and it’s manager Regan. Flagstaff would be quite a pleasant place to live.

It’s day three, an hour drive north and I’m at the Grand Canyon… my first time… and it’s AWESOME! Words really can’t describe it…SO BIG and DEEP…

…hiked to various lookouts…saw a condor and elk(s) (maybe a freemason too but they’re hard to spot)…drove out to the Desert View Watchtower…flicked some gnome shots….caught the Grand Canyon Imax movie and on the way back to the motel visited Bedrock and a small flight museum.

Saturday it was the drive back to Vegas (loving the speed limit of 75, gas at $3.22 and NPR’s CarTalk), across the Hoover Dam to get a better view of the new bridge/bypass they’re building and back on the Strip in under 4 hours. I then decided to take an ill-fated mini museum tour. Elvis-a-rama = permanently closed. LV Art Museum = huge building but hardly any art. Carroll Shelby Museum = closed on Saturdays. On the way to my Motel 6 downtown (prices go way up on weekends, Hooters was over a $100), I did run across a neon sign graveyard (I wish it was open to the public). The day definitely picked up when I headed over to Fremont Street, great steak buffet at the Fremont Casino and a very cool hourly light show above my head, it was a good way to finished the trip off.

Next morning, it was 6 a.m. donuts under the Stratosphere and a no traffic drive back to McCarren. Airplane flight back bonus, we flew right over Yosemite with Half -Dome and Yosemite Falls in all their glory.

Vital Stats:
Miles driven = 700+
Money lost in 20 casinos = $25 total
Money saved because my friend lent me her national park pass =$25
Slurpees enjoyed = 2
Donuts enjoyed = more
Ratio of tourist fashion victims vs. fashion victors = 2 to 1
Girl I ended up with = Betty Rumble at Bedrock

Girl gnome ended up with = a showgirl on Fremont street

Listening to a bachelorette party recapping their “what happens in Vegas…” stories while waiting for the plane = priceless

-Unca John
*My traveling companion, Larry the Gnome