Grand Canyon

A couple days before I moved, Nakaela and I went to the Grand Canyon.  With it only being 4 1/2 hours away from Vegas, I decided I couldn't go another summer in my life without seeing it. We drove early Thursday morning, stopping to take pictures at Lake Mead and the dam.  When we got there we went to an overlook to see the majesty of the Grand Canyon.  Words cannot ever describe the massiveness of it!  We were starving, so we picnicked then started on our hike.

Just a tiny part of the view from our lookout point.

This is the trail we decided to hike.  We were told it was 1.5 miles down, but I think it was longer than that....

This is right at the trailhead.

Also near the trailhead.

This was the view of the trail about 2/3 of the way down. (Do you see those switchbacks?!)

Nakaela was so fun and she let me take tons of pictures of her.

This was the "end" of the trail...at least for us.  Nakaela's knee was hurting her pretty bad.  She was in rough shape going down, but hiking back up seemed like it was a piece of cake.  Not for me, though.  I was pretty sure I was going to die.  At the trailhead there's a sign that says, "What goes down must come up!"  I made several theories of ways to get back up without hyperventilating.  

YAHOO!  We made it back!  And, boy, did my legs know it!

Some of the crazy things about the Grand Canyon were how humanized the animals were.  We seriously got 10 feet from a deer!  And the squirrels would run up to if you called for them.  Crazy.

Nakaela and Aunt Danielle  :)

So, because we didn't die, I suggested we go get some ice cream and dinner.  Of course ice cream came before dinner.  :)  We ate at a really cute diner on old Route 66.

AND they had chocolate malts!  MmmMMmm!

Beautiful scenery, a killer hike, insanely friendly animals and ice cream on Route 66 -- what more could you ask for?!