I know it's early to be talking about plans for this summer's vacation, but with the nature of the vacation The Girl and I are looking at, it's something that we're going to need to plan early to get reservations and the like.Here's what we're currently looking at and some of the hassles involved.
Sometime in early June - The Girl is available to fly out on June 9th, but I don't think I'm free until a day later - we fly to Las Vegas. This part isn't going to be tough as there are flights to and hotel rooms in Vegas available pretty much year 'round as long as you eschew things like Super Bowl weekend and March Madness.
We hang out in Vegas for five or so days, doing whatever there is to be done in Vegas - with not much gambling, honestly. We'd be more about seeing a couple of shows - Penn & Teller if they're still there - and eating a few nice meals while hanging in the desert. And I know that Vegas is an environmental disaster. I'm working on fitting that into my brain, and I'm getting close to just being able to turn the brain off and enjoy the town.
Now, here's the part that I'm all about...
We hop a two-hour bus from Vegas to Kingman, AZ (where my great-grandparents lived during the years of my youth). In Kingman, we hop a one-hour Amtrak train (the Southwest Chief) to Williams Junction. Then it's another two-hour train ride to the Grand Canyon.
We get off the train and spend a night in a lodge on the South Rim of the Canyon. Reservations could be tough there, but we can't go about getting them just yet. (Follow along to see why.)
The next morning we pack up our things and hike down into the Canyon on the South Kaibab Trail seven miles to Bright Angel Campground right next to Phantom Ranch. There we sit in the creek and bake in the hundred-ten degree heat. See the photo - that's Bright Angel Creek. Lookin' good...The next morning sees us up at down and headed another seven miles to Cottonwood campground. This is the one that's got us stymied. We can't get reservations for Bright Angel or Cottonwood until four months out. So, to request reservations on the floor of the Canyon, we have to fax our back country permit request on February 1 and hope. From there, we'll be setting up the rest of our trip around those days in the bottom of the Canyon.
Seven more miles the next morning up to the North Rim where we camp for two more days then reverse our trek - seven miles, a night at Cottonwood, seven miles, a night at Bright Angel. Then we crest back to the South Rim via Bright Angel trail just for variety and to see Indian Garden.
We spend a night on the South Rim in a lodge and take a train back to Williams Junction where we have to stay the night before catching our ride home - a thirty-three-hour train ride to Chicago.
I know...I'm so excited!
Taking the Chief across the heartland of this vast nation of ours. It's a bit of majesty and glory. Riding the rails through Winslow, AZ; Albequerque, NM; Dodge City, KS; Kansas City,KS; Galesburg, IL; and into Chicago. Yes, we are springing the extra $300 or so to get a sleeping car, thanks for asking.
We'll probably stay a night or two in Chicago before catching the Amtrak back through the Hoosier State and into Cincinnati - where we'll need a 3am ride back up The Homestead in West Chester.
Takin' the train across the heartland.
Ridin' the rails.No renting a car, no filling up the tank, ridin' Amtrak and the Big Grey Dog.
Sure, it means we probably won't get to the new Canyon Skywalk, but I'm kind of okay with that because I don't know that I've got the guts, and I know that I'll be happy to avoid the $60 per person admission.
It may not be everybody's idea of a perfect vacation, but I am so totally geeked about the possibility of this one.
It's particularly the possibility of taking the train back from Arizona that has me flippin' out.
I'v never taken the train here in the US, but there's a certain romanticism about the train. No clue whether the trip will live up to that romanticism or not, but you'll certainly get to hear about it once I find out.
6 comments:
I said it when you told me the first time, and I'll say it again now: amazing plan, and it should be great.
That sounds pretty awesome. Other than traveling oversees, I can't imagine a better vacation. Vegas, however, is probably more appealing to me than it is to you. My brothers are already planning the family Vegas trip once I turn 21. Looks like your summer is going to end up a tad bit better than mine.
For our honeymoon we flew to Vegas, drove to Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, and down through Sonoma (very pretty, but inhabited entirely by time share salesmen.) Despite the intense heat, the creek in Sonoma was freezing, but it was amazing to slide around on a natural water slide of red rock! Once we were done driving around Arizona (loved Kingman, but the way... had dinner there at a steak house, I believe) we went back to Vegas and wandered around there for a bit. We don't gamble much either, but still had great fun. It amused me to see how the Luxor's casino was designed such that it was difficult to figure out where the exit was!
$60 per person for the Grand Canyon thing?? Seriously?? Geez. For that price I'd expect to bungee jump into the sucker. Not that I'd do that either, though...
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Hmmmm... a train ride sounds like fun...
Things to do while in Kingman... stop at Moose Lodge and visit Nixon's chef, play a video game in the bar, then stop at Bob's Big Boy for dinner.
Strangely enough I have several pics of me in some ceremony at the Moose Lodge. It still confuses me.
I'm in love with the Americna West - both the reality and the mythology.
Dan - I'm hoping it works out. Gotta wait for the Canyon folks to say yes first.
Craig - Overseas is amazing, but there's something to be said for seeing the whole of our own country, too, and there are a whole lot of states that I haven't been to. Taking a train through them isn't exactly like exploring their every last nook and cranny, but it's a start.
That's some incredible stuff, TL. We did Santa Fe, NM for our honeymoon. Gorgeous times there, Albequerque, and Los Alamos - remember the fires that nearly destroyed Los Alamos? - we have pics of that "controlled burn" being started.
Ame - when I heard that Kingman would be even a stop on the trip, I was overjoyed. And I know those pictures that you speak of.
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