Day 36 - Las Vegas & Grand Canyon

After an American breakfast, I book a helicopter tour from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon for the afternoon and evening.

Until then, I drive through Vegas - a huge art world for entertainment. I also hang out by the hotel pool for a bit.

The highlight of the day is clearly the helicopter tour.

By car, it would take 5 hours to get to the Grand Canyon - flight time is 45 minutes.

You can book an extra front seat, the helicopter needs to be adjusted for that - I'll do it.

The flight goes over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Colorado River into the eastern part of the Grand Canyon and then lands in the canyon. (Actually a fleet of 6 helicopters..)

You get one to two glasses of champagne (goes down smoothly) and can eat a sandwich with it.

Unfortunately, there is not much time, you spend about half an hour in the canyon before heading back into the sunset to the west.

Music is played through headphones, which of course enhances the mood during the flight (on the way into the canyon they were playing Hotel California for real! :D - but the Grand Canyon is in Arizona, right??)

I chat with the pilot - there are 5(!) different landing sites in the Grand Canyon. No wonder he doesn't get bored with the job even with up to 3 flights a day ("it never gets old").

In the evening, I walk around Vegas a bit, trying to find the Strip, either I was too stupid or I found it terrible.

I actually wanted to gamble a bit for appearance's sake, but I don't feel like it (I'm just saying probability). The guys at the slot machines and game tables tend to look a bit worn out.

My conclusion: if you want to have a really good time with friends and don't care about the cost, this is the place to be.

I find it either cheap, even the food, or ridiculously expensive with class.

(For the price of the helicopter flight, you could easily spend two evenings in the casino. You just have to set priorities, you don't fly to the USA for the food.)

In the evening, I actually want to sit outside in peace (you can endure it at 30 degrees), but I get approached by partygoers asking what I'm doing alone(!) in Vegas.

They are clearly from the party crowd (how else), and when I reply that Vegas is not really my scene, they insist that we go have a drink together and I am politely (but firmly) asked to sing karaoke with them :D.

(I choose Livin' on a Prayer - I think if you party permanently in Vegas, you haven't always seen the beautiful side of life.)

I had a lot of fun with them!