The hot sun was burning over the Mojave Desert. We had left San Diego and were heading to our next destination which was none other than Las Vegas. The total journey was about 5 and a half hours and to avoid making it a long drive, we decided to make a short stop near Yermo.
There it is. Calico Ghost Town a true ghost town of the American West! It was founded in 1881 by wandering miners when the largest silver deposit in California was found in the wider area. However, as the price of silver gradually fell, people left in search of new opportunities and in 1900 the city was deserted. Today it has been restored and operates as a museum, "traveling" the visitor to the era of the Wild West, which we all know from the movies, also known as Westerns. One of the most interesting points of Calico is the old mine, where one can see the difficulty of survival at that time.
To satisfy our hunger we stopped at a burger joint that was in every travel guide I had read... It was the Peggy Sue's 50's Diner, a restaurant that has been operating as it is since 1954 and of course with… amazing burgers! The interior decoration refers to the rock and roll era of the 50s, while the waiters are dressed accordingly. The walls were filled with photos of Hollywood stars who had visited the restaurant to eat.
Driving along a section of the famous Route 66, we continued to our destination, Sin City. On our right, the desert of Mojave, which is at the center of legends and rumors, with the famous "secret bases" of the American army in which strange technologies are developed, but also as a place where strange and unexplained phenomena are observed. On our left the Death Valley (Death Valley) with the lowest point in America, 86m below sea level. The highest temperature in the world was recorded there, in 1913, with 56.7 degrees Celsius!
As night fell, its thousands of lights Las Vegas began to fade into the horizon. It is truly incredible how some people decided in the middle of the desert to build a city dedicated to gambling! All life in Vegas revolves around “Strip” a 6.8-kilometer strip on which the most luxurious hotels and casinos in the world are concentrated.
We left our car at the beginning of the strip, at the 43rd floor Mandalay Bay hotel, with the largest pool in Vegas and we started our tour of the world of illusions on foot… Thousands of lights created a special atmosphere, which predisposes you to endless fun. This hotel and casino hooping is really only worth doing at night. Walking along the strip you realize how much priority has been given to pedestrian traffic, as to get from one side of the street to the other, one uses escalators, footbridges, elevators or even corridors inside the casinos! However, with cars, it will be difficult to cross paths.
Our walk included the necessary stop at the Bellagio fountains (also known from the movie Hangover) whose waters move according to the music. At the Venetian we encountered a miniature of Venice, with canals, gondolas and Italian restaurants. We saw the train park at the Circus-Circus hotel, the Egyptian pyramids and the Wasp at the Luxor, the Roman-style statues at Caesars Palace, the Eiffel Tower in scale at the Paris hotel, the Statue of Liberty also in scale at the New York New York hotel and of course we tried our luck at some slot machines. After we had gone far enough along the strip we took the Monorail to return to the parking lot, where we had left our car…
2or day
Vegas is not just about casinos and hotels, but also a combination of activities and excursions, all within easy reach of the city. So we started our journey east in the morning and in no time we found ourselves at Hoover Dam (Hoover Dam).
It was built between 1931 and 1936 on the Colorado River, on the border between the states of Arizona and Nevada. The result of the construction was a) the creation of Lake Mead, the largest artificial lake in the United States by volume, b) a large agricultural network c) the production of electricity through a hydroelectric plant. It is undoubtedly an impressive construction, innovative for the time it was built and for this reason it attracts many visitors. (Ticket 15 dollars)
After a short stop there, we continued on to our destination which was none other than Grand CanyonIt is one of the first national parks in the US and a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a length of 446 kilometers! It attracts about five million visitors annually and scientists still disagree about how it was created.
The approximately two-hour journey from the desert brought us through the forest with the Joshua Tree. The Yucca brevifolia plant, or Joshua Tree, is the trademark of the area and became famous when U2 released their self-titled album (Joshua Tree). The landscape is eerie, lunar…taken from a science fiction movie. But how can trees grow in such an inhospitable place?
At some point we arrived at our destination (West Rim) and the parking lot where we had to leave the cars and board buses. After paying a ticket 47 dollars we headed to Hulapai Ranch, an Indian ranch where one can stay overnight if they want. The place didn't excite us and we started to wonder if it was worth the effort to get there...!
The bus, however, continued to the first view point of the Grand Canyon, the Eagle Point. There we revised… In the end it was worth it and more!! This point was named after an eagle that formed the rocks opposite us. Below, at a depth of about 1220 m. the Colorado River. Impressive geological formations and layers with different resistance to erosion testify to its 17 million years of history! The Hulapai Indian tribe lived and still lives in these places, and they manage this place. We did not go up to the newly built Skybridge as we considered the amount we had to pay for photos to be outrageous. Besides, the view was already magnificent from where we were…
We took the bus again to the second viewpoint, Guano Point. There we were left with our mouths open! The vastness and grandeur of the "Grand Canyon" spread out before us! We didn't know where to look first. The sun was setting, creating colors on the horizon and shadows on the rocks, making the spectacle even more impressive. Colorado brought a light cold breeze and a hawk was flying proudly in front of us. Moments we will never forget!
After spending some time enjoying the scenery, we headed back to Las Vegas. We were so full of images, emotions, and colors. A lifelong dream had come true: To see the Grand CanyonWe had crossed three states arriving at one of the "7 wonders of the natural world"! Night was falling and the lights of Sin City were turning on again... A night of endless fun was beginning in Vegas...
What else can one do in Las Vegas:
– See a Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM Grand, which is considered the largest hotel in the world with approximately 5,000 rooms, or The Beatles LOVE at Mirage.
– See the permanent show of the famous magician Chris Angel at Luxor
– Go through her huge video wall Fremont StreetThe spectacular show lasts around 6 minutes and is repeated approximately every hour, from 6 pm until midnight.
– Shopping at Las Vegas North Premium Outlets, where we found many bargains and great discounts on many brand-name products.
– Get a dose of the city's "dark" history in the past at Mob Museum.
– Take a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon and on the way back, encounter Vegas illuminated with millions of lights.
Drinks – food
Here are some of the best restaurants in the world, awarded with Michelin stars and with some of the best chefs in the world. We will not recommend anything in particular as that would not make sense. However, what is really worth booking a buffet at Bellagio or Wynn. Alternatively, outside the strip, we were thrilled with the breakfast at Mama's.
– For a drink with a view, it's worth going up to the 107 Skylounge at the Stratosphere Hotel, the Madarin bar at the Mandarin Oriental, the Skyfall lounge at the Delano Casino, or the High Roller (ferris wheel) behind The Linq Hotel. Also, throughout the strip there are various shops that serve cocktails on the street in huge thin glasses. They're worth trying!
See the rest of the roadtrip here…
