After San Francisco, we had two options for where to go – either Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon. We simply didn't have enough time for both. We decided that the Grand Canyon was the better choice. And what about Las Vegas? Just another big city.
We left San Francisco sometime after lunch and spent the rest of the day driving through California towards Arizona. We drove until we were tired and, following our old routine, ended up camping for the night :). In the morning, we headed towards the Grand Canyon.
Who has seen the movie 'Cars'? It tells the story of an abandoned old road that no one uses because everyone takes the new highway. This story is real. We were actually driving back from California on that new highway. And the old abandoned road is the very famous Route 66, which once connected Chicago and Santa Monica. Now no one drives on it because there's no point. Interstate 40 was built nearby, and everyone uses that. But since this road was once very popular, there are many signs on the interstate indicating that the famous Route 66 runs nearby. Now, there are only small abandoned towns on that road, just like in the movie. Nevertheless, there are many tourists there. We stopped in one of these towns; unfortunately, I don't remember its name, I only know it was in Arizona, not far from the Grand Canyon. It was quite beautiful there. We bought souvenirs, ate at a restaurant where the waiter got offended because we left him a small tip, and then went to see the Grand Canyon.
Entry to the Grand Canyon National Park is paid. It costs 25 dollars per car. It doesn't seem like much money, but still. Free buses run throughout the park. But my brother and I decided to walk. The girls took the buses. Oh well.
There are several viewpoints along the canyon. We chose the highest one and headed there. When we reached our goal, a stunning view of the canyon valley opened up before us. It really is SOMETHING. You have to see it. Then we went for a little walk along the top of the canyon. What surprised me was that there are no fences. If you want to jump down, go ahead. Why collect money at the entrance then? We took photos, threw stones down, timed how long it took for those stones to fall, and went to wait for the girls. There's nothing to do at the Grand Canyon for longer than an hour. By evening, we reached a campsite in New Mexico and spent the night there according to our established routine.
