#ThrowbackThursday
Do you ever read those Buzzfeed articles titled "[A superfluous number of] Places to Visit Before You Die"? Well I do, and I get mixed feelings about them.
On one hand, the pictures are drool-worthy and inspires such wanderlust, but on the other hand... you're setting me up for failure, Buzzfeed. First of all, I couldn't tell you where Chapada dos Guimarães is located, so how am I supposed to get there? Second, I have a job and every day person expenses, so even if I could find the nearest airport and an air carrier to get me to Lençóis Maranhenses, how many Etsy signs and kidneys will I have to sell to pay for it? And 29 places? 29? If I get 10 days off a year and see two places in those 10 days, it'll take me almost 15 years to finish just that one list.
Okay, enough with the math problems. The point is, I kept seeing these pictures of natural sites in Arizona... oh, hello neighbor state! So why couldn't I just get in my car and go? One place in particular struck my fancy... Antelope Canyon. This isn't my first time seeing this dreamy sandstone creation (see below - Britney Spears "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman").
So in early 2013, Dustin and I planned out our first three-day trip together to Page, Arizona to visit two of nature's greatest creations -- Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. We desperately wanted to see The Wave too, but you really have to be ahead of the game when booking that one. The waiting list is really long and they only allow a certain number of people on it per day.
Moving on! Here are the when/who/where/how's of the CA --> AZ --> NV --> CA trip:
Friday
6pm: Departed Los Angeles ... Yay! Road Trip!
12am: At this point, it was hitting us that leaving so late was not the smartest idea.
2am: Commence driver switch.
3/4am: Arrived in Page, Arizona
Saturday
8:30am: Travel Advisor tourists highly recommended Antelope Slot Canyon Tours by Chief Tsosie for an awesome tour of Antelope Slot Canyons. You can't see it on your own, so I don't recommend "winging it".
We took the 8:30am time slot because we heard it gets really crowded any later than that. I'm glad we did, it was packed towards the end of our tour. Chief Tsosie knows the canyon like the back of his hand and often took our cameras to get the best shot of the canyon walls.
Afterwards, we stopped at the Big Dipper Ice Cream shop for duh... ice cream! It was perfect!
With no time to waste, we were on our way to Horseshoe Bend! From Page, AZ drive south on Highway 89 to between mileposts 544 & 545. Look for the exit lane and prominent dirt road on the west side of the road which you can drive a short distance on to the parking area. You walk up this hill and the view from the top is just breathtaking. We spent an hour or so walking around the "Bend" and snapping picture after picture. Truly one of the world's great natural wonders.
We capped the night off by eating dinner at Fiesta Mexicana which was so delicious and the portion sizes are HUGE!
Sunday
We checked out of the good ol' Holiday Inn Express and went on our merry way to the next destination... Las Vegas, NV. The drive was beautiful going back through AZ and UT, keep in mind that the drive there was basically pitch black, so we finally got the chance to see the beautiful rock formations across the vast land.
We arrived at the glorious Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. It was Dustin's first time staying here and he couldn't get over the sheer size of the suite; it was like Christmas. After checking in and playing with the controller watching the motorized window treatments go up and down a few times, we had to make our next tour - the Neon Boneyard.
I think I first heard of the Neon Boneyard or Neon Museum on the Travel Channel. I'd been dying to check it out because I suppose I have a fascination with old Las Vegas and the historical signs not being thrown away but rather living in a retirement home at the end of The Strip. The days and hours of operation are very particular, so pay close attention to those. You must book a tour in advance through their website. It was really fun and the guides know so much about the history of the signs and Vegas. If you're looking for something a little different and unexpected on your Vegas Vacation, try this on for size!
We went back to our room and spent the rest of the day watching VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s. We'd been driving and touring for hours, so this was where the actual weekend took effect. It was awesome to say the least, and that evening we enjoyed a nice dinner and walked up and down The Strip.
Monday
Driving alllll the way back to Southern California.
