19 September 2017 - Road Trip - Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon

My work week ended on Tuesday. As expected the conference really burned me out emotionally and mentally. Thanks to lingering pain from my bicycle wreak I was also physically shot too.

When I moved to California in 2015 I had intended to visit Grand Canyon National Park, however due to a last minute emergency at work, I skipped it, rushed to Irvine, then flew to Brazil. I can't really call it a regret because Brazil was awesome, but I have longed to see that park ever since. This trip to Vegas placed me 3 hours away.

First, I had to make a stop at the Hoover Dam. It is only 13 miles from the strip and the engineer in me would be angry if I didn't take a look. It had to be over 100degrees F, but the walk around was amazing. Here are a few photos.



I drove for the next 3 hours to a campground. At 30$ a night and 50 miles from the park I thought I had found a good deal. It was only 5pm so I decided to drive to the park entrance. I arrived in time to enjoy some hiking on the south rim near the visitor center as well as one of the best sunsets I have seen (I have high standards being a Californian).


I returned to my Camp site to get some rest before continuing my exploration the next day. Note to self, next time book a camp site in the park in advance...50 miles is a long way to drive when tired. I can't wait to head back to the park in the morning; moreover, the USA park pass was worth the price!

Here is your moment of zen...