The Grand Canyon from Great Heights
One minute I’m among the glitz and glam of the neon flashing Las Vegas strip and the next I’m soaring high above it all, on a helicopter flight out to the mighty Grand Canyon.
The silence and awe of the Grand Canyon is only half an hour from Las Vegas but it’s a world away from the city’s 39 million visitors a year, all pounding the pavement and playing the tables.
Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Listed site is one most popular day trips for Expedia’s kiwi travellers when they’re in town. The Air and Ground Grand Canyon Exploration Tour is a bestseller but there’s plenty of experiences to choose from.
By air is definitely breathtaking, but be warned: there’s a weighing scale at the helicopter check in counter before you board your flight. They’ll make you stand on it with any items you’re planning to take with you. I blamed my heavy handbag but beware the buffets!
Once in the chopper with our seatbelts and headsets on, we lift slowly from the tarmac and turn our nose to face the mountains, then up and away we soar.
The beauty of helicoptering to the Grand Canyon is the time saving. Within 10 minutes we’re circling the engineering wonder that is the Hoover Dam. The Dam holds back the silty brown Colorado River from its source in the Rocky Mountains before it enters Lake Mead and continues south to the Gulf of California. It’s a fascinating day trip from Las Vegas so if you’re not up for the added two and half hour drive to the Canyon, hop on a Hoover Dam Tour or drive the 45 minutes for a spot of fishing or water sports.
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