We flew to Las Vegas, and walked around the strip, visited the Neon Boneyard Museum and

took a stroll on Fremont Street, in Downtown. Later we hit the road, passing by Hoover Dam

and driving all the way to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Let�s explore this natural

wonder of the world.

We have arrived to our cabin here at the Bright Angel Lodge, close the door behind me because

it's freezing outside. And we've got a partial view of the Grand Canyon.

That night we have dinner at the Arizona room right on the Bright Angel Lodge, which is

where we are staying. It's southwestern inspired food with some great Arizona Wine, actually

I didn't know Arizona made wine, so it's a pleasant surprise.

After dinner I take some night photography. Taking all these shots I break my travel tripod

in the process actually taking this vertical picture, it's a disaster, and boy it is cold,

but it�s even colder in the morning. We wake up to a beautiful sunrise.

We would like to stay but we can�t, we check out of our rim side cabin at the Bright Angel

Lodge, which by the way was originally established in 1896 at the head of the Bright Angel Trail,

and renovated in 1935 by architect Mary Colter. We take a short drive to the visitor�s center

for one of the most breathtaking views of the canyon, which at this point is ten miles

wide and one mile deep. We are at Mather Point, named after Stephen Mather, first director

of the national park service. We continue driving on the East Rim Drive.

We are now driving towards the Desert View Watch Tower, to get on a last breathtaking

view of the Grand Canyon. And the it is back to Vegas on Route 66.

The Desert View Watch Tower was completed in 1932 and also designed by architect Mary

Colter. And we have arrived. The views from the top are truly breathtaking. The Painted

Desert to the east, then a big bend of the Colorado River, and the North Rim over 10

miles away.

We take in the view one last time from the bottom.

We stop on the way back at the Navajo Point looking back at the tower.

We have made the big traveler�s mistake of planning ahead. We always seem to do that,

I don't know why? We have tickets to a show tonight in Vegas, so we must be back at a

certain time, so we reluctantly start driving west, still stopping here and there but unable

to linger much.

One last time we approach the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

After this last stop it is virtually non-stop.

We spice up the long drive by taking route 66, which set us back about half an hour but

makes for a more interesting drive at least we hope it will.

First impressions, I have never seen a more desolate road in my life, we drive for miles

without seeing another human being, well maybe one, this hitchhiker. Not even the Dalton

in Alaska felt this isolated. There are a couple of roadside attractions we want to

visit such as the Grand Canyon caverns, but it feels so deserted to desolate, it is kind

of creepy so we ultimately decide not to go in.

Even at the motel, there is not a soul. Actually, lets get out of here before a long bearded

guy playing a banjo comes after us. It is surreal, it�s like we�ve gone to another

dimension, an alternate reality. We�ll at least there are cows.

Yup, we are certainly getting our kicks on route 66.

We go through Peach Springs in Hualapai Country.

We encounter some rugged terrain along the way.

Another point of interest along Route 66, according to the guidebooks is the Hackberry

general store, here you go. A few miles further west we also encounter

the Ranchero, another attraction of the past with this green statue, which disturbingly

resembles Fidel Castro, I don't know why. We also pass by the Outpost Saloon, and finally

we reach the town of Kingman where we divert from route 66 and take state route 93 straight

to Las Vegas.

We once again pass by the Hoover Dam bypass bridge and into the state of Nevada.

We are almost there as we see the skyline of The Strip in the distance. We arrive to

Vegas admiring this beautiful sunset. This time we are staying at one of the classic

Las Vegas Hotels, the Riviera, which dates back to the 1950s. The hotel is a little run

down as it has been in financial trouble for a while, but if you are on a budget go for

it, it's not pricey. Once in Vegas we enjoy Sin City. We go to

the Cirque du Soleil show Love� not my cup of tea really. Actually the highlight of the

night were probably the Mojitos and the ambience at the Rhumbar in the Mirage Hotel, and the

nightclub of course. Good times! We can�t show you much of this because as you know,

what happens in Vegas, kind of stays in Vegas, or so they say.

On the next day we go to the Bally Hotel where we splurge at the Sterling Brunch at the Stake

house, a decadent experience in gluttony you should do at least once in your life. It�s

hundred bucks for unlimited lobster, filet mignon, lamb chops, fine champagne, and so

much more. I mean, I whish I had two stomachs. After this extravagant culinary experience

we hit the road again, this time we visit the Red Rock Canyon. It ain�t no Grand Canyon,

let�s be clear about that but it is just minutes away from the city and a beautiful

place with a bunch of trails, and this 12 mile scenic drive. We explore the whole 12

miles stopping here and there for the obligatory photo ops.

We should really spend a whole day here, and explore some of the trails and the natural

beauty this place has to offer, but after passing by the visitor center, we decide it

is time to go back and enjoy the few hours we have left in Las Vegas. After passing by

the famous historic sign, we go to into the Mandalay Bay. A beautiful hotel with an artificial

beach that is unfortunately closed due to renovations and the cold weather.

We do enjoy one last drink at the famous Mix Lounge, located on the 64th floor of the adjacent

building and watch the lights turn on as the sun goes down. As you can see I�m not much

of a gambler, our winnings for the night, seriously. Instead, I�d rather bet that

many of you and your friends are going to watch this video, and all the other ones I�ve

posted.

I hope you have enjoyed this short trip as much as we did. Check out part one so you

can see the beginning. Coming up next, we will begin our road trip from Miami to New

York and explore many points of interest along the way. Check out the blog for all of our

other adventures at roadnomad.com and subscribe to the YouTube channel, youtube.com/travelingrobert,

and send your comments or suggestions about future destinations to Robert@roadnomad.com.

I am Robert Morales, your host wishing you pleasant travels, and as always thank you

so much for watching and see you on the road.