Glamorous Grand Canyon

My travel bucket list contains mostly international treasures, but there has always been one domestic wonder I’ve always wanted to see; The Grand Canyon. So when we first decided to go to Vegas, my only request was not a club, a show, or time to gamble, it was of course the Grand Canyon! Since the Vegas trip was only a few days, viewing the Canyon by helicopter seemed like the best option.

The night before our early morning departure I was reading CNN and stumbled across this; the day before a helicopter had crashed, killing everyone inside. Knowing some members of my family were more hesitant to travel by helicopter, I decided it was best to wait until after our successful flight to tell them about the tragedy.

We wound our way through the hotel, and found the ground level pick up point, where the tour company Papillon was going to pick us up. They were a little late, and we stopped at another hotel and changed buses before we were finally on our way. The tour left from Boulder City Airport, just outside of Las Vegas, in the middle of the dessert. It was nice, and looked as though only tours from this company operated out of it. After a short safety video we boarded a new helicopter to the Grand Canyon.

On the way to the Canyon we were dazzled by the spectacular scenery including the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. Even though I had a middle seat (the helicopter seated 8) I had a fabulous view through the wrap around windows and could take great pictures with my point and shoot.

Our pilot Josh was entertaining and informative, plus had a killer sound track for our 30 minute flight to the Grand Canyon. We landed seamlessly inside Hualapai Indian Reservation near the beginning of the Canyon for a picnic lunch and champagne.

My mom and brother enjoying lunch with a view

While we were there we took full advantage and marveled at the scenery while snapping as many photos as we could. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of it all; I was finally checking the Grand Canyon off my list!

Landing in the Canyon left me wanting to spend more time there, to really explore. After 30 minutes it was time to head back to the Vegas Strip. We took a different route home, so we could see the Black Canyon and more of the desert surrounding the Natural Wonder.

The tour company was very professional, and the equipment was new and comfortable. Overall, the 4.5 hour tour was extraordinary, something to remember for a lifetime. Las Vegas is more than just gambling and clubs, one of the Seven Natural Wonders is just a helicopter ride away!