The View Was Grand Indeed

I apologize for the long absence: I had a long vacation last week going to Las Vegas, with the intent of visiting the Grand Canyon. I had never been to Vegas, although it's a spot my dad enjoyed visiting as a Navy pilot making delivery runs from East to West Coast. I don't travel as much as I'd like, either. Living on a librarian's salary doesn't allow for a lot of trips I'd like to take. Even saving up for this trip has crimped my current budget.

It did not help that on the day after my trip to the Grand Canyon, I tried to travel around Vegas to do some birthday shopping for my twin brother... and in the process injured my left leg bad enough that I'm walking on crutches and seeing my local clinic about possible ligament tears at my knee. Ow ow ow.

While there's a ton of political madness to keep up with, at least I got to see the majestic views of the west side of the Grand Canyon. Using a Canon Rebel T6 camera, I was able to get some pics:

I wonder if you can see the shape...

Yup, there's a sleeping dog on the left.

The west side is on tribal land: the Hualapai people oversee and manage the tour sites, including a Skywalk viewpoint that is pretty scary for anyone - like me - afraid of heights.

You have to pay extra to go on the Skywalk. 
I was not about to pay extra to scare myself.

Just remember this is the WEST side of the canyon.
There's a North (currently closed) and a South. Spread over 
HUNDREDS of miles.

Even the staff parking lot has an epic view.

I tried to get an interior picture, but it was too dark.

This is stop two at this park: Guano Point. That
rocky formation is actually called Ant Hill.
The top of it is supposed to give you the best
360 degree view of the canyon possible.
And it's impossible to get up there.
I tried, twice.

I'm told that's the Colorado River down there.

There's a bat cave down there. (No, not THAT one)
Guano was harvested for fertilizer. That's part of the old
lift system they used to get to the cave.

I dunno if you can see it but I tried to get a picture
of the tour helicopters that fly through the canyon.

The Guano Point facilities, where bathrooms are available
and lunch can be had. I really needed that bottle of water
after all the hiking and walking, especially because
that dry heat of the desert made more dehydrated than I'd ever
been in Florida!

I have a number of videos that I recorded to my smartphone - and a lot more photos of Las Vegas on there as well - that I will need to upload through YouTube to share properly on the blog.

In the meantime, I hope you all have good vacations planned for the summer, and for the LOVE OF GOD DO NOT INJURE YOURSELVES. Hurts like hell still, ow ow ow...