so vegas is a glorified disney world/cruise ship/strip mall, but the grand canyon is absolutely mind-blowing! i knew that vegas wouldn’t be my thing. after the first moment of shock and amusement at the blatantly fake statue of liberty and eiffel tower, the strip just struck me as a sad sad place. the tourist traffic is relentless and the pawn shops r pretty visible, esp around the old strip. at some point it was the city of crime and sin i guess, now it’s just a depressing mall. but i enjoyed the drive to the grand canyon and all the tiny towns we came across. had lunch in seligman for example at lilo’s westside cafe where they serve german-american food. bought some arizona honey too - pecan flavored, totally delish.

pictures below:

1) elvis is everywhere in las vegas.
2) the beautiful lake mead on the way to arizona.
3) the grand canyon, close to sunset.
4) ravens are much bigger and shinier than crows.
5) a view of the grand canyon from the old watchtower.
6) the havasupai people have lived on the southern rim of the canyon for centuries.
7) with my son.