We arrived in Las Vegas and took a taxi to The Bellagio. Everything in Vegas is over the top, the fake architecture, the neon lights, the restaurants, the obesity, and the flamboyant dress sense of the eccentric ‘look-at-me’ people. But, it was the prices for even the most humble meals that were truly over the top. We ate dinner at ‘Harvest’, each of us having the Sea Bass. It was a great meal, but the table service was lacking. Breakfast was an unremarkable ham and cheese panini (with no resemblance to real bread in the panini), but the machine made latte with a double shot of espresso was passably good.

We took a taxi to the airport satellite building housing all the car rental outlets to collect our car. The booking was made through Europcar, but was delivered by an agency, ‘Advantage’ car rentals. While the sign said “Cars Available”, we were told there’d be a half hour wait as they had nothing ready! The VW Jetta diesel station wagon with 45,000 miles on it, was much more rudimentary than the modern (and luxurious) Lincoln Nautilus we’d become accustomed to, but it drove well. The drive to Yellowstone was a desolate five hour drive through very arid desert country.

DAY 1 – FRIDAY 4/10/2019

Bob and Judy, my old friends from Denver had driven down to spend time with us at the Grand Canyon. We had arranged to meet them at their lodge at 4 pm.

Because of the delay with the hire car, we were going to be an hour late and, without internet or phone coverage in the National Park, there was no way to contact them. Once we had checked in at El Tovar, we went to park the car. But there wasn’t a space to be found. So we decided to drive to find them at their hotel. We drove around the village, frustrated by the confusing labyrinth of one way streets. Eventually, after about four circuits of the roads, as we passed a small car park with spaces available, we drove in and parked the car. As we walked out to the road, the Park Shuttle Bus came around the corner and pulled into the bus stop just near us. Spontaneously, we decided to take the bus to the Yavapai Lodge. We boarded the bus and relaxed as it took us to where we expected to find Bob and Judy.

In a comedy of errors, we had been looking for them at their hotel while they had been looking for us at our hotel. We looked everywhere at Yavapai Lodge expecting to see Bob and Judy at every turn. We rang their room and left them messages, all to no avail. Giving up, we ate a hamburger dinner while waiting and then took the shuttle bus back to El Tovar. We planned to retrieve our car in the morning.

DAY 2 – SATURDAY 5/10/2019

Next morning, it dawned on us that we had absolutely no idea where the car park was that we’d left the car! We each had recollections of where it was, and that it was adjacent to a shuttle bus stop. But looking for it would have to wait! Having finally contacted Bob and Judy we had arranged to see them at 10 am at their accommodation, the Yavapai Lodge. That meant taking the shuttle bus up to Market Plaza, which afforded us an opportunity to keep a lookout for the missing car! But no luck! We spent time catching up with Bob and Judy and arranged to have a light dinner with them that evening. Then, at 12.30 pm, we returned to El Tovar to have lunch with John Orth and his partner Judy. So our search for the car would have to wait until later in the afternoon. But, thinking that we’d soon find the car, we booked a helicopter flight for the next day.

Once we said goodbye to John, our simplistic plan was to ride the shuttle bus until we recognised that one particular bus stop next to a small car park. As night was falling, after a complete circuit on the bus, we were still no closer to finding the car, we were only more confused and distressed! At the end of the line, at the Visitor Centre, the bus driver wouldn’t let us stay on the bus to go around again. We went to see a Ranger who narrowed the search down, saying it must be in one of three small car parks. Finally, at 5 pm, after a full 24 hours of it being lost, we found the car! What a huge relief it was. It had been such a cloud hanging over us. At last we could relax into enjoying the amazing Grand Canyon.

DAY 3 – SUNDAY 6/10/2019

It was such a relief to have found the car, particularly as we had booked a flight over the canyon by helicopter at 12 noon. The airport was a 20 minute drive out of the Park, so having the car was essential! We drove to the airport to check in , be weighed, and have the pre-flight safety briefing. Our helicopter was only going to be carrying four passengers, us and two Chinese girls. But the weight distribution calculations meant the we had to have the front seats! What a real bird’s eye view of the canyon. It was a long flight out to the canyon, over scrub and sparse trees. When the canyon rim came in view it was exhilarating. As we flew over the rim, the first sensation of thermals lifted under the helicopter. But it was a very smooth flight. The only sensation after that was one of complete awe and wonder at such a wonder of nature. We took photos, although nothing can reflect the grandeur that the naked eye experiences. As we flew back, over the scrubland, music played in our headphones. One song, “The Time of our Lives” was so moving. This holiday, from start to finish, truly has been the best time of our lives. We held hands tightly, feeling so grateful for the love we share.

Bob and Judy had planned for us all to have a ‘picnic’ dinner on the road out to Hopi Point. But our plans were thwarted when we discovered the road was only open to authorised vehicles and the Red Route Shuttle Buses. So, in the end we spent a pleasant evening back at their hotel room, talking and laughing over an easy meal of corn chips and guacamole.

DAY 4 – MONDAY 7/10/2019

We woke early and had breakfast in the dining room at El Tovar. At 9.30 am we found Bob and Judy in the foyer and set out for our planned walk down into the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. The trail snakes it’s way down to the floor of the canyon. Many serious hikers make the long descent, camp overnight, and climb out the next day. Signs warn against trying to do both in one day. Our plan was much more manageable. We’d descend for 45 minutes and then turn back and make the climb out. It was a totally different perspective than looking down from the rim. The high altitude makes physical exertion more difficult, as does going up rather than down. The hike upward made our muscles ache but the satisfaction we felt was worth any discomfort.

We spent the afternoon packing for our final time. We’d soon be settling into a comfortable seat on the Qantas flight home. We met Bob and Judy for the last time for a trip out to Hopi Point to watch the sunset over the canyon. The play of light and colours as the sun went down was watched by hundreds of people lining the safety rail … and by those dangling their feet over the rim with a 1000 foot plunge below them! Many people fall to their deaths in Grand Canyon every year. Only a small percentage are suicides. In 2018 four people died in the space of ten days. The most common cause of all falls or stupid ‘selfies’!

The only way in had been by shuttle bus and, with so many people there, the logistics of getting them all back to the village was very impressive. It was all very orderly, people lined up patiently as bus after bus pulled in. It took several buses to get to us, standing in the increasing cold. We were dropped back at the interchange, ready to find a place to eat. But, like Mary and Joseph, there was no room at the inn! We tried at Bright Angel and the Arizona Steakhouse, but in each case there was a 20 minute wait. So Bob suggested the Maswick Lodge nearby. It provided a ‘food hall’ cafeteria style of dining. At the burger bar, two lazy, inept and incredibly slow moving cooks took only one order at a time and, usually finished that before even taking the next order – there was no efficient ‘stacking’ of orders. The people ahead of us waited as part of their food went cold waiting for the rest of the order to be served. Bob ordered a Bratwurst roll. At least that was placed on the grill while our burgers were being agonisingly slowly prepared. But their ineptitude was highlighted when, having forgotten entirely about the bratwurst, it burst into flames on the grill. It was tragically comical, but the 40 minute wait to get two unpalatable burgers made us regret we didn’t wait at the Bright Angel.

After the meal, it was time to say our ‘goodbyes’ to Bob and Judy. They are our very good friends and it was hard to part, wondering when we’ll ever see them again. We went back to El Tovar and poured ourselves a glass of wine and went down to the mezzanine lounge, overlooking the lobby (where we had internet access). There’s a grand piano there that was played by a guest at 2.00 am one morning, causing many complaints … until guests realised the pianist was Paul McCartney! El Tovar has played host to many notable people over its long history since 1905, including US President Theodore Roosevelt, the Duke and Dutchess of Windsor, and Albert Einstein.

More interesting to us, however, were the very many delightful couples we met throughout our entire time visiting the three national parks that we were fortunate enough to experience. Many of these couples spend a considerable portion of the year visiting some of the over 400 national parks that the United States is fortunate enough to have. These couples are the American equivalent of our ‘grey nomads’. I have travelled and lived extensively all over the world, including stints in the US, but I had never before experienced such absolute splendour. The breathtaking beauty of American national parks are unique to the world. I feel privileged to have experienced some of that beauty.

We set an alarm for 8 am, ate a breakfast of sunny side up eggs, grilled ham and sourdough toast, accompanied by fresh fruit salad. At least here we were able to get reasonably passable double shot lattes! We set out for Las Vegas in the car intending to break half way for a coffee. But traffic chaos at Kingman, where we’d planned to stop, inclined us to press on non-stop. Then it was the usual routine: return the car, check in to the flight and be relieved of our heavy cases! Now we’re heading home, first to Los Angeles on American Airlines, then on Qantas to Melbourne. It has truly been the time of our lives!