Travel

A Groupon to the Grand Canyon

Posted on by Justin

We purchased a Groupon for a sunset tour to the Grand Canyon several months ago, and we’ve been waiting for the right time to cash it in.  We bought it with a couple of friends, and between all our busy schedules, it’s been hard to get sync’ed up.  Finally, though, we got it together so we could finally enjoy our trip to the Grand Canyon.

Our morning started at 7:30, when Grand-Adventures.com picked us up at the MGM Grand hotel.  It was early, particularly for a weekend, but that was the deal.

IMG_1677

The tour was out and back in one day, and included breakfast and lunch.  Breakfast was a McDonald’s breakfast.  On our way out, as we pulled off the interstate, we couldn’t help but notice that we were getting off at the exit that we lived at (our house is about a mile from I-215).  It was, unfortunate, that our McDonald’s was right next by the house – some smart planning would have let us sleep in another hour – such is Life.  Breakfast was great, though.

On our way out, we made several stops.  I’m still not completely sure why we stopped quite so many times.  We stopped at the Hoover Dam, which made sense, since the tour mostly targets tourists to Las Vegas.  We just parked and took a peak at the dam, and checked out the overlooks.  Our driver, Julio, had some interesting tidbits about the dam, and then we moved on.

Then we stopped at Arizona’s Last Stop – a biker bar on the way into Arizona on Rt. 93 – for a pit stop.  Then we stopped in Kingman, AZ for gas.  Then, we came to Seligman, AZ, which Julio told us was the inspiration for Radiator Springs in the Disney/Pixar movie “Cars.”  It was a sleepy little town, which mostly met all the expectations of a town which might be alleged to be the inspiration for Radiator Springs.

Check out the eyes on the cars.

IMG_1685

Even the bathroom was quirky!

IMG_1689

The last stop on the way to the Grand Canyon was a gift shop about 30 minutes outside the National Park.  It had all sorts of interesting things inside…

IMG_1696

We thought these carved, wooden bears were cute.

IMG_1700

However, when grouped into a huge army, the carved, wooden bears were just creepy.

IMG_1705

Finally, about 3 pm (note that’s 7.5 hours from when we were picked up), we arrived at the Grand Canyon.  As we pulled into the park, I saw a small cart being drawn by a dog… how very curious.  I had to snap a shot.

IMG_1707

We had a nice packed lunch of Arby’s Harvest sandwiches (provided by Grand Adventures), before heading out on a hike around part of the South Rim.  The Grand Canyon is pretty impressive.

IMG_1739

As you begin to hike, you really begin to get a feeling for how big things are.  Not that it ever looks small, but it does feel like no matter how far you hike, you’re never going to make any progress on getting anywhere.  It’s big.

IMG_1727

Can you see the guy standing out on the rock formation?  White shirt, and about the size of an ant?  No?  Try this picture – I zoomed in as much as I could…

IMG_1725

It’s huge.  Like HUGE.

We hiked along for probably something like a mile before we came to an overlook.  It really wasn’t strenuous or rough hiking, which was just a touch disappointing, but since you’re at 7,000 feet elevation, you’re definitely getting winded at this point.

IMG_1824

The Wife was, as always, patient while I shot all sorts of pictures.

IMG_1819

After the overlook, we jumped on the bus, which was hauled us up to another overlook.  We were pretty impressed with the amenities available at the park.  The cabins were nice.  The buses were handy.  Everything was well-maintained.

ran

It was right about now that we were lamenting that we didn’t have the opportunity to go down onto the canyon floor.  I would think that feeling of size would only be exacerbated being down on the floor of the canyon, looking up at everything and the sheer size of the canyon.  It was a pretty nice view, though, from the rim of the canyon.

After another couple stops and some intermediate hiking, we jumped on the bus to head back to parking lot, before the sun started to set.

IMG_1829

We found a great overlook to hang out on and watch the sunset.  The weather had been perfect all day, but it was starting to get just a bit cool.  There were maybe a couple of hundred folks hanging out on the ledge watching the sunset.  It certainly wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty cool.

IMG_1831

Once the sun was gone, we jumped on the bus and headed back to Vegas.  It was about 7:30, and I was doing the math on how long it would take to get back… 7.5 hours would bring us in around 4 am.  I was not looking forward to it.  Fortunately, we made only one stop back in Kingman for gas.  We made it home in about 4.5 hours, rolling into Vegas about midnight.  We had to drop off some folks at one of the other hotels, first, before heading back to the MGM Grand, and then making our way home.

We finally got home around 1 am.  It was a LONG day.  In many ways, it wasn’t worth it – it was SUCH a whirlwind tour of the Grand Canyon, that we feel we left a lot of experiences behind.  On the other hand, it Grand Canyon is SO remote, that if you don’t think you’ll have an opportunity to see it sometime, and you have limited time in Vegas, a day-tour would be a great way to check it off your list.  The price was great with a coupon, but it would probably be worth it to pay full price, if marking one of the Natural Wonders off your list was a big deal to you.

Speaking of the Seven Natural Wonders, since we saw the Great Barrier Reef last year, and then the Grand Canyon this year, we’ve decided to try to get to one a year until all of them are done (although, we’ve agreed that we probably will have to settle for something less than climbing Mount Everest).

CNN talks travel – the Hungry Wanderers listen.

Posted on by Justin

Not that I normally put TOO much stock in CNN, although I wholly acknowledge that it is my “goto” news source in my web browsers. Today, however, there was an article about 15 places kids should see before they turn 15. Check it out.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/03/24/15.places.before.15/index.html?hpt=C2

On the list, just to hit the highlights – along with MY (the Husband’s) status. I encourage the Wife to add her two cents. I’m on travel right now, and I don’t honestly know her status on all these…

Grand Canyon – We’re headed there in April or May!

Redwoods National Park – I was there in 2004. Fantastic park, although I can’t speak highly enough about Yosemite, which I also did on that trip.

Monticello – 8th grade field trip? Having grown up about 2 hours from Monticello, I’ve been by it several times, and been to the grounds a couple of times. I think I’ve only be into it once.

Freedom Trail – Never been there.

Niagara Falls – Never done it, but I really want to.

The National Mall – Having grown up about 45 minutes (sans traffic) from the Mall, I’ve been there SEVERAL times – including a couple 4th of Julys. If you’ve never been there for the 4th, make it a point to do so. If you have already done it once, then you’re aware that one is plenty.

Williamsburg – Once again, a field trip in school at some point, and I’ve been several times since, including a Senior High School prom in 1998, and as recently as 2009 (I think) with my sister-in-law and her husband. Lots of fun.

Walt Disney World – I think my opinion on Disney is well-established, to include on this blog. DisneyWorld is fantastic.

Independence Hall – I was there in 2005, as I recall. I remember it being “special,” but not much more.

Alcatraz – I don’t know if I’ll ever do this one. Prisons kind of creep me out, and the idea of being on one, even decommissioned, particularly “stranded” on an island… we’ll see if I ever get there.

Ellis Island – I’ve been to New York several times, but never made it out to Ellis Island – it’ll be on the list the NEXT time I go to the Big Apple.

Yellowstone National Park – Going in October, I believe. Should be loads. I’ll make another pitch for Yosemite here, though – simply beautiful.

Fenway Park – Along with the Freedom Trail, I’ll have to put this on my list next time I head to Boston.

Craters of the Moon National Park – I really don’t know much about this place, so I’ll have to do some research. It appears it’s about 4 hours from Yellowstone, so we’ll have to consider giving it a-go when we head to Idaho.

Anyone been to any of the above, and have any thoughts? Leave a comment or send us an email!

Garage Door Saloon/Big Joe’s Pizzeria

Posted on by Justin

While I was in Pittsburgh, one night, my co-worker wasn’t feeling well.  He had a headache, and then took some Aspirin on an empty stomach, and he doesn’t usually take any meds unless he’s REALLY not feeling well.  The Aspirin was eating up his stomach and did little to help his headache.  It looked like I was on my own for dinner.  Not a problem.  Even though I had a car, I decided to take a walk and see what was near my hotel.  I asked the young woman behind the counter if it was safe to walk around (indeed, the area looked…. eclectic), and she said it wasn’t a problem, even in the dark, and that she walked to and from work all the time.  She was probably 22 years old, and worked the 1600-0230 shift, so I figured I’d be alright.  I armed myself with my iPod and a book, and set out to find some dinner.

I didn’t realize it, but I was about 4 blocks from the University of Pittsburgh.  As I began walking over, I realized it really was a very safe area, and the “eclectic” feel, I had sensed driving through was the same sense I probably would have had driving through any college neighborhood.  Houses that were clearly rented by college students, with little time for home maintenance, and remnants of weekend parties on the front yards, but nothing truly nefarious.  I enjoyed the walk, and found a wealth of mom and pop restaurants to pick from.  A couple caught my eye, but as the evening was gorgeous, I was looking for something with an outdoor patio, or at least an outdoor feel.  I found the Garage Door Saloon.

IMG_1518

This picture shows the windows are closed, but those windows are actually small garage doors with glass panes.  When I was there for dinner (it was too dark to take outside pictures when I was there), those garage doors were open providing a nice view and breeze for the bar.  I walked in to the nearly empty bar, as it was about 1730, and it really wasn’t clear how to get a seat, if they sold food, etc.  I asked the bartender, Mark, where I could sit, and if the kitchen was open.  He said I could sit anywhere, handed me a menu, and pointed out a window to order from, once I was ready.  I sat at the window next to the pay phone.   What wasn’t immediately obvious, and what I’m still not completely sure about, is that food was being provided by Big Joe’s Pizzeria, the shop adjacent to the shop (there was just a doorway in the wall between the two stores).

I took a look at the menu; standard college/bar/comfort-type food.

IMG_1555 IMG_1553

I surveyed the menu, and to be honest, I’m a total sucker for food like this, particularly at these prices!  I ordered some wings with butter garlic sauce, fries, and two chili-cheesedogs.  The young woman working at the counter was clearly new; it may not have been her first day, but it certainly wasn’t her third day.  She didn’t charge me the correct amount for the individual orders; she overcharged me on some, and undercharged me on others… I think it all came out, though, and I just didn’t have the heart to tell her that she wasn’t getting it right.

From there, I went to the bar and ordered a glass of water and a Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale (Cleveland, OH).  I then retired to the window with my beer and book, and waited for my meal.  The meal was delivered, I noticed from OUTSIDE; the woman walked up on the sidewalk and handed the food through the window.  It was funny.

IMG_1513

The food was as good as it looked.  I expected, for $2.00, that the hot dogs would be little tiny hot dogs, but no!  They were big, quarter-pounder dogs.  They were good, but not great.  The Burning River Pale Ale was awesome, though.  i would certainly recommend one anyone that showed even remote interest.  The wings were cooked really well, but it seemed like they may have been sitting awhile, and were a little dry and cool.  The food was delivered without any utensils or napkins, though.  THAT was a problem.  Those chili-cheesedogs and wings  both required napkins, and I didn’t see any, so I just enjoyed my gluttonous meal without my book, and just admired the twilight view.

IMG_1514

The meal did the trick, though, and I didn’t finish it all, as I figured the hot dogs alone might cause me to go into cardiac arrest on my walk back to the hotel.  After I finished the beer, I ordered another beer, asked for a stack of napkins from the bartender (Mark) and continued reading.  I ordered the Troegenator Double Bock (Harrisburg, PA) based on Mark’s recommendation (although I did forego his recommendation for the Dundee Octoberfest (Rochester, NY)).  I’m generally not a big fan of darker beers, but I try to give them a chance, and I have been a big fan of Sam Adams’ Double Bock.  This met my expectations, and was “ok”, but not particularly good.  I took my time to finish it, continued with my book, and headed back to the hotel.

Overall: It would have been a great place to enjoy a beer, with the open feel and friendly atmosphere.  I would leave Big Joe’s food for Big Joe.

Ambiance: College bar, with open-air, garage-door windows.

Food: American-bar food, brought to you by Joe’s Pizzeria, located next door.