We woke up early at our camp site in Tasayan and headed for a number of trails which went around the Grand Canyon. A number of us chose to do the rim trail, taking us along the very edge of the massive gorge. Starting at a place called Hermit's Rest, we walked for three hours along the track, taking in the views and enjoying the early morning sun.
We headed back to our camp site for lunch, then started our 5 hour drive towards Las Vegas. Going through the deserts of Arizona and into Nevada, you always wonder why people live there. The land can't be farmed and it's too remote for many, so maybe there's mining out there. We drove on and on, finally arriving in Las Vegas at 6:30.
So a few quick facts. Las Vegas is the fastest growing city in the USA and is home to 14 of the world's 15 largest hotels. This includes the biggest of them all, the MGM Grand, which has an incredible 6,276 rooms. It didn't even exist until 1905 but is now home to around 2 million people.
We pulled in at the Super 8 Motel in Vegas right when a film was being shot outside. They were only filming one scene and left shortly after, but it was cool to see. The film was The Return, which is due out later this year. Tim Robbins (of Shawshank Redemption fame) walked past our driver in the lobby, but I wasn't there at the time.
The motel was surprisingly comfortable and luxurious by the standards that we'd been used to whilst camping. We went out to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, then went for a 2 hour limo ride around Vegas, which was really cool because it was included in the cost of our trip. Driving around (or being driven around) Vegas really gives you a sense of the scale of the madness that is The Strip. Casino after casino line the main boulevard, which is complete with model versions of Venice, Paris, Mote Carlo, New York to name a few.
Our limo ride ended at the Bellagio, where the four of us who were under age (gambling only allowed for those over 21) stayed together and decided to look around. We went into the Bellagio and tried one of the slot machines. Within four spins, we were $65 up and quickly cashed out. A second later, the three other people with me - Dane, Isa and Emma - were asked for ID and we left, but more importantly, with a coupon for the winnings in my hand. I came straight back into the Bellagio and got another person from our group to cash the voucher and then left. We proceeded to Ceaser's Palace and Paris before heading back to the motel in the early hours. It turned out that we were the only ones to come out ahead by the end of the night!
