River Deep - Mountain High

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YESSSSSS!  This week is all about deep rivers and high mountains. 

Monday started in The Berkley Hotel in Las Vegas.  I had the day off to celebrate President's Day.  Thanks, Trump.

Here's a tour of my crib:



Welcome to my bathroom

Living area

Kitchen / diner / fire escape

Massive (lonely) bed

Makeup application facility room

Bath / shower / art gallery

All in all, it was very nice.  But they had a rule book that would make Heinrich Himmler proud.  Firstly, no guns allowed:


Wot no guns?

Secondly, you aren't even allowed to smoke marijuana on the premises:


Bob Marley not welcome

After checking out of the hotel, we drove from Las Vegas back to Goodyear via the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and Kingman on Route 66.

Dad (in Nevada) and me (in Arizona)

One small step for man, one entire revolution for the minute hand

Family portrait in front of the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

This is my third visit to the Hoover Dam in as many months and I try and learn some new information each time.  This visit's interesting fact is that the spillways have only ever been used once in 1983 and since then, the water level in Lake Mead has dropped by nearly 150 feet.  Lake Mead is currently only 40% full (or 60% empty depending on your outlook).  The high level mark is visible all round the lake and the main boating marina had to be moved as a result of the reducing water level.  Lake Shore Drive has not been renamed and is currently about a mile from the actual lake shore.


Redundant spillway

I spent the week night flying(!) whilst Mum and Dad did some touring around Phoenix.  They visited South Mountain:


South Mountain


The Desert Botanical Garden:

A dandelion clock made from cacti


And the Hall of Flame...

Hall of Flame

...where Dad found a fire engine from Retford in Nottingham!


A blast from the past!

On Friday after work, we set of for the Grand Canyon and saw our second snow flurry of the week as we drove up the I-15.  This one was serious!


I did not order this!

It was coooooold up there.  Overnight low of -14C!


OMG!


Progress was slow, but we finally made it to the Grand Canyon.  This place is AMAZING!  Here are my highlights:

Highlight 1: extra-large ketchup pump

Highlight 2: pizza pub

We did a LOT of walking.  First stop, the Bright Angel Trailhead.  Several years ago, I hiked through the Grand Canyon from the North Rim to the South Rim and this is where I emerged from the Canyon!

Bright Angel Trailhead

Canyon.  Grand.


Brrrrr.

Don't look down!

 The Grand Canyon Railway runs from Williams to Grand Canyon Village.  Here is the depot at the end of the line:


Grand Canyon Depot

Passenger train

Locomotive.  Not steam, doesn't count.

We stayed in the Maswik Lodge about 1/4 mile away from the South Rim:


Maswik Lodge

View from the balcony

And finally, we saw an artist's impression of this week's horse of the week bobbing along:


Horse of the week


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