Originally I had booked a Ford Taurus or similar at around $45 a day without insurance, but when it came to picking it up we were persuaded by the Hertz man to upgrade to an Explorer RV with GPS and insurance for $71, and it was a good move as it turned out. We had so much more room and the GPS was a godsend, especially around LA.
When we left Flagstaff that morning it reminded me of Canberra - cold, but with a beautiful blue sky. There was the added bonus of snow (but not too much) around as well. The town itself seems friendly and clean, not too big or touristy. It would be nice to return one day and have a proper look at it.
The Hertz man also persuaded us to go to Las Vegas via the Grand Canyon since we were so close - another good decision. Last time Neil, Richie and I were in Las Vegas we declined the opportunity of going to the canyon as it was a couple of hours away, but from Flagstaff it was only an hour or so. To enter the park costs $25, which gives you a 7 day re-entry. I had thought, being winter, we would not be able to access everything, but all we really needed was the view, and we certainly got that. Even Richie could appreciate the enormity of it from the path outside the fence. You can get on a tour which caters for wheelchairs if you book ahead, but we didn't really need it. What an amazing hole in the ground.
The drive to Las Vegas from there was easy, being on the highway, but I still did not volunteer to take control. Neil reckons I nearly squashed a policeman last time I drove in Las Vegas, but I think he is exaggerating...a bit. He was doing a great job anyway, so why take that away from him?
As darkness set in we drove over the Hoover Dam - really spooky at night and quite awesome in size. I would like to see it in the daytime. You can do a Hoover Dam/Grand Canyon Tour, which sounds pretty groovy.
Coming into Las Vegas from the east is also awe-inspiring because of its size. I didn't realise just how a big a city is is. Apparently now it is the fastest growing city outside of LA, and in fact a lot of Los Angels(?) are moving there to get out of the rat-race (into a new one).
We checked in at Circus Circus and decided to stay an extra night since we did the extra time at the canyon, and at $50 a night it didn't break the bank. Chelsea was dying to check out the roller coaster at their indoor theme park, but she had to wait till the next day as it closed early that night. So we decided to go for a walk along the Strip and see the sights. Unfortunately the wind coming off the snow we had left behind was bitterly cold, so the walk wasn't incredibly pleasant. We took in the glitz and the seediness, and on our way back, walking past one of the many construction sites, Chelsea got some dust in her eye. We didn't think much of it and assured her that it would be gone by the morning, but when she opened her eye the next day she proved us wrong. It looked terrible, and after a few phone calls Neil took her to a doctor not far away. About $200 later, she came back with a prescription for her scratched cornea, which I had filled for around $50. I understand now why insurance is essential for travel in the States. Fortunately the condition was minor and treatable and we were able to claim most of it back when we got home.
A scratched cornea and an eye patch did not deter her from the roller coaster however, and she (with Neil attached) made the most of it that afternoon and evening. The next day we were leaving for Indio, near Palm Springs, where we had a Timeshare unit waiting for us. We were hoping to call into some factory outlets on the way, so wanted to get going fairly early, even though checkout wasn't until 11am. After hitting the Blackjack tables and the pokies (not the kids, who watched yet another reality courtroom tv program) we went to bed, having gambled a grand total of $20 ($18 more than last time!)
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