Today we leave Las Vegas and head to the Grand Canyon. I am actually very sorry to be leaving Vegas as we just simply did not have enough time there. We have had whirlwind trips of all cities thus far actually...and I am so sorry we have not the time or resource to do things differently. However we still have places to go and places to see. Today I will see the Grand Canyon.
We have breakfast at the buffet before we leave, just as we have done for the past three mornings. The difference today was that I lined up by myself to get us a table as the Bear was taking some baggage out to the car. I lined up at the designated entry to the eating area. This desk normally has a concierge who leads us to our table however she was not there when I got there. I can see that she has gone to take someone else to their table, so I just waited for her to return. She got side tracked on the way back and I was slightly annoyed because I had been standing there for several minutes.
Four Americans came to stand behind me, and were talking amid each other. They commented on the fact that they were required to wait to be shown to a table and stated that this wasn’t “a prep school” and they should just be able to help themselves. With that....they did! They pushed past me and helped themselves to the last remaining table in the buffet area. I pretty much spat purple dwarfs as that table effectively was meant for me and the Bear. At this time, the concierge had still not returned. I could see some other patrons were finishing up their breakfast so I knew that it would not be long until we had a table. The Bear also had not returned so it wasn’t a real issue that I was still waiting.
A minute later two American men came to stand behind me. They were politely talking to each other and were wondering whether they had to stand and wait for a table, or just help themselves. They looked at me before they started to overtake me and make a beeline for the table that had just been vacated. Not on your Nelly fella’s!
Me: *politely* Excuse me....I am waiting for a table also. The lady will be back in a minute.
Yank Number 1: Weeeert
Me: Pardon?
Yank Number 1: Weeeeert
Me: I’m sorry. I beg your pardon?
Yank Number 1: Whaaayaaart
Me: *blank look*
Me: *blink*
Me: *raises one eyebrow*
Yank Number 2: I don’t think he understood what you said.
Me: Ohhhhhhhhh...ok....he was saying “What”...as in “what did you say?”
Yank Number 2: *nods*
Me: Oh. Ok then. *turns to Yank number 1* I’m next. WAIT-YOUR-TURN!!
Yank Number 1: Bloody Brits.
I swear if someone calls me or the Bear Poms or Brits again, I am going to shove their head up a dead bears bum!
We drove all day stopping at Hoover Damn, which was amazing. We crossed the Nevada border into Arizona (where we had to change the clocks AGAIN!. This is the third or fourth time since being here and my body clock has given up on trying to figure things out) where we stopped at a place called Grasshopper Junction which was just up the road from Santa Claus. Santa Claus consisted of one broken down old shed. Grasshopper Junction was a convenience store in the middle of whoop whoop. There were a couple of redneck cows out the back who seriously looked inbred. The store had a green alien painted on the front of it and it wasn’t until later that I realised the alien was in fact a grasshopper. I would love to suggest to the artist not to give up their day job. We stopped there to purchase a drink and cautiously entered the store. I was hit by an overwhelming acrid odour and immediately saw that two women were doing something with some meat. I suspect they also double as the local butcher – not that there is anyone within cooee – or as a couple of axe murderers who kill passers by and turn them into jerky. The lady who served us was not there for any small talk and seriously had the personality of a dung beetle. This was ok as I was keen to get out of there.
Back in the car we resumed out trip and I resumed my excessive and obsessive photograph taking. We arrived at the Grand Canyon in the late afternoon and immediately went to a lookout site. It was damned FREEZING but I was almost overcome by the sheer magnificence of the canyon. To try to put it into words would simply not do it justice – so I will stick to saying that I felt humbled. We then headed to “El Tova” where we were staying the night. El Tova sits right on the rim of the canyon and I mean literally on the rim. You walk out the door or look out the window and the canyon is there. El Tova is a log cabin type lodge which features many deer and moose heads on its walls and a roaring fireplace in its den. This made a change from the bears and pumpkins that are currently adorning houses and shop fronts...maybe for thanksgiving perhaps? The Bear had booked the “Fred Harvey Suite” which was a room with a balcony that overlooked the canyon. There are apparently only four rooms that look out over the canyon in its entire perimeter so this was a privilege. Fred Harvey was the gentleman who founded the group of hotels that El Tova belonged to – with El Tova being the main location. The Fred Harvey Suite was located on the upper floor at the opposite end of the reception area. I wanted to help the Bear unload the car and haul the suitcases up the steep flight of stairs however the chivalrous one would not hear of it. He wanted me to continue snapping away whilst we still had light.
We trudged up the stairs and down the end of the long hallway which creaked with every step. There was a smell which I can’t describe and this became stronger as we entered the room. I took two steps inside the room and stopped rock solid. There was a freakin’ great portrait of Fred Harvey himself hanging in the room and was watching over the bed. Now I did look hotel up before flying overseas and read that the hotel is meant to be haunted by the ghost of Fred Harvey. The sight of him watching over the bed absolutely freaked me out and the Bear predicted that we wouldn’t be getting much sleep. I wanted to throw a sheet over the portrait but decided that would be a seriously stupid move if the place was in fact haunted. A ghost might be fairly pissed off if I did that! I went out to the balcony to try to get away from the damned painting and the smell, and spent the next half an hour snapping away until the sun went down.
We had dinner at the restaurant which had logs lining the walls and another fire place roaring. Well at least that is what the Bear told me. The place was so darned dark I couldn’t see a thing! The Bear had to read me the menu while I pretended to look at it. He ordered a schnitzel and I had crab cakes before we retired to the spooky room. I confess that whilst B was in the shower I had a bit of a chat to Mr Fred Harvey and told him that if he started to rattle chains during the night we would take our money and run – and that this would be completely against what his motel chain were about. I was happy that we had that little chat and despite his eyes following our every move from his portrait, and my imagination working overtime with the blobby things that you see in the dark, I did manage to get a small amount of sleep in the impossibly uncomfortable bed! Durango tomorrow!
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