Day 15 - Right On Track

Grand Canyon, AZ to Las Vegas, NV

Starting the day, the prospect of not driving for a time was a welcome change. Don't get me wrong I love driving, but white line fever is a real thing. Closing my eyes at the end of the day, all I can hear is a humming in my ears until I fall asleep... That was the point I knew I needed a break. And this day would be perfect for a number of reasons, though certainly letting someone else do the driving was just fine. And we did it in class.

For $100 per person the Grand Canyon Railway buys you a day long themed show, a 2 hour and 15 minute train ride out to the Grand Canyon's South Rim with a 3 hour layover, and then a 2 hour and 15 minute ride back. The ticket buys first class seating and included snacks and refreshments, too. They also have a cash bar, but given I was driving later in the day I didn't indulge. What's more, if you stay in the hotel or on the Campground grounds for the Grand Canyon Railway, you get 30% off those train tickets. A reasonable deal, I thought.  

I mentioned a day long show... The day begins with four bumbling cowboys trying to figure out how they're gonna get breakfast, but Ma is in jail (again) and they have no money, so they pull a passenger from the grandstands along side the makeshift old West movie set and try and convince them to play "Cowboy Poker". Before long, one of the cowboys figures out that another cowboy is cheating (with five aces), pulls his pistol, and shoots him dead in the street. And this was not a pop gun, either. Dude pulls a Sam Colt .45 and "BANG!!". The whole crowd - including yours truly - about jumps out of their skin with the surprise of it all. And again, it's 9am.

In walks the Marshal. He goes through a line of questioning and the cowboys all try and pin the murder on the bi-stander. When the old Marshal catches the cowboys in a lie, he skins his pistol and quick draws them all; with one of the cowboys landing face first in a huge pile of manure. It's an entertaining 15 minute show, and just then the conductor calls for "ALL ABOARD!" and we're off and running.

Conor's never been on a train until we boarded so he was giddy to say the least, but when we stepped on to the (first class) train car and took our seats he had this surprisingly disappointed look on his face. After inquiring and being rebuffed several times to the point of frustration, I asked in a "tell me now before I go full Dad mode" tone of voice what his problem was. He finally admitted that he expected the train car to be like Harry Potter on the train to Hogwarts - our own personal little 4 person cubby with a sliding door. I started laughing and that broke the tension between us, and then went on to explain that - while those kind of train cars may be available somewhere in the US, they aren't on a 2 hour ride to the Grand Canyon!  

After settling in, the ride became about spotting wildlife, checking out the landscape, and talking about what life must have been like to settle in the desert in those days. Along the route were several homesteads, some working and some abandoned and dilapidated leaving a lasting impression as to the harshness of the desert. We spotted pronghorn antelope, rattlesnakes, vultures, and groundhogs along the ride. When we finally reached the Canyon and de-boarded, the first order of business was for Conor to earn his Junior-Marshal badge with the DNR team in the visitor center. After he was properly deputized and proudly displaying his badge, off we went.

The first hike was a half mile walk down a 4% grade - which is great because it's downhill. But coming back up - at 7,000 feet elevation - reminded me of several things. First, while I'm not in poor health, I am somewhat out of shape; certainly strong enough to make the mile long hike, but not without feeling like my lungs were going to explode. Next, I was reminded of my disaster of a right knee. A little bit of overuse and that knee may as well be a pool ball in a cereal bowl - it's janky at best. But here's the kicker. While I appreciate all of the positive feedback I receive about this blog, and how complimentary you all have been about just how I write, I'm really a big dumb animal. So dumb, that I have a pair of Solomon hiking shoes with me on this trip! And instead elected to wear Vans... Something I say to Conor (more often than I care to admit) is, "If you're gonna be stupid, you better be tough." While I'm pretty tough, I ended up eating whose words with a whole heap of crow. Conor said to me, "Dad, you would have never made the 18 mile hike at camp." For you parents out there - you know how you'll have those totally impossible, would never act on it but damn it's fun to think about impulse checks as it relates to your children? The second he said that to me I wanted to punch him square in the chest. It played out like a movie in my mind. Me sucking wind, his smart-ass comment, me clobbering him, and then him sitting on the ground in front me sucking wind as well. Ahhhh, parenthood! Instead I just kinda looked up and sneered at him and continued focusing on not dying.

After a quick 5 minute recovery we walked the opposite direction, gracefully mostly all flat, and took in all the sites of one of the 7 Wonders of the World. I was asked at one point if the Grand Canyon was worth the hype. If you're like me and you appreciate the natural wonder of it all - this rock we're floating on in an infinite Universe, you bet. The Grand Canyon is absolutely something to behold.

One of the coolest things to happen along the way was, a juvenile female elk just kinda wandered over. Conor got within about 10 feet of her before snapping this picture. Only Conor, I thought.

When we got back on the train and started making our way back to Williams to end the day, those pesky bandits were all lined up on horseback along side the tracks as the train moved down the line. They managed to stop the train and board, and proceeded to "rob" it before the Marshal once again intercedes. For a 10 year old, it was pretty awesome. Conor got a real kick out of the theater of it all. It was an excellent way to spend the day! But now we're 3 hours from Vegas - an easy drive considering the last days - and we were hungry! Adventuring down old Route 66, we stopped and had dinner at another recommended stop, the Roadkill Cafe. Great stop, great burger!

The fact this train ride took the better part of the day was a happy coincidence, because this whole time we've been talking about Vegas I wanted nothing more than to come into this desert oasis at night so Conor could see the lights coming down the mountain. From the pure inky blackness of the desert highway to an endless sea of lights as we crested the ridge, it really is something to see.

And we're not just staying at any hotel. We're staying on the 60th floor of the Mandalay Bay - one of Las Vegas' most famous casinos! Gigantic pools, a live aquarium, a dozen restaurants, and that's all before we leave the building! Though checking in was not without incident. It seems Big Syl is just a bit taller than the hotel could accommodate, so I had to park in a garage three hotels away and walk back. It was 96 degrees at 11pm PST and dammit if I wasn't tired of walking. When I finally made it back to the Mandalay Bay, on my way to the elevators I passed a sundry shop and picked up a couple of large waters and a pint of Makers Mark. I came into the room and Conor was all sprawled out and living his best life. I took a hot shower, took three Advil, and poured three fingers of Makers Mark on the rocks. I knocked that drink back in about 10 minutes and woke up seven hours later. A good day indeed.

Today we see Las Vegas! And to see this city through Conor's eyes renews the excitement of it all for me... VIVA LAS VEGAS! Until tomorrow, friends!