Terrifyingly beautiful - the Grand Canyon

After a great nights sleep, we had a delicious breakfast at our favourite place, Macy’s, and then jump in the car. Today we see the Grand Canyon.

An hour and a half along the highway and we have reached a small town just outside of the Grand Canyon. We buy our park pass here and have a look at the National Geographic store ... or Grand Canyon souvenir shop.

We jump back in the car and drive through the entry gates to the national park. The road is like a maze. We try to follow the map but end up getting lost in the “village”, a massive collection of shops, transportation centres and accommodation. We finally work out where we are, stop for lunch supplies at the onsite supermarket and then drive back to the visitor information centre.

We park the car, get out the back pack and camera and head out to the rim. We walk through information stands, signs, shops and vending machines. We finally hit a walking path that leads us through thick scrub. After a minute or two, we emerge at the rim of the Grand Canyon. Wholly crap! It is grand.

We have been practicing our reaction poses for the camera.

We met an old couple in Vegas when waiting in line to pick up our tickets for LOVE and started talking to them about our trip. We told them we were heading to the Grand Canyon and the husband started quoting at least five different writers, explorers, political figures, who had seen the Grand Canyon and recorded their impressions. He also told us about one man that saw the canyon and could barely describe it, he was so overwhelmed with the ‘disgusting beauty’ of it. With this in mind, our expectations were pretty high - that is why we were practicing our reaction shots before we got there.

The Grand Canyon was awe inspiring, it was amazing, it was beautiful. It was also very high, very dangerous and very poorly fenced.

My fear of heights took the shine off the experience. I spent the whole time worrying that someone was going to fall off the edge and plummet, for hours, until they reached their death at the very bottom of the canyon.

We saw squirrels along the way, dancing for food. Very cute.

We stopped at a bench in the shade for lunch. It was a nice way to experience the canyon. A little further back, sitting safely on a bolted down chair.

After walking along the rim for several hours we decided that we were ‘granded out’.

A quick stop to the souvenir store - Yes, I have bought my parents another snow globe :) - we jumped in the car and headed back to lovely, flat on the ground, Flagstaff.

Goodbye Hotel Monte Vista. Hello Motel Du Beau.

Last night was terrible. We got maybe 3 hours of sleep. The room was overheated, the fan didn’t work and drunks were stumbling noisily around the hotel all night. On top of that, I try to convince myself that ghosts don’t exist, or if they do they wouldn’t want to bother me ... creepy.

As pretty a hotel as it is, we have to leave. Sleep is more important.

We hopefully enquire whether a quieter room is available. But of course they are fully booked.

We say good bye to Hotel Monte Vista and go to breakfast at Macy’s - an amazing vegetarian cafe with soothing coffee, nutritious tofu scramble burritos and devilish bagels with the most delicious, freshest cream cheese I have ever tasted - to work out our plan of attack.

After breakfast and a quick internet search we start looking for a new place to stay for the night. We have planned two more nights in Flagstaff and desperately want to enjoy them. After wandering for two hours - seeing a bed and breakfast that just looked like someone's smelly house and another heritage hotel where the woman at the front desk basically told us that staying at this hotel would guarantee that we wouldn’t sleep for two nights straight because of the noise - we stumbled across the Motel Du Beau.

We walked into the hostel’s reception, now a bit desperate for accommodation. The woman at the desk was English and lovely. We had a great chat about the pronunciation of letters in America - we have had to OVER pronounce the ‘r’ in Marty’s name otherwise Americans think his name is Matin and look at him strangely. This woman is so friendly and welcoming that when she says she has a room available for the next two nights - at a very cheap price - we instantly say we’ll take it. We pay, continue our lovely conversation, telling her that we are thinking of checking our Sedona today - “oh, you’ll love it! It’s so beautiful out there” - and then happily jump in the car and head out for some sight seeing. Room sorted.

The drive to Sedona seems so short - one hour is nothing now! - and the road winds through dramatically changing scenery. We start in Flagstaff surrounded by ponderosa pines, and as we slowly wind down the mountain, the pines drop away and the scenery becomes swallowed up by red dirt and dramatic rock formations. We have read about the vortexes that are apparently all over the area. This is one of the reasons why Sedona is so popular and why there has been an influx of alternative people and businesses in the area. Vortexes, we read, are channels or areas where Mother Natures’ pure energy explodes out of the ground. The power is so great that is twists trees that grow on the site of the vortexes. You can also feel it as it explodes through the ground. This should be interesting.

We arrive in town and head for the tourist information centre. We browse maps and brochures. There are so many businesses offering vortex related services, from yoga on a vortex tours to tarot card readers to vortex retreats.

We find a map of the area and think we are all set. Just to make sure I ask the helpers, sheepishly, whether the map I have is a good one when looking for vortexes. I expect the old guy I am talking to to look at me strangely, but Sedona knows why it is a popular tourist destination and runs with it. He gives me a more detailed map that has the vortex sites listed. I ask him which vortexes are within an easy walk from the car park - lazy I know - and he tells me of two. After this we get into a conversation about Australia. He has picked up on my accent and tells me his sister lives in Narrabrigh (sp?). Another old guy behind the counter grows interested in our conversation. I tell them that we are road tripping and what we have seen already. They are full of suggestions and excited about our trip. We purchase a park pass - that allows us to legally park and view the sites -, thank the helpful information volunteers and set out to find our first vortex.

The drive is surprisingly short. We park the car and try to decide which path will take us to the vortex location. We decide that a vortex would be located at the top of a hill. We start climbing the closest one. We get to the top and find a few people who seem to have had the same thought. Everyone sits peacefully, and presumably soaking in the vortex mojo. We try it. I feel a bit light headed and tingly all over. It may be the vortex energy or it may be the sweltering heat. I like to think that I was in tune with mother nature and receiving her burst of energy.

We climb down the hill, chat to a couple who ask us what is at the top. We tell we think we found the vortex. The woman laughs and says that the whole area is the vortex. Blast - that means we didn’t even have to climb a hill. She also tells us about he twisted trees and this particular vortex is full of male energy. What an interesting place.

Our next stop is an old church that was built into a mountain. The church is small, pretty and peaceful. People have come here for different reasons. Some are like us and just checking out the sites of Sedona, others seem to be on a pilgrimage.

We then drive to the next vortex site. We arrive in the parking lot and then read the directional sign for the walking path. 6km. It is very hot and we are not wearing sunscreen or good walking shoes. That is a good enough excuse for us - that means it is lunch time.

Marty had picked up a brochure when we were in the tourist information office for a vegan/raw cafe somewhere in town. We drive around for a while before finding it. ChocolaTree is a little oasis. It is cool inside, there is nice music playing and the staff are very welcoming. I wrote about the delicious food in an earlier blog :)

After an amazing and nourishing meal we head back to our new hotel in Flagstaff. We check in to our room, Marty parks the car right in front of the room and we settle in.

For dinner we decide to check out the other all vegetarian restaurant that I found online. It is only a block away from our hotel. The walk is quick, mainly because it is very cold again. The changing temperatures are happening so fast on our trip.

Morning Glory is a small hole in the wall that sits between a heavy metal bar and a pool hall. Walking inside we find welcoming staff and a very laid back vide. The menu is amazing - everything on it sounds delicious, from the vegan burrito to the laksa to the fried rice to the soba noodles! What to have? Marty settles on the fried rice - that comes with dahl and a salad - and I go for the Laksa. The food is delicious. You can taste the love. The restaurant isn’t busy and wish for the owners sake that it was. The food was fantastic, the service so friendly and the vibe very relaxing.

We eat until we are stuffed and then wander back to the hotel. Satisfied and sleepy.

So long Sin City - hello greatest town ever - Flagstaff

Our Vegas trip over, we check out of the hotel (which turns out to be a total rort - I plan to complain to Tablet Hotels about it).

Our drive begins. We are heading to a small town called Flagstaff. It is on Route 66 and a good base for visiting the Grand Canyon. This is all we really know about the town so far.

As we drive the scenery changes. We travel through the desert into a thick, green pine forest. It goes from hot to cold.

Four hours later we arrive in Flagstaff. We are getting better at driving long distances. After the ten hour stint to Vegas, anything else seems easy.

We find our hotel, The Hotel Monte Vista. It is an old heritage hotel that many a star has stayed in. Each room is named after the famous person who checked in. Our room is where Esther Williams stayed - a google search reminded me that she was a movie star who specialised in synchronised swimming routines.

The hotel is beautiful. It has maintained all of its old flare. There is a cocktail lounge downstairs and a cafe. Our room is small but cosy.

We settle in to our room and then decide to go for an explore and find something for dinner. Wandering around town we soon discover how amazing Flagstaff is. I had googled vegetarian cafes the day before and we go for a walk to track them down. Everything is within walking distance of our hotel. We are staying in what is called the historic part of town. There are beautiful old buildings everywhere, gorgeous boutique shops, great coffee shops, yoga studios and a mix of fancy and laid back gourmet restaurants.

This town is awesome! It is exactly what we need after our strange and full on Vegas experience.

We have a delicious dinner at Mountain Oasis. I have a great falafel platter and Marty enjoys a tasty ravioli. Salad and bread is complimentary with the meal. We also order a delicious glass of wine each.

After dinner we stroll back to our hotel. It is cold and a bit windy, but so far, one of the best places we have stopped so far.

Bed time :)

Vegas day 2

We have quickly slipped into a Vegas lifestyle. A very late night, followed by a very late sleep in. We wake up and have breakfast in our room. The time is 12pm.

After a slow start to the day, we decide to head back to the strip at about 5pm. We have tickets to see LOVE - the cirque de soleil show centered around the Beatles’ music. The performance is at 9pm and Marty is keen to have another crack at a black jack table.

We cab it in and start at M&M world. Marty and I have both imagined a Willy Wonka-style world of M&M wonder. We are a little disappointed to find that it is more like a four level souvenir store. There is, however, a massive wall of M&Ms that have been sorted by colour and flavour. We excitedly fill a bag each.

Afterwards we decide to get an early dinner. We stop at a diner-style cafe and order. The food is bad and the drinks expensive. Vegas is so far proving to be a very unhealthy experience in every way.

We go straight to the Mirage. This is where LOVE is playing. We decide that it is easier to find a table here for Marty to play at, rather than heading back to wonderful Bill’s. We stop and buy a massive margarita - when in Vegas ... - and we settle in at a black jack table.

I watch the game more closely this time. Marty starts out badly - he later tells me that he was worried that his luck had run out the night before - but before too long the strategy kicks in and within 20 minutes he has won $120! Again, he forcibly drags himself away from the table and cashes in.

We play an electronic roulette game for fives minutes - I am bored after two. I try my best to get rid of the money I have put in there just so it will be over. I just find gambling so boring. I keep winning and losing, winning and losing. I decide to just collect what is left so we can go.

Now it is time for LOVE. We line up, get some very American snacks - milk duds and a giant pretzel - and then find our seats.

The show is amazing. The stage has been built to play to all areas of the audience. We sit in stalls that circle the performance. It begins with an explosion of confetti, the music blaring, the performers bursting with energy. The show features some of my favourite songs, Here Comes the Sun, Octopuses Garden, Lucy in the Sky etc. The costumes are creative and colourful. The story is very loose and there are strange snippets of French-Canadian street performer weirdness, but overall it is a great experience.

We cheer at the end and then fight our way out of the theatre. We hit the souvenir shop - I am of course getting over excited and wanting to buy too much. It’s all cool Beatles stuff!!!

We jump in a cab and speed back to the hotel.

Goodnight Vegas!

What the what? world

First full day in Vegas.

After a very disappointing breakfast (‘complimentary continental’ - old banana bread and a few stale danishes), we head out to ‘the strip’. We decide to catch a local bus - quick, easy, cheap. We have a few reservations following our experiences in San Francisco (see angry bus driver in post #02) but when we get on the bus, are pleasantly surprised by our friendly reception.



The bus ride is quick and as we jump off we are again looking like country bumpkins coming to the city for the first time - eyes wide, mouths hanging open. We have arrived in crazy town.

Lots of people told us about Vegas, but it is really hard to fathom what a crazy world they have created in the desert until you see it for yourself.

Everything is big. Everything is over the top. Lights are flashing everywhere. Hawkers are pushing deals for all sorts of activities from clubs to casinos to boobie bars, and the printed pamphlets leave nothing to the imagination. “You want a hooker? Here is a picture of exactly what she looks like - all over ... and under” - gross.

Anything seems to go in Vegas. People are stumbling around drunk at 11am with giant plastic yard glasses strapped over their shoulders - margarita refills are cheap and everywhere - some of the plastic yard glasses are shaped like the Eiffel tower, some like blenders, we even see one guy drinking out of a full sized guitar. We see three young people driving around in old people scooters - too lazy to walk, too lazy to even sit upright, they are basically laying down and pushing a button to move along the strip.

We walk and walk and walk. The strip is massive. It is hard to measure distance with your eyes because everything is so much larger than usual. Everything is way out of proportion.

Our first tourist stop is Madam Tussand’s wax museum. It is so much fun! I finally meet Gwen Stephanie, hang out with Madonna, dance with Beyonce. I perform with the Rat Pack, Judy Gardland and Shirly Maclain. Marty gives golfing advice to Tiger Woods and is worshipped in a throne by Snoop Dog. I hang with my girl Marilyn Monroe and stare dreamily at President Kennedy. Marty gets to walk on the moon! What a fun exhibit.

We also go through the special house of horrors. In a group of five, we stand in a line, place our hands on each others shoulders and are told to always keep moving and to not touch anything or anyone inside. There is a couple in front of us, I am holding on to Marty and there is a man standing behind me with his hands on my shoulders. We start walking. Within seconds a zombie jumps out and starts chasing us! We all scream. I go to my default and start giggling insanely. The guy behind me is screaming for God and his grip on my shoulders in getting harder. We keep walking - zombie after zombie jumps out. We all scream. I start jumping up and down, half screaming, half giggling, hysterically now. We finally make it out. My shoulders are a bit sore because of the gorilla grip the guy behind me had. All five of us look at each other and start laughing. It was fun to share that with strangers. We all thank each other and go our separate ways.



After the super star/scare fest, we head to a mall - a massive mall, of course. We get lunch, a coffee and watch in confusion a man sitting at the oxygen bar, getting his fix. Surely just breathing is a fix? But no, apparently ‘flavoured’ oxygen is better. We secretly watch as he sucks down his blueberry oxygen with a look on his face like it has been too long since his last hit.

We then start to have a look at different casinos so Marty can get the lay of the land. We plan to come back to the strip tonight so he can have a go at black jack. The only problem is there are too many choices. Which casino is the right one for him?

After an exhausting day we catch the bus back to the hotel. After a bit of break, we get ready to hit the strip again.

Marty is excited and nervous to try out his new black jack strategy. He has been practicing on his iPhone for the last two weeks and feels confident. He puts on his outfit for the evening. He wants to be taken seriously at the table, so he wears suit pants, a white shirt and a black tie (thank you Jono and Kelly). I decide on jeans and my nice new top. We are ready to hit it!

We catch a cab to the Bellagio. We make it just in time to see the outrageous water fountain show. Performed every 15 minutes to the classic Elvis Priestly tune, Viva Las Vegas. The crowd is massive and we manage to catch a glimpse. The explosion and volume of water is amazing. Again, everything is big and crazy in Vegas.

We spend the next hour trying to find the perfect table for Marty. We are looking for a $5-10 table. All we seem to be able to find are $15 tables - apparently that is going to throw the strategy out. We finally find the perfect place - Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon. It is perfect. Marty settles in to a table that is right near the karaoke area. I sit next to him with a $2 margarita and watch the craziness unfold. Marty is focussed on his game - and getting free drinks for playing - awesome. While he plays I watch the karaoke talent.

Watching, I see the usual selection of karaoke enthusiasts. The woman who believes she is the next Celine Dion, the woman who thinks she is a stripper and jumps on stage to be a back up dancer to a guy rapping, the guy who believes he is a country music super star and has the whole audience singing along to a country classic (me too actually), the woman who says ‘fuck you’ to the audience and sings a song no one else knows (and gets booed in the process - the crowd is getting pissed and rowdy). The old woman dressed like a Pink Poodle from the movie Grease, dancing around the floor with a cardboard cutout of James Dean - followed by a man with a video camera who looks at me and just says “youtube ready”. And then, SHE comes on. I had noticed her in the crowd earlier but thought she was just dressing up like Lady Gaga because she could and because it is Vegas. She steps onto the stage, her performance as serious as if she were the real thing. The music starts, it’s Bad Romance. This woman has not only learnt the lyrics, she has learnt the moves, and she is nailing it! A few drunk men standing in front of me start yelling, “show us your thing!”. But as the performance continues, and the crowd gets behind her, they realise she is actually a woman and are very confused. Her performance is amazing. Her voice might not be great, but her commitment to the performance is what wins over the crowd. She IS Lady Gaga. We al sing with her, we all want to dance with her. She is amazing! When her song finishes, she leaves the stage as cooly as she stepped on it, and a wave of disappointment sweeps through the crowd - we are all sad that it is over. We want more. Click HERE to see the amazingness of fake Gaga.

I turn back to Marty and he informs me that he has won $100. He is tempted to keep going. I can see the thirst in his eyes. He is hungry for more. But I remind him that his plan for the evening was that if he won $100 he walk walk away and cash it in. He looks torn, but pulls himself away. We walk over to the cashier, who congratulates him excitedly. We walk out of the casino. Marty happy with his winnings. Me, happy with having seen Lady Gaga.

Woo Vegas.