#7 & #47 - Fly with me, it's Grand!

Here is the story of how I checked #7 and #47 of my bucket list…

2014

While in Las Vegas with a group of friends, we had one day allocated as a “field trip”.  Some of the group was driving to see the Hoover Dam, while some of us wanted to see the Grand Canyon.  The Grand Canyon was approximately a 5-hour drive to get there, so the six of us decided that a helicopter tour would get us back at the same time as the others returning from the Dam.

The ride seemed to go slow.  Usually when in the air, it’s been inside a plane moving much faster (500 mph vs 130 mph).  There was a clear floor to look down through, which was a bit disconcerting.  Also, I was not expecting how hot the ride would be.  Climate control is much more difficult in a helicopter.

The helicopter flew us over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and Fortification Hill.  As we dipped and rose over the dessert hills and valley, it felt more like the flight of a bird. 

Coming to the edge of the Grand Canyon was exciting.  If there is any place on Earth that puts into perspective the grandiosity of Mother Nature, it is the Grand Canyon.  The helicopter had the ability to follow the ridge and dive deep along the canyon walls.  The Grand Canyon colours started as dark stone and changed to subtle shades of red, yellow, or ochre in the canyon walls.

The helicopter landed 3,500 feet into the Grand Canyon in Hualapai Indian Territory. We were able to walk around 300 feet above the mighty Colorado River. The canyon walls are impressively high.  The temperature at 10:30am was 37C.  Good thing we call hopped in the helicopter after light snacks and flew away.

 

#7 Go for a Helicopter Ride added to the list in 1986, #47 Visit the Grand Canyon added to the list in 2000, both checked off the list 2014.